Oliver Bateman Does the Work

Oliver Bateman Does the Work

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Oliver Bateman Does the Work
Oliver Bateman Does the Work
The Work of Corporate Worst Practices

The Work of Corporate Worst Practices

When it comes to doing the work, here's why doing your worst is often the best thing you can do

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Oliver Bateman Does the Work
Mar 08, 2024
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Oliver Bateman Does the Work
Oliver Bateman Does the Work
The Work of Corporate Worst Practices
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Know your role, shut your mouth, and do the work

Let's get something out in the open: the motive force behind America’s corporate engine has nothing to do with "best practices" or "continuous improvement" or whatever buzzword is making the rounds on LinkedIn, the TED circuit, or the "paid contributor" posts on Forbes these days. No, the harsh reality I've been forced to acknowledge after spending the past three years chatting up HR bigwigs from behemoth organizations is that it's the "worst practices" keeping the wheels greased and the machine lumbering forward. And let me tell you, it's a darkly amusing spectacle.

In the interest of keeping this Substack in operation past 2024, I’m going to start pushing much harder to secure paid subscriptions. I want this to be a near-daily publication, a publication that ceaselessly explores “the work” in its myriad forms. Click that little heart, leave a comment, and then sign up below to support this work. “Big ups” this week to Wisco, who bought the first Founding Membership I’ve ever sold, and Julie S, who subscribed for a full year.

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