workingfortheman.com

Bob Rosner writes the syndicated Working Wounded column. In this column, Rosner addresses workplace issues, and in our cynical and almost always negative opinion, he does a pretty good job of giving realistic advice about dealing with all the crap that goes on at the office. The Working For The Man website is all about humorous stories and finding ways to laugh about the absurdities of the workplace. We leave it to guys like Rosner to actually help you figure out how to deal with office politics, bad bosses and ridiculous company policies. The cool thing is that he doesn't pretend to always have the best advice or know all the answers. He's also pretty funny. (But before you start tuning out of our website and turning to his, keep in mind that he can't be vicious. We can.) We decided to ask him some questions about how he got started writing his column, what the biggest worker complaints are, and how important humor is in the workplace.

Who is the Working Wounded column written for?

Everybody. Employees are wounded, bosses are wounded and entrepreneurs are wounded. It's a turbulent, difficult workplace and I try to make the column a place where people can laugh and learn how to survive it.

How did you get started writing about work and giving out advice?

I was one of those people that everyone at work would come to for my opinion or support. Having spent so long flexing my problem solving muscles, I decided to write the kind of column that I'd like to read. Working Wounded started as just an every other week feature in a small weekly in the Northwest and is now a weekly feature in the LA Times, NY Daily News and in the largest Arabic newspaper in Saudi Arabia. It also is featured at the Wall Street Journal.com, ABCnews.com and AOL. But I do want to point out one important difference from everyone else that offers workplace advice. Every week I give a prize to whoever offers better advice than I do. And I've done this for three years. It is not about me having all the answers, it's about creating a community of problem-solvers. We also have a wide variety of discussion boards with very lively dialogue at workingwounded.com.

What are the biggest worker complaints?

Employees tend to complain about too much self-serving politics at work, not enough say on how the work gets done and problems with the boss. Bosses tend to worry about how to find good people and how to cope with information overload. Entrepreneurs biggest concern seems to be how to invent the 27 hour day.

What's something you regularly complain about with regard to your daily work duties, and how do you deal with those feelings?

I write a column, speak, do lots on the web-my work life couldn't be much better than it is. But my job does make me painfully aware of how many people out there are in pain. I wish I could come up with a magic wand to fix the problems that people write to me about.

Where does humor come in to help deal with the common problems we all face in the workplace?

To me, humor at work is as important as oxygen or a clean bathroom. It's THAT important.

How much do you think people complain in the workplace?

Judging from my fax and emails - lots. But this is not necessarily bad. The fact that people complain can indicate that people feel comfortable enough to complain. But I can't help but wishing that more people would do what needs to be done to get the pebble (or boulder) out of their shoes rather than just complaining all the time.

What's the best way for a supervisor or boss to deal with an employee that complains about everything?

Institute a simple rule, for every problem you identify you have to offer a solution. That should shut 'em up for a while. But don't try to shut off the criticism, that is dangerous. Feedback is important. You just need to turn the feedback from a shooting gallery, with this employee taking pot-shots, to a more constructive brand of criticism.

Are movies like Office Space and comic strips like Dilbert good for the soul of the worker?

Yes and no. We all need a good laugh. But I worry that most people don't need more fuel in their cynicism tanks. And given the explosion of job opportunities based on the labor shortage I wish that more employees would vote with their feet and not accept workplaces that let all the air out of their tires.

Check out Bob Rosner's website at workingwounded.com. You can purchase a copy of his book, Working Wounded - Advice that Adds Insight to Injury, by clicking here.

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