The Money Mustache Community
Around the Internet => Antimustachian Wall of Shame and Comedy => Topic started by: Apocalyptica602 on February 02, 2016, 08:13:49 AM
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So I just got out of a feedback session with my manager. A few months back I got a stellar review, 'consistently exceeding expectations'. I nailed all my goals for the year and then some, I received an above average raise and bonus, etc. The only 'development' feedback that was on it was that I need to 'stretch' myself more, stating that you learn more when pulled outside your comfort zone (I agree with this statement).
Although the other day I think he was trying to phrase that in a way that made me cringe. "You exceeded all your goals without stressing out or pulling longer than 40-45 hour weeks. I want to see how you handle having too much work and not enough time."
Of course that's with no mention of pay increases, promotion or anything.
So because I'm effective at navigating the corporate rigmarole, deliver projects on time and on budget, and still manage to leave at ~5pm, I get poked for not 'stressing enough'???? Clearly it's time to make my neat desk an utter disaster, walk around looking rushed, and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm. I'm half joking of course but it sounds pretty ridiculous. Any thoughts or insight? Thanks!
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He wants you to share his misery... coz it loves company.
"Stretch" goals... Corporate bullspeak for "do more for the same or less, or else, we'll be forced to make some drastic changes..."
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"It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime, so where's the motivation?"
-Office Space
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I've worked in environments like this, where if you aren't in the office after hours you're automatically pegged as someone who doesn't work as hard. I even fell into this trap early in my career, working insane hours and weekends, just to feel like I was pulling my weight and keeping up with my peers, all of which was encouraged by managers.
At some point though I moved to a new job, where the culture focused more on how do you structure your time so you aren't working all hours. The mindset was totally different: If you feel like you have to work all hours, then maybe we need to examine the work and figure out how it can be delegated better, or if there are more efficient ways to do it. Sure, I still pull the occasional late night or weekend, but its night and day vs previous jobs I've had.
Now, when i see people sending me emails in the middle of the night and its not for something that is urgent, its almost a sign of dysfunction to me. I'm no longer thinking "wow, hard worker"!!. I'm thinking "wow, that person/organization must really not have their shit together".
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Take some advice from George Constanza, and pretend to be angry/stressed whenever the boss walks in. When he leaves, go ahead and lean back in your chair and get on with your day.
Option #2: Tell your boss if he gives you anymore work you will start applying to other jobs. You are a valuable employee, and he does not to see you leave.
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He wants you to share his misery... coz it loves company.
I think there's something to this. I had to fire someone once and the reason the boss gave me was "he walks too slow and always has his hands in his pockets". It bugged him that everyone else in the office was stressed out, excited, or enthusiastic and this guy always looked like he was taking a stroll to the beach.
There were other legitimate reasons for the firing, but the boss didn't know them. He just knew that the guy looked unmotivated.
Look busy for a while and walk with a sense of purpose. It really does make a difference in other's perceptions of you.
For instance, when I get home from a tough day at work and my nephew has been lying on the couch all day watching TV, it infuriates me. It's his day off, so why should I care? I want to just scream "LOOK BUSY!" but I know that's irrational. Of course, it would be better if he would actually do work around the house that I want done and to my specs, but that's my own fault for not specifying what I want. So Look Busy is second best.
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For instance, when I get home from a tough day at work and my nephew has been lying on the couch all day watching TV, it infuriates me. It's his day off, so why should I care? I want to just scream "LOOK BUSY!" but I know that's irrational. Of course, it would be better if he would actually do work around the house that I want done and to my specs, but that's my own fault for not specifying what I want. So Look Busy is second best.
My wife has this problem too. I structure my household chores around things I want to do, so if I want to, say, watch a football game on Sunday afternoon and lay on the couch, I'll get my stuff done early so I can. She will often decide to hold her chores until later, and then is annoyed when I'm "just laying around." Wah. Not my fault, I planned this.
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See Attachment: "It'll still work. That's the freaky part."
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Ugh. That reminds me of my first "real" job.
I had a basic corporate job, my first "real" job out of grad school. The workload was intense as the department was short-staffed. Because I didn't make much and was still broke, I was also waiting tables. So I'd work from 8-5, then wait tables from 5:30-11ish, then usually go back to the office from about 11:30pm - 1 am. Then back the next day at 8 am. It sucked. When I was going for a promotion my boss's boss questioned my dedication, saying that I was usually leaving right at 5. I mentioned that I was almost always back there in the middle of the freaking night and on weekends. He said, "well, nobody sees that." Ah, the importance of face time. And apparently stressed-out face time.
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I've been accused of the same. In my book, most stress is a result of piss poor planning. Next time tell them you are like a professional athlete, you only make it look easy because you are good!
Red from Shawshank Redemption:
"He had a quiet way about him, a walk and a talk that just wasn't normal around here. He strolled, like a man in a park without a care or a worry in the world, like he had on an invisible coat that would shield him from this place."
What Red didn't know was Andy had a stache!
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Well he also needs to look good (which probably involves the perception that he's squeezing every last bit of productivity out of you. If you're not crying, he could probably work you harder.)
Option 1: make a big show of "doing more/working harder" and all the time and stress involved. You may need to put in more face time and put up with more bullshit.
Option 2: find a new company to work for. Your current employer has already formed the expectation that your awesome performance is only baseline for you. They will naturally want more out of you. A new place will be wowed by your normal efforts (and you can hold back a little so there's "improvement" you can show over time). Possibly a pay raise or promotion in there.
I'd put some time and energy into exploring option 2, since your boss has shown himself to be a dickhead.
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So I just got out of a feedback session with my manager. A few months back I got a stellar review, 'consistently exceeding expectations'. I nailed all my goals for the year and then some, I received an above average raise and bonus, etc. The only 'development' feedback that was on it was that I need to 'stretch' myself more, stating that you learn more when pulled outside your comfort zone (I agree with this statement).
Although the other day I think he was trying to phrase that in a way that made me cringe. "You exceeded all your goals without stressing out or pulling longer than 40-45 hour weeks. I want to see how you handle having too much work and not enough time."
Of course that's with no mention of pay increases, promotion or anything.
So because I'm effective at navigating the corporate rigmarole, deliver projects on time and on budget, and still manage to leave at ~5pm, I get poked for not 'stressing enough'???? Clearly it's time to make my neat desk an utter disaster, walk around looking rushed, and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm. I'm half joking of course but it sounds pretty ridiculous. Any thoughts or insight? Thanks!
So you got an above average increase and an above average bonus? Perhaps your boss is telling you that you are under utilized. Do you want another above average raise and bonus? It seems you keep your cool, manage your time well and accomplish more than others. Perhaps your boss used a poor choice of words to tell you that you are on the track for bigger and better things and wants to see how much more you can do. Remember, the hotter the fire the stronger the steel.
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About 5 years ago, I worked for a man who graded his people by hours worked, not work performed. One night we had an equipment failure, so I went into the office and took care of it. The next day I was leaving for the day around lunch time. Boss mentioned that the workday is not over yet. So I looked at him and asked, "did you hire me to run your network to the best of my ability, or did you hire me to occupy a chair for exactly 8 hours a day? You only get to choose one." He never watched the clock with me or hovered over my shoulder after that.
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So because I'm effective at navigating the corporate rigmarole, deliver projects on time and on budget, and still manage to leave at ~5pm, I get poked for not 'stressing enough'???? Clearly it's time to make my neat desk an utter disaster, walk around looking rushed, and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm. I'm half joking of course but it sounds pretty ridiculous. Any thoughts or insight? Thanks!
Well, yeah, sometimes you have to play these games with bad management.
"Stretch" goals... Corporate bullspeak for "do more for the same or less, or else, we'll be forced to make some drastic changes..."
Yep
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Although I don't know where you work, the 'consistently exceeding expectations' is/was one of the performance ratings when I was at Google. There it wasn't a 'stellar' rating, it was above average meaning that you're doing quite well but not ready for promo.
Generally it's a good thing for your manager to look to stretch you a bit. You want to be past your comfort zone but not at your breaking point. Taking on new challenges is how you grow, and this is usually a prerequisite for promotion (unless you work somewhere strictly seniority based), assuming that promotion is something you're interested in.
That said, the focus on number of hours and perceived stress is a huge red flag to me. IMO, if he is basing your performance and growth on these things (and it's not the case that you misunderstood/misheard) then I would look to transfer to another team if at all possible and ASAP.
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So because I'm effective at navigating the corporate rigmarole, deliver projects on time and on budget, and still manage to leave at ~5pm, I get poked for not 'stressing enough'???? Clearly it's time to make my neat desk an utter disaster, walk around looking rushed, and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm. I'm half joking of course but it sounds pretty ridiculous. Any thoughts or insight? Thanks!
