Should a manager/boss force employees to socialize?

[sweep_shot]

I absolutely dislike it when manager/boss forces workers to socialize. I feel this is absolutely unnecessary and a complete invasion of privacy.

What do you think?

 

[pakistanisgreat]

i am yet to see a manager forcing employees to socialize.

 

[sweep_shot]

i am yet to see a manager forcing employees to socialize.

It is common in Canada. My previous workplace had it. They call it "team bonding" and things like that.

It is a complete waste of time for me.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

It depends on your co workers. While i also don't like to socialize much, since i like my co workers, i dont mind the team bonding activities, in fact i like it.

 

[sweep_shot]

It depends on your co workers. While i also don't like to socialize much, since i like my co workers, i dont mind the team bonding activities, in fact i like it.

When you work with coworker, there's already team bonding. There's no need to arrange additional event. It is a complete waste of time. It is quite lame also.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

When you work with coworker, there's already team bonding. There's no need to arrange additional event. It is a complete waste of time. It is quite lame also.

What kind of events do you have? The events that i have at work where we socialize, is basically team lunches.

 

[sweep_shot]

What kind of events do you have? The events that i have at work where we socialize, is basically team lunches.

We were made to watch Captain Marvel (possibly the worst Marvel movie of all time).

We were forced to attend a gathering where there were random trivia questions and we had to answer those questions.

We were forced to wear pink to show support for breast cancer awareness. This one really irritated me. I highly dislike pink dresses.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

We were made to watch Captain Marvel (possibly the worst Marvel movie of all time).

We were forced to attend a gathering where there were random trivia questions and we had to answer those questions.

We were forced to wear pink to show support for breast cancer awareness. This one really irritated me. I highly dislike pink dresses.

OK yea i have had this too at work, though i am not a fan of it either, its best to view it as time pass.

As for the movie, as long as its during work hours, whats bad with that. I would love to be paid to watch movies.

 

[Pakistanian]

No, that's unamerican. They should try to foster a cordial and productive environment but don't force people to change their personalities and socialize. That said you're closing a lot of doors if you choose not to bond with your coworkers, the person that isn't seen as a "culture fit" is usually the first to be let go during a layoff.

 

[sweep_shot]

No, that's unamerican. They should try to foster a cordial and productive environment but don't force people to change their personalities and socialize. That said you're closing a lot of doors if you choose not to bond with your coworkers, the person that isn't seen as a "culture fit" is usually the first to be let go during a layoff.

You have a point. But, this is generally a nightmare for introverts (like myself).

I think companies should judge workers based on skills and not cultural fitness.

 

[Itachi]

How socializing is invasion of privacy?

As far as I remember, you can't talk with female colleagues without an ounce of uncomfortability and this could seriously impact the performance if the company relies on performance as a team.

It is one thing to force an employee to attend social gatherings which is beyond the scope of company hours but when it comes to working hours and lack of communication could hamper the day to day work, then why not ask the employees to be a bit more social?

It could be due to the reason that an employee is so isolated that the members from the same team has complained and hence instead of re organizing the whole teams, the boss could just ask to make more communication which is perfectly valid.

 

[Itachi]

We were made to watch Captain Marvel (possibly the worst Marvel movie of all time).

We were forced to attend a gathering where there were random trivia questions and we had to answer those questions.

We were forced to wear pink to show support for breast cancer awareness. This one really irritated me. I highly dislike pink dresses.

If you have issues with these problems, then be thankful to God that these are the kinds of issues that you complain about. Many people have much severe circumstances at work place but they go on with their life facing the heat.

 

[sweep_shot]

How socializing is invasion of privacy?

As far as I remember, you can't talk with female colleagues without an ounce of uncomfortability and this could seriously impact the performance if the company relies on performance as a team.

It is one thing to force an employee to attend social gatherings which is beyond the scope of company hours but when it comes to working hours and lack of communication could hamper the day to day work, then why not ask the employees to be a bit more social?

It could be due to the reason that an employee is so isolated that the members from the same team has complained and hence instead of re organizing the whole teams, the boss could just ask to make more communication which is perfectly valid.

I am comfortable with women but I don't make much eye contacts. Also, I keep the conversations short as I have social anxiety.

I think socializing should be voluntary and not mandatory. That's the point I was raising.

 

[Itachi]

I am comfortable with women but I don't make much eye contacts. Also, I keep the conversations short as I have social anxiety.

