FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SPRINGFIELD, MO, APR. XX, 2003 --
Honesty at work day
The Society for Organizational Development
and Authenticity (S.O.D.A) announced the establishment of June 9th
as “Honesty at Work Day” by authority of the Missouri
legislature. Spokesperson Roy L. Crown
noted, “We wanted one day on the calendar when people could be themselves at
work without getting in trouble. This
idea had been bubbling around for a while.
We’re glad it is now official.”
Monday June 9th will be
marked by office parties around the country as employees and managers alike
pour out of their cubicles to join the annual celebrations. As one worker noted at a synthetic nitrogen
plant in Springfield,
“We are normally not encouraged to bring our whole selves to work. But I think Honesty at Work Day could help
fertilize some new ideas around here.”
Southeastern
University of Denver Organizational Psychology Expert Dr.
Christine Pepper is not so sure about the idea.
“I do not mind people bringing themselves to work as long as the self
they bring in fits well-defined expectations about behavior.”
In a recent study of over three hundred
organizations nationwide, Pepper found that people being truthful at work was
not only less productive, but could actually undermine management goals and
objectives. “When people bring their
minds to work it creates a kind of chaos that most companies cannot
handle. Not everybody has the
intellectual horsepower to be honest at work, or express ideas in a sensitive
way.” Her study found that individual
expression in the workplace made co-workers uncomfortable. “The last thing we need is a bunch of
mavericks giving everyone a case of gas,” she concluded.
The workers we spoke with felt more
upbeat about the new holiday. Umberto R.
Pibb, Chief Chemist for a major beverage company, was inclined to embrace the
idea. “Frankly, people need to loosen up
a bit. A celebration like Honesty at
Work Day might really add some life, especially if they serve food.” His administrative assistant agreed, adding,
“There’s a legend around this place that one of our best-selling products was
developed by accident. Employees were
fooling around in the workshop, playing with different ingredients. The rest, as they say, is history.”
Management theorists remain skeptical,
however. “We jumped on board the
‘honesty movement’ bandwagon back in the Seventies. It didn’t work,” noted C. Berry Schweppes,
Toronto-based management guru. “Telling
the truth is no universal tonic. If
honesty really mixed well with work, I would know about it.” Schweppes noted that his company used to
offer a training program on honesty, but it never caught on. “Honesty is too soft a subject. It’s a dry topic, and few clients admit they
need it. Truth is hard to swallow.”
Customers, however, are the most
cynical. “You mean we have to tell
suppliers our real requirements up front?
And we’re going to get real specifications up front? Once you uncork that genie, we’re all in
trouble” explained Mid-West Sales Manager Ginger Ailes. “This holiday is going to give us a serious
case of indigestion.”
ABOUT THE SOCIETY FOR ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND AUTHENTICITY (S.O.D.A.)
SOCIETY FOR ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND AUTHENTICITY (S.O.D.A.) was created in the year 2003 to lend credibility to a fictitious research project provided for entertainment purposes to the academic and business sectors through various media outlets.
CONTACT:
Gene C. Mage
Making it Work
866-290-1404
gmage@makingitwork.com
http://www.makingitwork.com
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