Stick to your guns. I used to work at a big consulting firm, and there was some pressure, mostly unspoken, to bill lots of hours. So people spent lots of hours in the office. It was almost like a badge of honor to see who could be there the most.
But here's the thing: The people who really kicked ass, the people you wanted to work on your projects, the people with the most competence...all basically left at 5:00 every day.
Constant stress and crisis at work are signs of failure. They are symptoms of poor work habits and lack of priorities. Humans can concentrate effectively for about one to maybe four hours a day on the outside. And that's about all the time people in office jobs spending doing effective work. The rest of the time is dealing with email, going to meetings, and miscellaneous stuff that doesn't count for much. You might have to deal with lots of email, but that's usually part of your job, not the job they actually hired you for.
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Although I don't know where you work, the 'consistently exceeding expectations' is/was one of the performance ratings when I was at Google. There it wasn't a 'stellar' rating, it was above average meaning that you're doing quite well but not ready for promo.
Generally it's a good thing for your manager to look to stretch you a bit. You want to be past your comfort zone but not at your breaking point. Taking on new challenges is how you grow, and this is usually a prerequisite for promotion (unless you work somewhere strictly seniority based), assuming that promotion is something you're interested in.
That said, the focus on number of hours and perceived stress is a huge red flag to me. IMO, if he is basing your performance and growth on these things (and it's not the case that you misunderstood/misheard) then I would look to transfer to another team if at all possible and ASAP.
Don't work for Google, I'm a Mechanical Engineer at a Fortune 500. In our 'system' this is the highest rating you can get. There's some 'seniority' involved in promotions because higher tier job descriptions have an education and years of experience associated with them. I make enough money now and our gross HHI just clears $200K, although I'm willing to accept promotions as long as the pay/stress is worth it to accelerate FI even more.
I hope I misheard. Someone else commented well at least this is corroborated with a higher increase and bonus, implying that he's not just getting on my ass for 'slacking' as much as he might be saying 'you can do even more because you're effective at your job'. I just want to make sure I'm not rationalizing or in denial. I don't consider my workplace very toxic, although apparently I'm not prone to stress out anyway so maybe it is and I don't realize it haha.
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Don't work for Google, I'm a Mechanical Engineer at a Fortune 500. In our 'system' this is the highest rating you can get. There's some 'seniority' involved in promotions because higher tier job descriptions have an education and years of experience associated with them. I make enough money now and our gross HHI just clears $200K, although I'm willing to accept promotions as long as the pay/stress is worth it to accelerate FI even more.
I hope I misheard. Someone else commented well at least this is corroborated with a higher increase and bonus, implying that he's not just getting on my ass for 'slacking' as much as he might be saying 'you can do even more because you're effective at your job'. I just want to make sure I'm not rationalizing or in denial. I don't consider my workplace very toxic, although apparently I'm not prone to stress out anyway so maybe it is and I don't realize it haha.
Haha, funny that such oddly specific performance language is used in at least two totally different places. Wonder if this wording is shared in HR circles across large corps?
In any case, performance should be based what you do, actual accomplishments. Not how many hours you put in, or how stressed you get for the cause. I dunno, perhaps I'm an idealist. I managed for a good number of years and I always valued those who could get their job done without a lot of drama and without having to pull long hours. A charitable interpretation may be that your manager just wants to see what you are capable of, and perhaps he just didn't phrase that very well. Still, I would be on alert for any other indicators that he is looking for long hours or outward expressions of stress, since unfortunately some people view these as indicators of dedication/loyalty - I just wouldn't want to stick around for that type of crap.
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I've worked in environments like this, where if you aren't in the office after hours you're automatically pegged as someone who doesn't work as hard. I even fell into this trap early in my career, working insane hours and weekends, just to feel like I was pulling my weight and keeping up with my peers, all of which was encouraged by managers.
At some point though I moved to a new job, where the culture focused more on how do you structure your time so you aren't working all hours. The mindset was totally different: If you feel like you have to work all hours, then maybe we need to examine the work and figure out how it can be delegated better, or if there are more efficient ways to do it. Sure, I still pull the occasional late night or weekend, but its night and day vs previous jobs I've had.
Now, when i see people sending me emails in the middle of the night and its not for something that is urgent, its almost a sign of dysfunction to me. I'm no longer thinking "wow, hard worker"!!. I'm thinking "wow, that person/organization must really not have their shit together".
I worked at the "gotta-be stressed out" company. Used to have a team-leader that I answered to who liked to delegate "urgent" projects that had to be done as he walked out the door on Friday afternoon.
Might be one thing if I was hourly and able to get some overtime like part of my team but I was entry level salary. Then that urgent project i delivered might sit for several weeks after it was ready to ship. There are SO many reasons that leaving that places was the right move.
The older I get the more attached I get to leaving on time b/c there is little reward to sticking around and tinkering with tasks that can wait until tomorrow. I do work the occasional long days but its worth it b/c I respect my current employer and like my job.
Whatever career you choose, you have to choose an employer you can live with for a while. Don't want to take a job, pile on the grownup debt only to find that you hate your employer and you can't leave b/c of the debt that you can't float for a while. I knew some of these guys at my last employer. Stayed b/c they couldn't afford to leave or it was the best gig they could get in this town and the extended family lives here so they have to live here too.
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A woman I used to work with said she knew it was time to leave the big law firm (she was HR) when she was working back at 8 pm one night, and she heard voices. It was two junior lawyers, each dictating loudly into a recorder with their office door open for the rest of the office to hear, but the only people there were the three of them.
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I work at biglaw and we had a partner who was a big bully. She actually was rarely in the office, didn't really communicate when she would be, and often did not respond to emails -- because she was "so busy" and had "too many emails." She claimed with a straight face that she didn't care about "face time," but god forbid if you were ever away from your desk during the short time that she was present. One time she told me she sent herself an email at 11:45 a.m. to document that I was not at my desk at that time and my light was out; I guess it didn't occur to her that I could be in a meeting or out getting lunch or something.
Anyway, the OP's post reminded me of this time that the partner was yelling at me for something ridiculous. At the end of her spiel, she looked at me, and was like, "Does any of this even matter to you? You're not even crying!" It really bothered her that I was just sitting there watching her rave like a lunatic.
Story ends with a long time of abuse, I reported her and had several critical talks with the higher-ups, and then she "coincidentally" resigned without another job lined up. Environment is so much better without that b. Thanks for letting me vent!
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I work at biglaw and we had a partner who was a big bully. She actually was rarely in the office, didn't really communicate when she would be, and often did not respond to emails -- because she was "so busy" and had "too many emails." She claimed with a straight face that she didn't care about "face time," but god forbid if you were ever away from your desk during the short time that she was present. One time she told me she sent herself an email at 11:45 a.m. to document that I was not at my desk at that time and my light was out; I guess it didn't occur to her that I could be in a meeting or out getting lunch or something.
Anyway, the OP's post reminded me of this time that the partner was yelling at me for something ridiculous. At the end of her spiel, she looked at me, and was like, "Does any of this even matter to you? You're not even crying!" It really bothered her that I was just sitting there watching her rave like a lunatic.
Story ends with a long time of abuse, I reported her and had several critical talks with the higher-ups, and then she "coincidentally" resigned without another job lined up. Environment is so much better without that b. Thanks for letting me vent!
OMG!
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Y'all make me so happy I'm retired. I write for 4 hours a day. For myself, for no one else. No need to look busy. Just brewin' coffee and tappin' away at scrivener.
Thanks for the reminder of why I retired, and why it was a good decision.
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The crying post is interesting.
At the age of 48, I find that I don't cry anymore. I have been yelled at and today I got laid off and nope.... no tears. I used to, but not it's just a job to me. I don't do drama. There are other jobs out there.
Also, years ago I used to work with a woman who all day long walked around and told everyone how busy she was. She was never at her desk working during the day. Just moaning and sighing about her workload. Then she had to work every night and weekends too. I always thought that if she just sat at her desk during work hours and WORKED, then she wouldn't have to work her fake overtime.
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So because I'm effective at navigating the corporate rigmarole, deliver projects on time and on budget, and still manage to leave at ~5pm, I get poked for not 'stressing enough'???? Clearly it's time to make my neat desk an utter disaster, walk around looking rushed, and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm. I'm half joking of course but it sounds pretty ridiculous. Any thoughts or insight? Thanks!
Stick to your guns. I used to work at a big consulting firm, and there was some pressure, mostly unspoken, to bill lots of hours. So people spent lots of hours in the office. It was almost like a badge of honor to see who could be there the most.
But here's the thing: The people who really kicked ass, the people you wanted to work on your projects, the people with the most competence...all basically left at 5:00 every day.
