Question

Roja began her new job as a groundskeeper filled with excitement. She'd just completed a bachelor's of science degree in turfgrass management and had completed internships with some of the largest golf courses and most exclusive private clubs in the country during the four summers she was in college. On the first day, the golf course superintendent sent her out to hand pick annual bluegrass from the greens. The next day he had her spend the whole day studying charts. When she asked for more challenging assignments, she was told that he was starting her out on easy jobs so that she could get a feel for the work. By the end of the week, Roja was beginning to wonder whether she had picked the wrong club to work for. Which orientation approach did the golf course superintendent use that led to Roja's waning enthusiasm?

Answer 1

Well, in general, we should say it was definetely the wrong approach to keep someone new motivated and interested. Moreover, someone who actually has the necessary education for the job.

This is generally known as Mickey Mousing (or Mickey-mousing), term that, acording to The Dictionary, means "to give easy, unchallenging tasks to an employee; usually along with the intention of preserving the power role had by the next-in-charge".