I think socializing should be voluntary and not mandatory. That's the point I was raising.

As long as it doesn't hamper the work, it will be voluntary.

Sometimes, you'll need to just make a fake face just to get things done. Sad but it is reality. The sooner you will do it, less you will have issues like these.

 

[Knight_Rider]

I absolutely dislike it when manager/boss forces workers to socialize. I feel this is absolutely unnecessary and a complete invasion of privacy.

What do you think?

Is he forcing you to socialize with him?

 

[Sidilicious]

People of course have a choice. But you have to remember that promotions etc have a lot of personal bias in them (and I am not talking about racism etc). When I have to decide between two similar candidates with similar output, I would probably go with the one that I get along with more, i.e. the one who socialises more.

 

[Suleiman]

Is your manager Michael Scott?

Jokes aside that’s a very anti social view you have. Humans are social beings, and unless you suffer from a physical or mental condition that obstructs your social skills, certain jobs and careers require a joint effort and require you to be a team player, so this kind of thing will be common.

I read above you have social anxiety, so do I. But the best way to handle anxiety is actually do the things that cause it in a nutshell, it’s exposure therapy.

 

[Robert]

I absolutely dislike it when manager/boss forces workers to socialize. I feel this is absolutely unnecessary and a complete invasion of privacy.

What do you think?

I mislike socialising with work colleagues, feels so forced.

 

[Robert]

Is your manager Michael Scott?

Jokes aside that’s a very anti social view you have. Humans are social beings, and unless you suffer from a physical or mental condition that obstructs your social skills, certain jobs and careers require a joint effort and require you to be a team player, so this kind of thing will be common.

I read above you have social anxiety, so do I. But the best way to handle anxiety is actually do the things that cause it in a nutshell, it’s exposure therapy.

No, that can make it worse. Not that simple. Introverts get drained by noisy social interaction and have to go somewhere quiet.

 

[King-Misbah]

Not force but encourage, it would be nice to have a better relationship with people who you spend most of your day with.

 

[uberkoen]

If you can’t fit into the culture of the organization might as well resign and find a job that suits you

 

[majiz]

What an absolutely horrendous thought. I would hope not but can imagine it

Something seriously inhumane about Contrived, forced workplace fronts

 

[Shaddy86]

First world problems. Be glad they have such activities in place.

 

[The_KING]

There is nothing more I hate than team work and being forced to work with people that I don’t know really well. I don’t have to do that at my workplace, thankfully, but I remember when I had to courseworks and assignments with a bunch of strangers at sixth form and university and it was the worst thing ever. I don’t know why they force people to work in teams. Some people work better on their own.

 

[sweep_shot]

First world problems. Be glad they have such activities in place.

Actually, I am not glad that this activity takes place. I prefer to work and go home. I don't care about socializing at work.

There is nothing more I hate than team work and being forced to work with people that I don’t know really well. I don’t have to do that at my workplace, thankfully, but I remember when I had to courseworks and assignments with a bunch of strangers at sixth form and university and it was the worst thing ever. I don’t know why they force people to work in teams. Some people work better on their own.

I agree with you completely. I experienced this during my college days also.

Socializing should be voluntary.

 

[Itachi]

No, that can make it worse. Not that simple. Introverts get drained by noisy social interaction and have to go somewhere quiet.

it's a temporary phase for a permanent gain. It should be under observation in order to make it work. It's not from 0 to 100 in a day but little by little.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

Funny story time: The first job I got took us to this giant employee bonding seminar where they divided us into five teams and asked us to make a human chain where the longest chain would win. The idea was to maintain contact with the person next to you at all time through whatever object you had on you. The winning team ended up using even their shoelaces to make the chain longer.

The group I ended up in was a collection of introverts and no one even tried to make an effort to form a long chain. We just stood there seeing people undress, use their belts, laces, and internally laughed at their shenanigans. Came dead last in the chain length criteria and were highly criticized by the trainer for not putting effort and trying to bond but this resulted in all of us getting close to each other and formed good work-based relationships.

Best team building exercise ever.

 

[Abdul]

Yes. Team bonding activities are good. You can quit if you have a problem.

 

[imrankhannsu]

I think its important to socialise atleast once every 3 months. In ones' professional life you spend alot of your time with colleagues and you need to sometimes go out to have an environment which strengthens the team.