Constant stress and crisis at work are signs of failure. They are symptoms of poor work habits and lack of priorities. Humans can concentrate effectively for about one to maybe four hours a day on the outside. And that's about all the time people in office jobs spending doing effective work. The rest of the time is dealing with email, going to meetings, and miscellaneous stuff that doesn't count for much. You might have to deal with lots of email, but that's usually part of your job, not the job they actually hired you for.
This is spot on, and yet I find it incredibly difficult not to conform to the long hours pressure.
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I work at biglaw and we had a partner who was a big bully. She actually was rarely in the office, didn't really communicate when she would be, and often did not respond to emails -- because she was "so busy" and had "too many emails." She claimed with a straight face that she didn't care about "face time," but god forbid if you were ever away from your desk during the short time that she was present. One time she told me she sent herself an email at 11:45 a.m. to document that I was not at my desk at that time and my light was out; I guess it didn't occur to her that I could be in a meeting or out getting lunch or something.
Anyway, the OP's post reminded me of this time that the partner was yelling at me for something ridiculous. At the end of her spiel, she looked at me, and was like, "Does any of this even matter to you? You're not even crying!" It really bothered her that I was just sitting there watching her rave like a lunatic.
Story ends with a long time of abuse, I reported her and had several critical talks with the higher-ups, and then she "coincidentally" resigned without another job lined up. Environment is so much better without that b. Thanks for letting me vent!
OMG!
Must be a legal thing. I also worked at a firm where two mid-levels, one male one female, would lose their shit if they couldn't upset you with their tirade. One even told a partner that I didn't take my work seriously enough because I didn't get upset enough when criticized.
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That's rather typical for biglaw. Only one of my bosses specifically congratulated me for 'not taking things personally and having such a mature and healthy attitude'. All others thought it suspicious at best that I just don't do office drama and simply answer 'yes' or 'honestly, I'm pretty busy with x but I heard y has free capacity because project z just died' to 'can you take care of this/work on that project' instead of publicly complaining all day long about my workload (whether real or imagined) but still grab as much additional work as I can. Since the financial crisis very few partners have been made in the German offices of international firms. The sad truth is that in almost all cases it has been the 'drama queens' getting the promotions. I know it would be better for me to create artificial stress when I feel none and time pressure where there really isn't that much urgency but I just can't bring myself to do it. I did a lot of introspection and (for a long time unknowing that I did) practised stoicism for years to be calm in all but the most extreme circumstances. I just don't want to run around like a chicken with it's head cut of to get recognised as a good attorney.
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I'd see this as excelent momentum. Work says you're a gem. Use it to get offered e new job elsewhere. Then either use that to re-negotiate pay where you are (you know you're valuable, after all), or to smile sweetly while you thank your current boss for the years of cooperation and think "I'm stretching myself alrigh - towards new and better pastures".
If you're good enough you don't have to settle. People known as really good have people lining up for their expertice. And with a line you set the terms.
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I received similar feedback a few years back. "You really don't seem the type to pull late hours"
I replied that was because I focused on my job during work hours and managed to be more productive than coworkers. And further, I mentioned I'm in the office two hours before him and then just looked at him.
Three years later, I'm 4 levels higher still leaving at 5 everyday
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I feel fortunate not to work in a corporate setting.
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My boss says shit like this to me, too ... if I'm having a stressful week he tells me to calm down, if I'm having a calm week he tells me I'm not working hard enough. He's just breaking my balls and I ignore him. :D
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So because I'm effective at navigating the corporate rigmarole, deliver projects on time and on budget, and still manage to leave at ~5pm, I get poked for not 'stressing enough'???? Clearly it's time to make my neat desk an utter disaster, walk around looking rushed, and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm. I'm half joking of course but it sounds pretty ridiculous. Any thoughts or insight? Thanks!
Stick to your guns. I used to work at a big consulting firm, and there was some pressure, mostly unspoken, to bill lots of hours. So people spent lots of hours in the office. It was almost like a badge of honor to see who could be there the most.
But here's the thing: The people who really kicked ass, the people you wanted to work on your projects, the people with the most competence...all basically left at 5:00 every day.
Constant stress and crisis at work are signs of failure. They are symptoms of poor work habits and lack of priorities. Humans can concentrate effectively for about one to maybe four hours a day on the outside. And that's about all the time people in office jobs spending doing effective work. The rest of the time is dealing with email, going to meetings, and miscellaneous stuff that doesn't count for much. You might have to deal with lots of email, but that's usually part of your job, not the job they actually hired you for.
This is spot on, and yet I find it incredibly difficult not to conform to the long hours pressure.
Having a kid cured me of that.
But really, the first few weeks are hard. When you are used to working until ... 5:30, 6, 7 (depends on when you come in, I was starting work between 7 and 8 am), leaving at 3:30 is a BIG DEAL and it feels WEIRD.
But you get used to it.
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I received similar feedback a few years back. "You really don't seem the type to pull late hours"
I replied that was because I focused on my job during work hours and managed to be more productive than coworkers. And further, I mentioned I'm in the office two hours before him and then just looked at him.
This kills me. One of the reasons I left a previous job was because of the "emergency" nature of what was essentially paper-pushing. No matter how efficiently I worked on my regular duties, more paper would be dumped on me because it appeared that I wasn't overwhelmed (I would shut my door when busy rather than complain to all who would listen). A coworker who quit shortly before I did regularly worked 7:00 am - 5:00 pm so she could cook dinner for her school-aged children. It was amazing how many impromptu meetings were called at 5:30: "Where's Mary?!?" Uh, she worked 10 hours already to be home with her family...this really couldn't wait until 9:00 tomorrow morning?
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Clearly it's time to make my neat desk an utter disaster, walk around looking rushed, and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm. I'm half joking of course but it sounds pretty ridiculous. Any thoughts or insight? Thanks!
I used to do exactly this... I'm an engineer too and we had a clock watcher boss (actually my boss's boss). We'd get in before him but that didn't matter... we needed to stay until he left. He even sent emails to the whole division complaining about time and attendance. So in a tech refresh a bunch of us got laptops and made good use of the save button in outlook... we'd undock the computer and leave when we normally would (anywhere between 4-5) and about 7PM we'd be logging into VPN and hit send on all of them. I'd do it during a commercial break of my favorite shows. When ever we got hassled, we always said that we took our work home; "didn't you see that email I sent you last night at 7?". Mind you we were all officially hourly employees that got zero OT... He treated us as if we were salary after 5 and stuff just "had" to get done today... but then as hourly when we'd put in 50 hrs by noon on Friday and wanted to leave early... "you can't leave until you put 8 hrs/day in." That shit all changed when we got furloughed... at that point no one gave more than 8 hrs a day (and we were tracking it like crazy)... me and another guy walked out of a meeting that was running late because we hit our 8 hrs and when the boss's boss asked where we were going my colleague said, "we worked our 8 hrs for the day, you made it very clear that we were hourly employees when you furloughed us, I'd be happy to stay if you are prepared to pay OT" He said nothing and we continued walking out... that guy is my hero because I wanted to say shit like that but don't have the guts.
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LOOK BUSY!!
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Always walk around with a folder in hand. Works even if the folder is empty. Will protect you from a lot of bullshit.
Keep a spare set of car keys (or bike helmet if applicable) on your desk and a spare jacket on your hook or on the back of your chair. Leave them there anytime you leave the office, so it looks like you're somewhere nearby.
Spend a lot of time in the bathroom or on "smoke break." Although most places lunchtime is off the clock, bathroom breaks and smoke breaks are on the clock.
Set your monitor power settings to never go dark even after inactivity. That way it looks like you only JUST left your desk. Leave your lights on too.
When you do actually need to get work done: Shut your door (if you have an office) and take your phone off the hook. Put in an appointment in Outlook that will show your availability as "Busy" or "In meeting."
Ok, ok, I don't really do all this stuff. I'm fortunate to work in a place where there are none of these BS attitudes, so I actually can leave whenever I want if I get my work done. I know this won't last forever.... I've had plenty of bosses that were slavedrivers.
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Set your monitor power settings to never go dark even after inactivity. That way it looks like you only JUST left your desk. Leave your lights on too.
When you do actually need to get work done: Shut your door (if you have an office) and take your phone off the hook. Put in an appointment in Outlook that will show your availability as "Busy" or "In meeting."
These two things alone will save your tush in a lot of more corporate places. The fake outlook appointments, especially, are GOLD... and give you 2 hours of undisturbed time to actually get your job done, thus allowing you to leave on time.
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So I just got out of a feedback session with my manager. A few months back I got a stellar review, 'consistently exceeding expectations'. I nailed all my goals for the year and then some, I received an above average raise and bonus, etc. The only 'development' feedback that was on it was that I need to 'stretch' myself more, stating that you learn more when pulled outside your comfort zone (I agree with this statement).
