Is Dilbert Okay For My Employees?

Not only are you familiar with Dilbert as a member of the business world, but as a boss in the business world, you probably even think that Dilbert is sometimes funny. After all, it's not as if these cartoons are making fun of you in any way, right? But then again, this firm self-assuredness can quickly evaporate when you start seeing Dilbert strips tacked up on cubicle walls. Sure, it seems silly to be concerned about the effect that these cartoons might have on morale, but you also probably start to think about the fact that you have, after all, read articles that talked about how Dilbert cartoons create a negative environment. And so you are forced to ask the question for yourself: Are Dilbert cartoons bad for the morale of your employees?

One consideration to keep at the forefront of this discussion is the fact that humor, of course, is good for morale. Certainly, the fact that these strips caused your employees to laugh is a positive sign.

Of course, the issue is that light jabs at corporate culture are at the root of most of these laughs. And when you see a cartoon tacked on an employee's cubicle wall wherein the boss is made fun of, it is difficult to keep yourself from wondering why they chose to post this particular strip. But before you jump to conclusions and ban these cartoons from the walls of cubicles, consider whether the solution is so simple. After all, you are sure to make employees think you are completely out of touch with the way they feel if you make such a brash decision.

Instead of reacting brashly and ordering all Dilbert strips to be taken down from cubicle walls, a better approach is to look at the strips yourself. The reason many of these strips are thought to be funny is because they make fun of the things that are wrong with corporate culture; if your employees think these strips are so funny, there is a chance that the problem does not lie with the comic strip itself. The problem might be a whole lot closer to home; perhaps the problem is with your company and the way it is run!

While some might think it is trivial to turn Dilbert into a topic of serious discussion, many businesses have, in fact, banned these cartoons from cubicle walls. Rather than following this path and alienating employees, take the introspective approach: make sure that you are not making the mistakes portrayed in the strips, and improve morale by improving the way you run your business!

http://bluerose.jamesloving.com/
http://mindreality.com/cb/?a=5AtVy8&p=6&tid=extrac 
http://omega1.ezmobiapps.hop.clickbank.net/