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Staff Sergeant Gaétan Delisle, a 38-year veteran of the RCMP, is a happy man today. He's banking on big changes in the organization when new RCMP Commissioner William Elliott, the first civilian to lead the force, starts his first day of work.

"People have lost confidence in the RCMP, so they have to shake something up," says Staff Sgt. Delisle, founder of the Quebec RCMP Members' Association.

But not everyone in the force feels optimistic about the changes that come with a new boss.

"The senior officers are afraid of what is going to come out," he says. "They are afraid that they will lose their own empires."

New leadership, especially coming from outside an organization, will naturally send shivers of uncertainty through the ranks. Often, senior staff choose to move on or retire. But others, like Staff Sgt. Delisle, feel a sense of impending rebirth.

In the immediate aftermath of a major regime change, staff will typically enter a "holding pattern," says Bill King, principal of the Nova Organizational Development Group, a management and human resources consultancy in British Columbia.

"They will do their jobs, but they are not going to do anything of any risk," says Mr. King, who has done extensive leadership training with the RCMP. He says the younger members of the force will welcome the change, but Mr. Elliott should pay homage to the existing culture before attempting major initiatives.

Mr. King believes members of the force will watch their new leader closely in the early weeks and months to see whether he respects and fits in with the existing culture. If Mr. Elliott gains their trust, he'll have better luck changing things about the organization.

"They will want to see whites of this guy's eyes before accepting him," he says. "There is concern about him not knowing police work. But above that, the No. 1 issue they are looking for is leadership."

Back in Montreal, Staff Sgt. Delisle isn't going to waste time in a holding pattern.

"In my 38 years of service, the culture has changed tremendously," he says, "and it's always for the better."

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BY THE NUMBERS: FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

57

Percentage of executives who said workers are more productive when they are friends outside the office, according to a survey by Accountemps, a staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. Sixty-three per cent of employees surveyed agreed.

22

Percentage of employees who said being friends with colleagues has a "very positive" effect on productivity. But executives weren't as sure. Only 2 per cent of them viewed it as "very positive" with 55 per cent saying it is "somewhat positive." No executives viewed friendship as having a very negative effect on productivity, while 1 per cent of employees felt it does. They were not asked about how answering surveys affects productivity.

GENDER ISSUES: EVALU8ME.CA

Monster.ca says Evalu8me.ca, a website it launched in June, has so far had "tens of thousands" of Canadian workers log in to offer an evaluation of their colleagues. Based on the evaluations so far, the site has found that men are viewed as "knowledgeable," while women are seen as "dedicated." Scandalous.

CUBICLE GLORY: OFFICE OLYMPICS

Workers in Cincinnati, Ohio, are competing in the city's first Office Olympics this week in Fountain Square, a downtown public space. Six men and six women will compete for glory in events such as "cubicle hurdles, office chair slalom, briefcase throw and the Post-It high jump." Similar Office Olympics have taken place in other cities, including Chicago. They were inspired by an episode of The Office that featured events with names such as Dunderball, Hateball and Flonkerton. We assume the medals are made out of melted-down staples and crushed cubicle particles.

STARS TELL ALL: SUMMER JOBS

Entertainment show Access Hollywood quizzed film and TV stars about past summer jobs and came back with tales of 'shroom composting and bathroom cleaning.

Piers Morgan, a former newspaper editor from Britain who now makes his living being a jerk on America's Got Talent, said: "I had a summer job where I had to spend the entire summer bagging mushroom compost." Exciting and fragrant

"My worst summer job was pumping gas - no, I cleaned bathrooms at El Torito, a Mexican restaurant," rap impresario P. Diddy said.

Kevin Dillon, who plays Johnny Drama on Entourage, said he worked at a nursery one summer. "No, not that kind of nursery. It was with plants and stuff."

Probably good preparation for his dope-smoking on the show.