Although the other day I think he was trying to phrase that in a way that made me cringe. "You exceeded all your goals without stressing out or pulling longer than 40-45 hour weeks. I want to see how you handle having too much work and not enough time."
Of course that's with no mention of pay increases, promotion or anything.
So because I'm effective at navigating the corporate rigmarole, deliver projects on time and on budget, and still manage to leave at ~5pm, I get poked for not 'stressing enough'???? Clearly it's time to make my neat desk an utter disaster, walk around looking rushed, and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm. I'm half joking of course but it sounds pretty ridiculous. Any thoughts or insight? Thanks!
Agreed, I would be thinking "what the heck?" First of all, being a bit outside your comfort zone, on occasion, is good for learning. Being WAY outside your comfort zone just makes you shut down.
Second of all, minor, occasional stress is good for you (why stuff like exercise or occasional fasting actually helps your health). Chronic high stress is very bad for you. As in, shrinks parts of your brain involved in executive function (decision-making) which in turn paves the way for negative thought-processes such as depression and anxiety to get ramped up. This varies by individual but it's not like a goal to aim for!
Third, stressed employees show a variety of behaviors that lead to negative business consequences: they are more irritable with clients/customers, they are more irritable and less understanding of their fellow coworkers which leads to a decrease in morale, and they tend to make more mistakes. They also tend to get sick more often and leave their employment when they can.
If a business does not intend to retain good employees, well why the hell are they giving out bonuses and raises, then? If they do intend to retain "talent" as they like to call it, why tell a good employee that the employee should be feeling like shit rather than happy to work there?
Whether you bring this up with boss depends on your relationship with him/her, but there it is.
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Check your email program to see if it offers the option to deliver mails at a later moment. Time the emails to make it appear you're working at odd hours, if that is what keeps your boss happy. Emails that you are sending to cover your ass on certain topics should be delivered at the peak hour of the week, so that they get lost in the usual avalanche of messages but can be found when necessary. I also time mails so that when I'm working during the weekend, they get delivered on Monday. I simply want to protect my coworkers a bit from checking their devices during the weekend when they hear they have received a new message.
I've always resisted the 9 to 5 culture. So much time wasted just surfing the web and looking at the clock until you're free to go again. My current boss told me on my first day that she doesn't give a hoot about what I do all day or when I do it, as long as I take care of my workload (I consistently exceed it) and people can reach me by phone or e-mail.
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This shit is why I love being self-employed. The only office work I have ever really done was super-hourly - the building was literally locked at 5pm. I think my hatred of it started at school. If you finish all your work early, you get...more work! If you're a good, quiet student, you get paired with the most disruptive one in the class. You are punished for being clever and hardworking.
If this kind of crap ever happened to me, though, I have a conversation prepared.
Boss: [excellent performance review] but we're concerned that you're not putting the hours in. You always leave at 5pm.
Me: I don't think that's true. [cites examples of genuine work emergencies when I stayed late]
Boss: Sure, but we're really looking for employees who put the company first.
Me: Sorry, are you saying I'm not getting enough done?
Boss: No, but--
Me: Or that I'm underperforming?
Boss: No, no, we're very happy with your work.
Me: Then what's the problem?
Boss: We need you to be present in the office. X and Y are always here into the evening.
Me: Do they get more work done than I do?
Boss: No, but--
Me: It sounds a lot like you're trying to punish me for being productive and efficient.
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our office is a bit similar, but I have made it known that I get an hour lunch, every day, where I don't work. I have declined meetings, but I always get my stuff done. They are actually getting me to teach my time management stuff to the other employees who put in more hours, but accomplish much less work.
I have been given 3 "promotions" recently that have resulted in zero increase in pay. Now that I have a kiddo and I know what I'm worth, that will not be happening again. I get a raise, or I don't take the gig. I'm happy leaving the minute we close, and never taking any work home. I'll keep doing that
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I'm an engineering manager - I've seen other managers treat employees this way and can only speak through experience that it generally leads to the individual leaving because they know they deserve better.
A manager that makes a statement like that is valuing "inputs" over "outputs" - he should care more the quantity and quality of what you get done, not how long it takes you.
Imagine if everyone in your company did things the way you do - a more engaged workforce because everyone feels more balanced in their work and personal life? As a manager, I view that as a huge opportunity to reduce turnover which (especially in engineering) can be one of your most expensive operational costs.
Stand firm on your value - you know what you're worth. If you're comfortable with the prospect of searching for another job if things go south, I'd recommend having a discussion with your boss on your stance on work-life balance. Sometimes honesty is just the best policy; you know they'd be suffering if they lost you and they probably do too if they are giving you high marks. Otherwise, a talk with your HR manager might be worth it too depending on how strong the HR function is. Sometimes HR will gently remind engineering managers how valuable certain employees are and check in to make sure that they're being treated properly.
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Science (or at least the New York Times) agrees that the way we're working isn't working:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html?_r=0
Frankly, I find it really difficult to take a truly relaxing break at work. Maybe because I'm an introvert, so chatting with coworkers is actually draining instead of recharging. I'm still trying to figure out an acceptable way to nap on my lunch hour -- I know that would help me be more productive in the afternoon.
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Science (or at least the New York Times) agree that the way we're working isn't working:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html?_r=0
Frankly, I find it really difficult to take a truly relaxing break at work. Maybe because I'm an introvert, so chatting with coworkers is actually draining instead of recharging. I'm still trying to figure out an acceptable way to nap on my lunch hour -- I know that would help me be more productive in the afternoon.
I don't do this, but I know someone who does. They simply pack their lunch and quickly eat and sleep in their car. Tinted windows and strategic parking and none the wiser, he has been doing this for years.
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I would totally do this, but unfortunately I take public transportation to work. Although I do see plenty of folks sleeping on the train . . .
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OP, I'm glad you recognize that it was really just a Freudian slip from your boss -- he wants you to be challenged (which is how you keep good employees happy and promoted), but to him challenge means stress. If you think you need to worry about face time, see if you can move "you" time into the middle of the day. Take a long lunch to go to the gym, do errands, browse MMM etc. Get in slightly later but stay really late and put on your game face. Not everyone can do this (e.g. with family) but the Costanza approach can really work for particular bosses.
I work at biglaw and we had a partner who was a big bully. She actually was rarely in the office, didn't really communicate when she would be, and often did not respond to emails -- because she was "so busy" and had "too many emails." She claimed with a straight face that she didn't care about "face time," but god forbid if you were ever away from your desk during the short time that she was present. One time she told me she sent herself an email at 11:45 a.m. to document that I was not at my desk at that time and my light was out; I guess it didn't occur to her that I could be in a meeting or out getting lunch or something.
Anyway, the OP's post reminded me of this time that the partner was yelling at me for something ridiculous. At the end of her spiel, she looked at me, and was like, "Does any of this even matter to you? You're not even crying!" It really bothered her that I was just sitting there watching her rave like a lunatic.
Story ends with a long time of abuse, I reported her and had several critical talks with the higher-ups, and then she "coincidentally" resigned without another job lined up. Environment is so much better without that b. Thanks for letting me vent!
Just wow. But yeah, lawyers have a lot of meetings. I'm basically always in a meeting. Seriously, don't call my office because nobody is answering the phone. Don't swing by, because I'm on-site at a very important client meeting.
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Science (or at least the New York Times) agree that the way we're working isn't working:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html?_r=0
Frankly, I find it really difficult to take a truly relaxing break at work. Maybe because I'm an introvert, so chatting with coworkers is actually draining instead of recharging. I'm still trying to figure out an acceptable way to nap on my lunch hour -- I know that would help me be more productive in the afternoon.
I don't do this, but I know someone who does. They simply pack their lunch and quickly eat and sleep in their car. Tinted windows and strategic parking and none the wiser, he has been doing this for years.
As an introvert in a customer-facing office, I used to find a private meeting room and sit in it by myself for exactly the full half hour of lunch I was allotted. I brought a book but often I just sat and enjoyed the silence.
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Science (or at least the New York Times) agree that the way we're working isn't working:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html?_r=0
Frankly, I find it really difficult to take a truly relaxing break at work. Maybe because I'm an introvert, so chatting with coworkers is actually draining instead of recharging. I'm still trying to figure out an acceptable way to nap on my lunch hour -- I know that would help me be more productive in the afternoon.
I don't do this, but I know someone who does. They simply pack their lunch and quickly eat and sleep in their car. Tinted windows and strategic parking and none the wiser, he has been doing this for years.
I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
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Frankly, I find it really difficult to take a truly relaxing break at work. Maybe because I'm an introvert, so chatting with coworkers is actually draining instead of recharging. I'm still trying to figure out an acceptable way to nap on my lunch hour -- I know that would help me be more productive in the afternoon.
