One of the trickiest and most annoying things you’ll have to deal with in your career is office drama. One app aims to combat office politics by creating a “safe place” for co-workers to discuss work matters openly and honestly with one another, all while remaining anonymous. Read on to learn more (and where you can sign up).
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It’s inevitable, really. No matter who you work for or what industry you work in, you’ll have to deal with office politics and you can guarantee it will be just as petty as when you were in high school. Oftentimes, office drama is the result of situations that go unresolved because people fail to talk them out or deal with them in a timely manner. A simple miscommunication gone “untreated” can end up turning into a serious grudge that causes office gossip and poor morale. If only there were a way to address touchy office situations between co-workers that was effective, immediate, and, most importantly, anonymous. Ask and you shall receive, frustrated and pent-up professionals.
BetterCompany is a mobile app that creates “a safe, inviting, rewarding place to share about your work life,” says Tom Williams, the company’s Operator-In-Chief. To put it more frankly, there’s an app that lets you talk trash about work issues openly and honestly, mainly because you’re completely anonymous. Oh the joy! The BetterCompany app allows professionals a safe sounding board to express work-related issues that can put a serious damper on morale, performance, and well-being. Not only can co-workers discuss matters freely amongst themselves, but users can also choose to connect with professionals from other companies based on their conversations and responses.
Why is this important for the workplace?
“I believe what holds us back from sharing in ways that can make us better is fear. Fear of being judged, of being fired, of losing face, of looking inexperienced,” Williams says. “So many of us hold back. We don’t put our hands up and ask for help, we don’t share what’s really on our minds, we don’t ask the hard questions of ourselves and others around us.”
The element of anonymity is key here, because, no matter how effective the Human Resources department may be, employees are often put off by the idea of “tattling” on others, especially when an employee is complaining about someone in a more superior position in the company. Therefore, having a safe place to address issues before they blow up or create unnecessary drama in the workplace, is a great benefit and release for co-workers who are tired of biting their tongue.
Another benefit of having employees discuss work matters openly and honestly is that employers and managers are being given an unfiltered, candid look into the kinds of issues that could affect their bottom line internally. Did you know that a recent study found that 65 percent of managers are checked out and, literally, couldn’t care less about their work? What’s worse, a Gallup study that surveyed 7,272 American adults found that 50 percent of the participants admitted to leaving their jobs to “improve their overall life at some point in their career.”
The workplace struggle is definitely real and it’s causing many professionals to lose interest in their careers and, for some, give up hope for a successful career. Therefore, providing employees – and professionals, in general – a place to anonymously share the good, bad, and the ugly about the workplace could be a very effective solution to an age-old problem in every profession.
Still yet, one app probably won’t remedy problems that are caused by office politics in one fell swoop – but, boy, is it a good start. In the meantime, if you would like to learn ways to cope with office politics, then consider the tips outlined here and here, and spruce up on ways to avoid workplace conflict, here.
Tell Us What You Think
Do you think BetterCompany will help solve the office politics issue, or make it worse? Head over to Twitter and let us know your thoughts on the matter, or feel free to leave a comment below.
Hi, it’s Tom. I’m the Founder of BetterCompany. Thanks so much for writing about us. We really appreciate it. I just wanted to clarify that we specifically discourage “venting” and trash talk. We employ human moderators to review everything submitted within your company stream to ensure that the conversations are positive and constructive. And Elizabeth, we’re glad your experience reflects what we strive to achieve, an environment that feels welcoming and supportive.
From my use on the app, I haven’t seen a negative post yet. Everything seems really constructive and honest. I think people want to have a better work environment and this apps make that more possible. Definitely going to continue using.