I think back to personal experiences in my workplace, there have been some real interesting situations stemming from some of the jobs I worked. Whilst workplace bullying if rife in my workplace, I prefer the term harassment, this is allowed and even promoted by the management and their merry band of lackies who are happy to implement this style of management.

We have all worked with some interesting people, on the other hand, working in the government has exposed me to some of the dullest people I have ever met. I can’t remember the reason why I moved from the private sector to the government, it has advantages though. I gained experience in the training sector, that has been a positive and I also earned formal tertiary qualifications in training, business and management. I managed the compliance of the strategic portfolio and although our management did all they could to undermine me, I will always possess the knowledge I gained.

What I really learned in the government is the difference between strategy and tactics, how to negotiate from a position of weakness. I have learned research skills, the ability to thoroughly prepare for a meeting, documenting these meetings and events and how to influence the team to resist poor management decisions. I have never been in the army but I have read about ambush and counter-ambush tactics, you need to know how to apply this knowledge in a business setting. I have been involved in change management initiatives in the private sector from strategy formulation, planning and implementation.

I am a big believer in reviewing decisions and seeking improvements. This is very hard to do in such a spiteful working environment, but that is what you sign up for in the government. The government is all about stealing ideas, claiming the work of your peers as your own and basically undermining people. You would think this would be an easy turn-around for a seasoned manager, but the back-stabbing is phenomenal, the unwillingness to perform at anything above minimum level is engrained and the management are not up for the challenge.