I do this all the time when I'm working at our office. We have a conference room that is set up for more casual meetings, and has a couch against one wall. I keep a camping pillow and a small blanket in my desk drawer. At lunch most everyone goes out to eat, so this conference room is hardly ever in use. I'll go in there, pull the shade on the outside window and sack out.
There is a large window facing the hallway with no shade so anyone who walks by can see me in there sleeping, but I've now reached the age where I don't care. It helps that my billing makes good money for the company, and that they know my GTH fund is full and I'm willing to walk away if I'm no longer happy. Thankfully the owners of the company are great people and my co-workers are pretty cool too so I never have to play that card. Occasionally somebody will poke a little fun at me for my "nap time." I'll usually joke right back at them, realizing that they're probably jealous that I feel free enough to do this.
It's a bit trickier if I'm working at a client location. Often times I'm unable to take a nap in those situations, but I have done it when I've been working for clients with whom I've had a long-term relationship and know won't freak out. I'll be discreet and find a spot like a storage closet or an empty conference room where I can just lean back in a chair for a while and snooze. Most of the time they don't even realize what I did.
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I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
Smart man! I think a quick power nap is likely the greatest thing workers can do to improve their productivity and happiness.
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I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
Smart man! I think a quick power nap is likely the greatest thing workers can do to improve their productivity and happiness.
One of the biggest cultural surprises on my end from my trips to China for work was that this is what 80-90% of the workforce in our Chinese office does during lunch break - eat then power nap - it's amazing to see. Wish it was a bit more socially acceptable here :)
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I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
Smart man! I think a quick power nap is likely the greatest thing workers can do to improve their productivity and happiness.
One of the biggest cultural surprises on my end from my trips to China for work was that this is what 80-90% of the workforce in our Chinese office does during lunch break - eat then power nap - it's amazing to see. Wish it was a bit more socially acceptable here :)
If you have an office, it is possible. Sometimes I do this for just a minute (work is often busy). It really helps with wearing contacts since I work in tech.
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This shit is why I love being self-employed. The only office work I have ever really done was super-hourly - the building was literally locked at 5pm. I think my hatred of it started at school. If you finish all your work early, you get...more work! If you're a good, quiet student, you get paired with the most disruptive one in the class. You are punished for being clever and hardworking.
If this kind of crap ever happened to me, though, I have a conversation prepared.
Boss: [excellent performance review] but we're concerned that you're not putting the hours in. You always leave at 5pm.
Me: I don't think that's true. [cites examples of genuine work emergencies when I stayed late]
Boss: Sure, but we're really looking for employees who put the company first.
Me: Sorry, are you saying I'm not getting enough done?
Boss: No, but--
Me: Or that I'm underperforming?
Boss: No, no, we're very happy with your work.
Me: Then what's the problem?
Boss: We need you to be present in the office. X and Y are always here into the evening.
Me: Do they get more work done than I do?
Boss: No, but--
Me: It sounds a lot like you're trying to punish me for being productive and efficient.
I remember that conversation, or something similar, in my first post-military job.
Manufacturing, open 24/7. Engineering. A coworker (who was my age) was the type of guy to work late into the night. He was a "super star" loved running experiments. So, he'd roll into work at around 10 am or so. But he'd easily work until 8 or 9 running his experiments, writing up his results, etc. Company LOVED him. (He was kind of an ass, really. But sharp.)
Boss-man "so, we need you to be at the 7:15 am production meeting for the fab"
Eng: "No."
Boss: "Well, we really need you to be there"
Eng: "okay, I can be there, but I'll be leaving exactly at 5 pm every day"
Boss: "well, but no. I mean, you do good work in the evenings, but we may need you to stay later than 5 pm"
Eng: "You cannot have it both ways. If you are going to specify that I need to be here at 7:15 am, then I am leaving at 5 pm. I will not work overtime for free. If I am allowed to set my own hours, then I will not be at the 7:15 am meeting"
Yeah, he wasn't at the 7:15 am meetings. He did get promoted to take the boss's job (boss got laid off).
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This shit is why I love being self-employed. The only office work I have ever really done was super-hourly - the building was literally locked at 5pm. I think my hatred of it started at school. If you finish all your work early, you get...more work! If you're a good, quiet student, you get paired with the most disruptive one in the class. You are punished for being clever and hardworking.
If this kind of crap ever happened to me, though, I have a conversation prepared.
Boss: [excellent performance review] but we're concerned that you're not putting the hours in. You always leave at 5pm.
Me: I don't think that's true. [cites examples of genuine work emergencies when I stayed late]
Boss: Sure, but we're really looking for employees who put the company first.
Me: Sorry, are you saying I'm not getting enough done?
Boss: No, but--
Me: Or that I'm underperforming?
Boss: No, no, we're very happy with your work.
Me: Then what's the problem?
Boss: We need you to be present in the office. X and Y are always here into the evening.
Me: Do they get more work done than I do?
Boss: No, but--
Me: It sounds a lot like you're trying to punish me for being productive and efficient.
I remember that conversation, or something similar, in my first post-military job.
Manufacturing, open 24/7. Engineering. A coworker (who was my age) was the type of guy to work late into the night. He was a "super star" loved running experiments. So, he'd roll into work at around 10 am or so. But he'd easily work until 8 or 9 running his experiments, writing up his results, etc. Company LOVED him. (He was kind of an ass, really. But sharp.)
Boss-man "so, we need you to be at the 7:15 am production meeting for the fab"
Eng: "No."
Boss: "Well, we really need you to be there"
Eng: "okay, I can be there, but I'll be leaving exactly at 5 pm every day"
Boss: "well, but no. I mean, you do good work in the evenings, but we may need you to stay later than 5 pm"
Eng: "You cannot have it both ways. If you are going to specify that I need to be here at 7:15 am, then I am leaving at 5 pm. I will not work overtime for free. If I am allowed to set my own hours, then I will not be at the 7:15 am meeting"
Yeah, he wasn't at the 7:15 am meetings. He did get promoted to take the boss's job (boss got laid off).
So this hell meeting was EVERY DAY?
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Science (or at least the New York Times) agree that the way we're working isn't working:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html?_r=0
Frankly, I find it really difficult to take a truly relaxing break at work. Maybe because I'm an introvert, so chatting with coworkers is actually draining instead of recharging. I'm still trying to figure out an acceptable way to nap on my lunch hour -- I know that would help me be more productive in the afternoon.
Ah, yes, finally -- and EXCELLENT reason to drive a car to work. Private space at lunch.
I don't do this, but I know someone who does. They simply pack their lunch and quickly eat and sleep in their car. Tinted windows and strategic parking and none the wiser, he has been doing this for years.
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I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
If you have an office, it is possible.
That's what meetings are for
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Although the other day I think he was trying to phrase that in a way that made me cringe. "You exceeded all your goals without stressing out or pulling longer than 40-45 hour weeks. I want to see how you handle having too much work and not enough time."
Of course that's with no mention of pay increases, promotion or anything.
I have a friend who got his MS in Engineering Management. He likes to joke that the degree is basically "reading a hundred books about how to trick people into working harder."
From conversations I've had with him, I'm fairly confident that your boss is simply using a management technique from some of these books. The basic theory is that in order to maximize productivity, a "good manager" knows how to keep his employees at a sustainable level of low-level persistent stress. Too high, and they'll burn out and quit. Too low, and you can probably get more out of them if you just push harder.
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From conversations I've had with him, I'm fairly confident that your boss is simply using a management technique from some of these books. The basic theory is that in order to maximize productivity, a "good manager" knows how to keep his employees at a sustainable level of low-level persistent stress. Too high, and they'll burn out and quit. Too low, and you can probably get more out of them if you just push harder.
Which is fine as long as there's a realistic expectation that growth and more output will lead to higher compensation. If not, this can backfire...
I remember my first job out of University. As is often the case for new grads, I was inexperienced but highly motivated. Worked my ass off, always taking on more and bigger/more complex projects. I was eager to save, invest, and purchase a house, so I wanted to eventually get promoted even though I knew this would take time.
All was going well until, after about 2 years into the job, I heard some disturbing news through unofficial channels. As part of performance evals the Sr Engineers individually recorded their perceived level for each lower level engineer, then managers would use this to figure out who was over- vs. under-performing. I learned that all the Sr Engineers had me at 2-3 levels higher than my actual level. However, the company had a promotion freeze in place, so when I asked about promotion I was told flat out that there would be no promotions for an unspecified length of time. I promptly cut back on my hours (salaried) and started planning my exit. When I announced my resignation they offered double my salary to stay, but that just pissed me off even more (you mean you've been paying me just 50% of my worth?).
