# Celebrating success



## nagapie (Sep 27, 2011)

My boss has decided to have a bi-weekly celebrating success meeting where we nominate colleagues and give them cake.

I am opposed for the following reasons. Firstly, I find it cheesy. Secondly, I don't think it's fair to publicly select some members of staff to praise over others. Thirdly, I can already see some of its proponents thinking about using it for nepotism. Finally, I don't need another fucking meeting to attend when I've got so much work to complete within work hours.

I raised my concerns but am thought of as curmudgeonly. How should I cope with these events? Should I just keep nominating all of my team? And how can I stop myself from looking really cynical when people are given cake for just doing their job?


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## catinthehat (Sep 27, 2011)

We have a similar system and it causes more resentment than it does good.  At ours its a pretty transparent attempt to 'prove' they value staff but the problem is they tend to praise and reward those who conform and obey the most rather than those who have actually made a significant contribution. It tends to run along the lines of 'Well x has just made met and exceeded all targets, worked like a trooper and half killed herself in the process but hes a bolshie trade union member ............ah but Katie drew a kitten so lets big up Katie'.  Its also a bit crass when they are axing staff all over the place and putting on roast swan buffets for the good boys and girls.


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## Gavin Bl (Sep 27, 2011)

all of the above is true, but as you say, you will look the cynical curmudgeonly one - which ain't necessarily a great place to be at work. Lots of places do this sort of stuff now, I would play along - it'll die on its arse in a few months.


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## Athos (Sep 27, 2011)

Our place keeps a register!  We're all expected to forward any praise we receive to the keeper of the register (they gave her that job as they felt that her role as complaints officer was too negative).  It's a useful tool; you can immediately tell who the dicks are, by seeing who has complied with this latest bit of management bullshit.


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Sep 27, 2011)

nagapie said:


> My boss has decided to have a bi-weekly celebrating success meeting where we nominate colleagues and give them cake.



You're turning into Americans!


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## Athos (Sep 27, 2011)

I can see a lot a fun in this i.e. I anonymously nominated John for his success in radically improving his attendance record, through intensively managing his diabetes. They didn't realise it was a wind up until they tried to reward him with cake, and he told the big boss to piss off.


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## Pickman's model (Sep 27, 2011)

i think it's a great idea as you'll be able to tell management's chosen luvvies by their sudden obesity due to the surfeit of cake they'll be eating


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## Puddy_Tat (Sep 28, 2011)

Athos said:


> They didn't realise it was a wind up until they tried to reward him with cake, and he told the big boss to piss off.


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## moonsi til (Sep 28, 2011)

Bloody hell....this just sounds so patronising. Plus who will be paying for said cake...& it's not exactly health aware!

At work they print off our monthly contacts and selotape to the team meeting desk. We need to get our contacts on the system by 5 working days for them to count. All of our names are on this list with a % next to it plus the amount of contacts we had. The last one I saw I asked all at the table if we felt that we had all seen it then ripped it off.


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## weepiper (Sep 28, 2011)

Polly wanna cracker?


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## Pickman's model (Sep 28, 2011)

weepiper said:


> Polly wanna cracker?


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## DotCommunist (Sep 28, 2011)

if it isn't mandatory and part of your core duties the don't go. Work is work. All management led attempts to enforce faux solidarity and praise seeking are to be denied. A wage is what is worked for. Praise and commendations are nice but irrelevant.

On the other hand I would be tempted to feign mad workload, swing by to say 'god, snowed under here, well done you' and then fuck off with a slice of free cake. The key is to het the free slice of cake without having to participate in the backslapping


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## nagapie (Sep 28, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> if it isn't mandatory and part of your core duties the don't go. Work is work. All management led attempts to enforce faux solidarity and praise seeking are to be denied. A wage is what is worked for. Praise and commendations are nice but irrelevant.
> 
> On the other hand I would be tempted to feign mad workload, swing by to say 'god, snowed under here, well done you' and then fuck off with a slice of free cake. The key is to het the free slice of cake without having to participate in the backslapping



Will do this as I'll have to make at least an appearance.

I do also think it's rubbish to have to congratulate people for doing what they're supposed to be doing but I imagine some of my team will fall for it and feel hard done by if I never nominate them.


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## DotCommunist (Sep 28, 2011)

Pickman's model said:


>



Think you should get off her first. Then fin some water to put out the blow torch


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## gaijingirl (Sep 29, 2011)

If you get nominated and get cake and wish to abstain, I will selflessly take your cake for you.


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## baldrick (Oct 1, 2011)

oh god.  we have sorta the same thing, although it is an official thing, where you can nominate your team for doing exceptional work and win a trophy.  also one person in each team is a 'leader' who tries to come up with ways to foster "trust" and "belief" among the team.  it's desperate but my manager loves it.  every year we have an away day about this where we complain about the excessive workload and lack of communication from the managers, but apparently that's not what the day is for.  utter toss.


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## stuff_it (Oct 1, 2011)

I'm celebrating success right now with a spliff, some cider and a dab of mandy. (job interview & got a good mark in my assignment) You ought to convince your boss that anything shy of this doesn't count as a proper celebration.


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## equationgirl (Oct 1, 2011)

Twice a week sounds a bit much for this sort of thing - why not just once a month? If you do it for a year that's about 100 cakefests you'll have to go to - crazy!


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## trashpony (Oct 1, 2011)

They do this at the foal's infant school 

Oh god, sounds dire. Have no advice except  your boss


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## Maurice Picarda (Oct 1, 2011)

Is there anything to stop you from nominating yourself, and distributing the cake here via PM?


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## stuff_it (Oct 1, 2011)

Microdot hundreds and thousands.

Suggest to the boss that the previous winner has to get the cake for next time - if he's stupid enough to go for it he will actually spark a race to the bottom - people avoiding winning, or churlishly bringing in 'whoops!' offer rock cakes, etc.


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## nagapie (Oct 1, 2011)

I have managed to persuade her that once a month is enough. She is still a billion times better than my last year's boss so shouldn't complain really.


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## stuff_it (Oct 1, 2011)

nagapie said:


> I have managed to persuade her that once a month is enough. She is still a billion times better than my last year's boss so shouldn't complain really.


She probably just likes cake and is trying to get it paid for out of petty cash or only twice a week for her diet or summat.


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## nagapie (Oct 2, 2011)

Nah, we have an admin assistant who has a cupcake making business so it's easy.


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## quimcunx (Oct 2, 2011)

nagapie said:


> I have managed to persuade her that once a month is enough. She is still a billion times better than my last year's boss so shouldn't complain really.



Oh it's a different boss.  Well that's something at least.   What happened to the last monster?

Sounds awful all the same.


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## nagapie (Oct 2, 2011)

quimcunx said:


> Oh it's a different boss. Well that's something at least. What happened to the last monster?
> 
> Sounds awful all the same.



She's still knocking about and making me quite angry. But at least she's not the boss anymore. I suspect she had something to do with the cake things, bully the fuck out of your colleagues but buy your minions cake.


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## quimcunx (Oct 2, 2011)

Has she been demoted (crosses fingers)?


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## nagapie (Oct 2, 2011)

Yes, but now I'm annoyed as she's getting paid the same as me but refusing to do but the barest minimum of work. I don't really know how she gets away with it. I need to get up the duff again before I explode with rage.


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