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, when you start to see Dilbert strips tacked up on your employees' cubicle walls, it is easy to start second-guessing this self-assuredness. Of course, at first, it feels like you are just being overly paranoid to think that a cartoon strip could have any effect on the morale of your employees, but it is also difficult to shed from your mind those articles that talked about how Dilbert actually can have a negative effect on employees. And so you are forced to ask the question for yourself: Are Dilbert cartoons bad for the morale of your employees?

First off all, one must remember that humor and laughter is good for morale. Certainly, these cartoons are posted on people's walls because they induced a laugh, so this is a sign in the right direction.

The issue, of course, is that many of these cartoons induce laughs by poking fun at corporate culture. 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 the solution to the problem might be more complicated than just banning these comic strips. 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.

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 a whole lot closer to home; perhaps the problem is with your company and the way it 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. If you are wanting to improve morale around your office, do not alienate employees by acting in this manner; instead, take a look at the way your business is run, and aim to improve morale by improving your business!