Leaving that place was the best decision of my career.
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Science (or at least the New York Times) agree that the way we're working isn't working:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html?_r=0
Frankly, I find it really difficult to take a truly relaxing break at work. Maybe because I'm an introvert, so chatting with coworkers is actually draining instead of recharging. I'm still trying to figure out an acceptable way to nap on my lunch hour -- I know that would help me be more productive in the afternoon.
I don't do this, but I know someone who does. They simply pack their lunch and quickly eat and sleep in their car. Tinted windows and strategic parking and none the wiser, he has been doing this for years.
I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
I have an office and I often lock the door, turn off the light and nap during lunch. Sometimes stream a bit of TV (headphones) and eat with a small lamp turned on that doesn't make enough light to be noticed through the office door window (frosted).
When the weather is nice I get out for a stroll around the neighborhood.
Despite the light off, locked door I've had people knock relentlessly to summon me for stupid info that could have been relayed to me after lunch. Even had a co-worker let himself into my office (unlock the door) to deliver a message that also could have waited. I put a stop to that!
Am also an introvert that can play the extrovert game for only so long before I need a recharge. I also use lunch to recharge a little somedays.
Its not the end of the world but there are days when "Office Space" and "Office" seem real.
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Despite the light off, locked door I've had people knock relentlessly to summon me for stupid info that could have been relayed to me after lunch. Even had a co-worker let himself into my office (unlock the door) to deliver a message that also could have waited. I put a stop to that!
Wow, that would really piss me off. I have a salesmen that takes a 15 minute nap at his desk daily, which I am completely ok with. This same guy will bug me while I'm eating lunch to tell me something that could wait. The last time he did this I told him, "If you interrupt my lunch again with someone that can clearly wait, I will set off a foghorn the next time you nap." He hasn't bugged me since. I don't mind being interrupted during lunch if it's something that needs an immediate answer, but he was interrupting me to tell me things like, "Next week I have a dentist appointment."
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This shit is why I love being self-employed. The only office work I have ever really done was super-hourly - the building was literally locked at 5pm. I think my hatred of it started at school. If you finish all your work early, you get...more work! If you're a good, quiet student, you get paired with the most disruptive one in the class. You are punished for being clever and hardworking.
If this kind of crap ever happened to me, though, I have a conversation prepared.
Boss: [excellent performance review] but we're concerned that you're not putting the hours in. You always leave at 5pm.
Me: I don't think that's true. [cites examples of genuine work emergencies when I stayed late]
Boss: Sure, but we're really looking for employees who put the company first.
Me: Sorry, are you saying I'm not getting enough done?
Boss: No, but--
Me: Or that I'm underperforming?
Boss: No, no, we're very happy with your work.
Me: Then what's the problem?
Boss: We need you to be present in the office. X and Y are always here into the evening.
Me: Do they get more work done than I do?
Boss: No, but--
Me: It sounds a lot like you're trying to punish me for being productive and efficient.
I remember that conversation, or something similar, in my first post-military job.
Manufacturing, open 24/7. Engineering. A coworker (who was my age) was the type of guy to work late into the night. He was a "super star" loved running experiments. So, he'd roll into work at around 10 am or so. But he'd easily work until 8 or 9 running his experiments, writing up his results, etc. Company LOVED him. (He was kind of an ass, really. But sharp.)
Boss-man "so, we need you to be at the 7:15 am production meeting for the fab"
Eng: "No."
Boss: "Well, we really need you to be there"
Eng: "okay, I can be there, but I'll be leaving exactly at 5 pm every day"
Boss: "well, but no. I mean, you do good work in the evenings, but we may need you to stay later than 5 pm"
Eng: "You cannot have it both ways. If you are going to specify that I need to be here at 7:15 am, then I am leaving at 5 pm. I will not work overtime for free. If I am allowed to set my own hours, then I will not be at the 7:15 am meeting"
Yeah, he wasn't at the 7:15 am meetings. He did get promoted to take the boss's job (boss got laid off).
So this hell meeting was EVERY DAY?
Yes. It coincided with shift change, sort of. So production and engineering could know the plans for the day. (But you really only needed *one* engineer there - at most two - and I was always there. I'm a morning person.)
At my current job, we also had a 24/7 fab for awhile. Our engineering manager left, and they were choosing a new one. The VP took over temporarily. When I didn't get the job *right away*, I knew it wasn't going to be me, regardless of what hoops I jumped through (I was already doing 2/3 of the job and the leaving manager recommended me. However, the VP and I did not see eye to eye.)
Among the "requirements":
1. Attend the morning epi meeting (another group) - at 7:15 am EVERY DAY.
2. Attend the morning production meeting (8 am)
3. Attend the evening production meeting (6 pm to 6:45 pm)
Fuck that. My coworker actually did it. He got promoted about a month before we closed the fab doors. But he did it for a YEAR before he got promoted. Although the morning 7:15 am meeting only lasted about 4 months, he still had to attend the 8 am and 6 pm meetings for a full year.
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From conversations I've had with him, I'm fairly confident that your boss is simply using a management technique from some of these books. The basic theory is that in order to maximize productivity, a "good manager" knows how to keep his employees at a sustainable level of low-level persistent stress. Too high, and they'll burn out and quit. Too low, and you can probably get more out of them if you just push harder.
Which is fine as long as there's a realistic expectation that growth and more output will lead to higher compensation. If not, this can backfire...
I remember my first job out of University. As is often the case for new grads, I was inexperienced but highly motivated. Worked my ass off, always taking on more and bigger/more complex projects. I was eager to save, invest, and purchase a house, so I wanted to eventually get promoted even though I knew this would take time.
All was going well until, after about 2 years into the job, I heard some disturbing news through unofficial channels. As part of performance evals the Sr Engineers individually recorded their perceived level for each lower level engineer, then managers would use this to figure out who was over- vs. under-performing. I learned that all the Sr Engineers had me at 2-3 levels higher than my actual level. However, the company had a promotion freeze in place, so when I asked about promotion I was told flat out that there would be no promotions for an unspecified length of time. I promptly cut back on my hours (salaried) and started planning my exit. When I announced my resignation they offered double my salary to stay, but that just pissed me off even more (you mean you've been paying me just 50% of my worth?).
Leaving that place was the best decision of my career.
That's par for the course for almost every engineering job I've had.
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This shit is why I love being self-employed. The only office work I have ever really done was super-hourly - the building was literally locked at 5pm. I think my hatred of it started at school. If you finish all your work early, you get...more work! If you're a good, quiet student, you get paired with the most disruptive one in the class. You are punished for being clever and hardworking.
If this kind of crap ever happened to me, though, I have a conversation prepared.
Boss: [excellent performance review] but we're concerned that you're not putting the hours in. You always leave at 5pm.
Me: I don't think that's true. [cites examples of genuine work emergencies when I stayed late]
Boss: Sure, but we're really looking for employees who put the company first.
Me: Sorry, are you saying I'm not getting enough done?
Boss: No, but--
Me: Or that I'm underperforming?
Boss: No, no, we're very happy with your work.
Me: Then what's the problem?
Boss: We need you to be present in the office. X and Y are always here into the evening.
Me: Do they get more work done than I do?
Boss: No, but--
Me: It sounds a lot like you're trying to punish me for being productive and efficient.
yeah i dream of the day that some management company launches software that quanifies work. In school if you're smarter and efficient you get more free time. in the working world you're just always looking over you shoulder hoping someone doesnt see you not doing work b/c it takes you 25% of the required hours you're to be there.
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Although the other day I think he was trying to phrase that in a way that made me cringe. "You exceeded all your goals without stressing out or pulling longer than 40-45 hour weeks. I want to see how you handle having too much work and not enough time."
Of course that's with no mention of pay increases, promotion or anything.
I have a friend who got his MS in Engineering Management. He likes to joke that the degree is basically "reading a hundred books about how to trick people into working harder."
From conversations I've had with him, I'm fairly confident that your boss is simply using a management technique from some of these books. The basic theory is that in order to maximize productivity, a "good manager" knows how to keep his employees at a sustainable level of low-level persistent stress. Too high, and they'll burn out and quit. Too low, and you can probably get more out of them if you just push harder.
Sure, but you aren't supposed to come out any tell the employee outright. You are supposed to use vague platitudes to motivate them
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I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
Smart man! I think a quick power nap is likely the greatest thing workers can do to improve their productivity and happiness.
One of the biggest cultural surprises on my end from my trips to China for work was that this is what 80-90% of the workforce in our Chinese office does during lunch break - eat then power nap - it's amazing to see. Wish it was a bit more socially acceptable here :)
If you have an office, it is possible. Sometimes I do this for just a minute (work is often busy). It really helps with wearing contacts since I work in tech.
