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, these cartoons are not making fun of you, right? But then again, it is easy to second-guess this sentiment when you start to see Dilbert cartoons tacked up on the cubicle walls of your employees. 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?

Of course, we know that humor is good for morale, and this is an important consideration to keep in mind. 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, it is unlikely that banning these strips would have any effect except to make employees think that you are out of touch with the way they feel.

Don't just order that all comic strips be taken down from office walls; instead, you ought to take the time to look at these comic strips yourself. Many of these strips are funny because they poke fun at the way businesses are run; if your employees think that these strips are applicable enough to be tacked on their cubicle wall, the problem might not be with the strip itself. The problem might be with the way your company itself is run!

Many businesses actually have banned Dilbert from cubicle walls, which turns this into a serious discussion even if it seems trivial on the surface. 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!