Bulletin Board Management is the hallmark of the spineless manager. Rather than simply talk to (confront) an individual employee who is messing up, “new rules” for everyone get handed down from on high.

I worked at a company where we were free to use the copy machine for personal needs. This was understood to be occasional, light use. One day, a sign appeared forbidding use of the copier for anything other than official company business. I asked around and found out that one employee (out of ~50) had come in after hours and printed 500 (ink intensive) fliers for his band, leaving his original in the machine.

I pointed out to upper management that instead of punishing everyone, the copier misuser should be directly addressed. The ridiculous, cowardly sign disappeared from the copier later that day.