Actually, that building (and pretty much all of our buildings worldwide) was a cube farm - so if you could see over the cube tops, you would see 100+ people all napping in one big room just separated by the short half-walls between them :)
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I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
Smart man! I think a quick power nap is likely the greatest thing workers can do to improve their productivity and happiness.
One of the biggest cultural surprises on my end from my trips to China for work was that this is what 80-90% of the workforce in our Chinese office does during lunch break - eat then power nap - it's amazing to see. Wish it was a bit more socially acceptable here :)
If you have an office, it is possible. Sometimes I do this for just a minute (work is often busy). It really helps with wearing contacts since I work in tech.
Actually, that building (and pretty much all of our buildings worldwide) was a cube farm - so if you could see over the cube tops, you would see 100+ people all napping in one big room just separated by the short half-walls between them :)
You need a tiny drone to fly over everyone's cubes and take their pictures... Blackmail!
Just kidding...
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Sure, but you aren't supposed to come out any tell the employee outright. You are supposed to use vague platitudes to motivate them
Lol! Or put up inspirational posters.
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Sure, but you aren't supposed to come out any tell the employee outright. You are supposed to use vague platitudes to motivate them
Lol! Or put up inspirational posters.
(http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0535/6917/products/motivationdemotivator.jpeg?v=1414011398)
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Despite the light off, locked door I've had people knock relentlessly to summon me for stupid info that could have been relayed to me after lunch. Even had a co-worker let himself into my office (unlock the door) to deliver a message that also could have waited. I put a stop to that!
Wow, that would really piss me off. I have a salesmen that takes a 15 minute nap at his desk daily, which I am completely ok with. This same guy will bug me while I'm eating lunch to tell me something that could wait. The last time he did this I told him, "If you interrupt my lunch again with someone that can clearly wait, I will set off a foghorn the next time you nap." He hasn't bugged me since. I don't mind being interrupted during lunch if it's something that needs an immediate answer, but he was interrupting me to tell me things like, "Next week I have a dentist appointment."
This was probably one of the bigger challenges with Mustachianism that I faced(and still face sometimes)... If I'm not going out to lunch, where do I eat lunch that people will leave me the hell alone? Obviously a Mustachian People Problem, but still... nothing worse than someone asking you something stupid while you are trying to eat your lunch at a normal pace.
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Wow. Some of these stories are so intense. Makes me glad I work hourly in medical. I make good money and once my 8 hour shift is up I'm out.
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I remember that Kevin Spacey line to his underling in Swimming with Sharks...
"You're happy...I HATE that!!!"
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I had a manager that said to another employee: "My job as your manager is to create anxiety for my employees." I think he was just trying to kick him out of his laid back approach to work but thankfully I never got that speech. I did have this manager pull a project out from under my feet without even discussing it with me first. I just assumed I was going to be let go eventually but the pay was really high so I rode it out and had basically 0 stress until the entire remote office and most all the employees were let go more than a year later. Glad I held out for the nice severance package.
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A quick power nap at work used to be the norm for me most days. I would feel completely burned out and exhausted beforehand and had a ton of energy and focus after. In my opinion they should be encouraged but I often wondered if anyone noticed and thought I was a complete slacker for it. I see most of my co- workers chugging coffee all day but I don't drink it so the nap was essential and probably more effective.
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This is such a thing in China you can find tons of pictures on the internet showing how it is done -- here is the link to some "office edition" samples.
https://www.google.com/search?q=chinese+workers++napping&biw=1280&bih=590&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjB753v_u3KAhVX4mMKHaRdCVUQsAQIKw#tbm=isch&q=chinese+office+workers++napping
For a more diverse array of creative napping solutions, google just "chinese workers napping"
My brain is reflexively screaming "YOU ARE GOING TO GET CAUGHT! WAKE UP!"
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I used to be a believer in the minimum stress level to improve productivity. For good reason, it really seems to work. IF you just examine it by itself. When you step back and look at the whole picture though, at the point of improving work performance you're ending up with employees that don't have anything left to give at home. Home lives fall apart, which in turn causes work performance to suffer. It's an excellent tactic to get a short term improvement in performance at the cost of destroying the employee and ultimately their contributions to the company. As always, not measure the right things leads to bad policy...
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Use 'em up, toss them out and hire another.... Never mind the reduced job performance and cost of training to get the new employee up to speed.
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All of my co-workers have the relatively same workload. Some of them get it done in 30 hours and some of them get it done in 50 hours. I am not going to say which group I am in.
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I used to be a believer in the minimum stress level to improve productivity. For good reason, it really seems to work. IF you just examine it by itself. When you step back and look at the whole picture though, at the point of improving work performance you're ending up with employees that don't have anything left to give at home. Home lives fall apart, which in turn causes work performance to suffer. It's an excellent tactic to get a short term improvement in performance at the cost of destroying the employee and ultimately their contributions to the company. As always, not measure the right things leads to bad policy...
This works differently for everyone, too.
Some people do thrive on stress. I had a coworker who was far more this way than I was, loving the "chaotic mess with too many things to do" type of work environment.
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I've been accused of the same. In my book, most stress is a result of piss poor planning. Next time tell them you are like a professional athlete, you only make it look easy because you are good!
Red from Shawshank Redemption:
"He had a quiet way about him, a walk and a talk that just wasn't normal around here. He strolled, like a man in a park without a care or a worry in the world, like he had on an invisible coat that would shield him from this place."
What Red didn't know was Andy had a stache!
+1 very good!
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Well he also needs to look good (which probably involves the perception that he's squeezing every last bit of productivity out of you. If you're not crying, he could probably work you harder.)
Option 1: make a big show of "doing more/working harder" and all the time and stress involved. You may need to put in more face time and put up with more bullshit.
Option 2: find a new company to work for. Your current employer has already formed the expectation that your awesome performance is only baseline for you. They will naturally want more out of you. A new place will be wowed by your normal efforts (and you can hold back a little so there's "improvement" you can show over time). Possibly a pay raise or promotion in there.
I'd put some time and energy into exploring option 2, since your boss has shown himself to be a dickhead.
Option 3: Keep doing what you are doing. Don't ever buy into the BS. I've been working for 30 years and never did. Payed more than 99% of my staff (only the boss above). Had I done so how many dinners with my (now deceased) wife would I have missed, or lunch with friends, weekends with the kids, or just necessary down time. Had I missed all that and still ended up where I am I would be pissed!
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Last year my wife got switched from salary to hourly. This has worked out fine, except last week she told me that the VP called her in and told her that she isn't supposed to be working during lunch to try to make her day 30 minutes shorter. Grumble.
Different thing. Over the years I have learned there are four levels/combinations of stress v productivity and you generally progress through them as you gain knowledge and experience in your field.
1. low stress/low productivity. Figuring things out slowly, moving slowly, learning the ropes, not getting much done. Wading into new OJT, learning checklists, that sort of thing. This step is often skipped, but exists in a few occupations where you get some leeway time to figure stuff out.
2. high stress/low productivity. You've learned more than the new guy about the system you work in, but are not efficient, and still not very good at it. You know all the steps now, but flail around a lot and are very busy, and your work product is not yet where it needs to be. Many jobs start here. With practice, though, you quickly get to...
3. high stress/high productivity. You've figured out the ropes and can get jobs done well. Your work product is good and it shows. However you're still not efficient so you thrash and flail around a lot, always busy and racing to meet deadlines. Here you are at the intersection of very busy and very productive, so this is where bosses/managers want people to be.
4. low stress/high productivity. Finally, you've found all the efficiencies in your system. A seasoned pro, you can get tasks done with practiced ease, and even though work gets done fast it appears like you're very relaxed and always moving slowly. This is a great place to be until your boss finds out, at which time he will give you more work to kick you back to level 3.
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...last week she told me that the VP called her in and told her that she isn't supposed to be working during lunch to try to make her day 30 minutes shorter. Grumble.
I've had bosses and levels above tell me that.
My reply: "Sure, if you can guarantee no one bothers me for 30 minutes. If you can't, then I'll continue working while I chow. Do have a problem with the quality of my work?"
Then I get left alone.
Because I've found out the hit my department will take if I leave.
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Different thing. Over the years I have learned there are four levels/combinations of stress v productivity and you generally progress through them as you gain knowledge and experience in your field.
1. low stress/low productivity. Figuring things out slowly, moving slowly, learning the ropes, not getting much done. Wading into new OJT, learning checklists, that sort of thing. This step is often skipped, but exists in a few occupations where you get some leeway time to figure stuff out.
2. high stress/low productivity. You've learned more than the new guy about the system you work in, but are not efficient, and still not very good at it. You know all the steps now, but flail around a lot and are very busy, and your work product is not yet where it needs to be. Many jobs start here. With practice, though, you quickly get to...
3. high stress/high productivity. You've figured out the ropes and can get jobs done well. Your work product is good and it shows. However you're still not efficient so you thrash and flail around a lot, always busy and racing to meet deadlines. Here you are at the intersection of very busy and very productive, so this is where bosses/managers want people to be.
4. low stress/high productivity. Finally, you've found all the efficiencies in your system. A seasoned pro, you can get tasks done with practiced ease, and even though work gets done fast it appears like you're very relaxed and always moving slowly. This is a great place to be until your boss finds out, at which time he will give you more work to kick you back to level 3.
FYI, this is essentially Situational Leadership Theory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_leadership_theory). When I was managing people this was a useful framework to help me anticipate the needs and capabilities of each individual on my teams.
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Here was a discussion at my first annual review at my first real job out of the university. This is 100% true with no exaggeration.
- Boss: We are really impressed by the quality of your work, especially since you just got out of the university.
- Me: Great! Thanks!
- Boss: However, we noticed that you take less time than what we usually see to complete the work you are assigned. You should take more time to do what you have to do.
- Me: Oh. Do you mean that I do things too fast and that the quality of my work suffers because of it?
- Boss: No, the quality is perfect. But other people take more time to do the same thing. You should take more time too.
Did I say that I was working in private law, billing by the hour but earning a fixed salary?
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Here was a discussion at my first annual review at my first real job out of the university. This is 100% true with no exaggeration.
- Boss: We are really impressed by the quality of your work, especially since you just got out of the university.
- Me: Great! Thanks!
- Boss: However, we noticed that you take less time than what we usually see to complete the work you are assigned. You should take more time to do what you have to do.
- Me: Oh. Do you mean that I do things too fast and that the quality of my work suffers because of it?
- Boss: No, the quality is perfect. But other people take more time to do the same thing. You should take more time too.
Did I say that I was working in private law, billing by the hour but earning a fixed salary?
Sounds like they were asking you to pad your hours...without directly telling you to do so. Did your boss wink a few times at you?
It's like in "Knocked Up," where Hiegl's character is offered gym membership and she asks, "Do you want me to lose weight?" Her supervisor said, "We can't ask you to do that," and then proceeds to hint that they want her to do so.
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I actually had a boss refuse to look at documents if he thought you hadn't taken long enough to work on them. (And we're talking project plans, here: if it's for the same client and essentially the same project, review the 12 pages of the previous versions, change the relevant sections, ensure all updated requirements are in there, and you're done. We're not creating a project plan from scratch every time, despite what he expected!)
So he'd tell me he expected this to take 12 hours, I'd get it almost done in 2 (so I could have it up on my screen and look busy), and then I installed the Kindle app on my work computer and proceeded to read novels for the next 9 hours. He thought I was super-productive by getting work done JUST that much faster than he expected.
I tried just bringing him the stuff after the 2 hours it actually took me to do them, and he turned me around and said that I clearly hadn't worked on it long enough and to go back and bring it back when I'd spent enough time on it.
Ok then. Kindle it is.
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I actually had a boss refuse to look at documents if he thought you hadn't taken long enough to work on them. (And we're talking project plans, here: if it's for the same client and essentially the same project, review the 12 pages of the previous versions, change the relevant sections, ensure all updated requirements are in there, and you're done. We're not creating a project plan from scratch every time, despite what he expected!)
So he'd tell me he expected this to take 12 hours, I'd get it almost done in 2 (so I could have it up on my screen and look busy), and then I installed the Kindle app on my work computer and proceeded to read novels for the next 9 hours. He thought I was super-productive by getting work done JUST that much faster than he expected.
I tried just bringing him the stuff after the 2 hours it actually took me to do them, and he turned me around and said that I clearly hadn't worked on it long enough and to go back and bring it back when I'd spent enough time on it.
Ok then. Kindle it is.
What happens if you get caught?
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The best way is to have your books on your own device. If people ask what's on your device, tell them it's your To Do list. If they ask to see it or reach for it, "accidentally" press the button to return to home, then show them a generic To Do list.
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The best way is to have your books on your own device. If people ask what's on your device, tell them it's your To Do list. If they ask to see it or reach for it, "accidentally" press the button to return to home, then show them a generic To Do list.
I actually have some of my technical manuals in my Kindle. Convenient for lookup when traveling for work, if I don't have my laptop handy.
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I once had a coworker who would just lay his head down on his desk (or maybe he had a small pillow?) and nap for 15 minutes.
If you have an office, it is possible.
That's what meetings are for
Just insert a "voluntary power meeting" for all your collegues once a day at a good time. You can even give it different topic (of what you will ignore the most).
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Free Linux KDE has a multiple desktops feature. You can tie that to a keystroke.
So, desktop #1 has work (spreadsheets, research, email, documents).
Tap that special key and boom - desktop #2 appears.
And on that desktop is your MMM, your frugality manifesto, your next big novel under a secret pen-name, and your pictures of your dog and the kayak, ---errr the wife and kids... ;)
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Free Linux KDE has a multiple desktops feature. You can tie that to a keystroke.
So, desktop #1 has work (spreadsheets, research, email, documents).
Tap that special key and boom - desktop #2 appears.
And on that desktop is your MMM, your frugality manifesto, your next big novel under a secret pen-name, and your pictures of your dog and the kayak, ---errr the wife and kids... ;)
You are a beautiful nose. Seriously, this is amazing.
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Free Linux KDE has a multiple desktops feature. You can tie that to a keystroke.
So, desktop #1 has work (spreadsheets, research, email, documents).
Tap that special key and boom - desktop #2 appears.
And on that desktop is your MMM, your frugality manifesto, your next big novel under a secret pen-name, and your pictures of your dog and the kayak, ---errr the wife and kids... ;)
I've always wondered why Windows doesn't have a built in desktop manager like nearly all Unix systems have, this actually makes a lot of sense that it'd be the reason.
There are also desktop managers for Windows you can install, too. I used them for more productive reasons before :-)
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I've always wondered why Windows doesn't have a built in desktop manager like nearly all Unix systems have, this actually makes a lot of sense that it'd be the reason.
There are also desktop managers for Windows you can install, too. I used them for more productive reasons before :-)
Hey, what about Clippy the paperclip? [j-o-k-e]
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Free Linux KDE has a multiple desktops feature. You can tie that to a keystroke.
So, desktop #1 has work (spreadsheets, research, email, documents).
Tap that special key and boom - desktop #2 appears.
And on that desktop is your MMM, your frugality manifesto, your next big novel under a secret pen-name, and your pictures of your dog and the kayak, ---errr the wife and kids... ;)
You are a beautiful nose. Seriously, this is amazing.
I should give my computer a (Jethros)nose job.
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You are a beautiful nose. Seriously, this is amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zndGk0WVYQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlmgwHAXgB4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaBInOSjcjw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dohhz91OTPY
Okay, that ought to blow an hour of your time. ;)
For folks new to the concept of Linux, you just need to see it to really understand that there really is a free "public domain" alternative to Apple and Microsoft.
Works fine b/c I don't normally need elaborate MS Office documents or spreadsheets. LibreOffice does just fine. Interestly enough I helped a coworker a while back who couldn't merge content from two MS Office Word docs b/c the formating went bonkers. I don't put much stock into MS Office as the best solution. When I need to send out a document to other people where the formatting is important, I simply make a PDF and send that instead. I do have MS Office and heavy duty CAD software if I want to boot into Windows instead. (dual boot)
Multiple desktops are as complicated as you want to make it. Mine is simple. Two desktops. I have tied the desktop switch effect to Ctrl-Shift-D but I could tie it to any key combination. Mine rolls a tumbler looking effect. Desktop 1 and then Desktop 2 and then back to Desktop 1. Circular switching.
Like I said you can make it as elaborate as you want - fades, blinds, cubes - there are a dozen plus transitions available by default I think. Probably more if I wanted to crawl the 'net to see what the custom Linux folks do to push the envelope.
There is also an option to tie it to my phone's bluetooth so as I walk away from my computer, it locks the computer and then unlocks when I return.
I have a coworker who is not in my chain of command that likes to come all the way into and across my office so that they can see what is on my computer screens. None of their business - it feels like they want to see if they could spot something there to gossip about. Been like this for more than a decade. A quick keystroke, and there is nothing but work to be seen on my screens. I get my work done in less time than I have to get it done just as others have described in their workplaces too. Always someone gossiping here.
Edited: typos and little word adjustments
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and queue up e-mails at 4pm to press the send button at 6:30-7pm.
Actually, you can automate these to send at any time you like, if you know how to do it, which most people don't. It's a trick I've used before, to send emails from work in the middle of the night, when I'm already at home & asleep.