Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
This story is shared by an anonymous worker who had his first experience of working under a decent boss after a string of bad experiences with upper management.
I’ve had many terrible managers and bad leaders in my three decades of working life. And what I’ve observed is that there are two types of people in management: Bosses or Leaders. And it’s only recently I found out what it was like to have a real leader – a stand-up guy called Derek – in charge.
Working overtime has become the norm
Before, it was not uncommon for someone who knows nothing about realistic timelines to promise something ridiculous to the client, and the development team would be forced to work overtime to meet ridiculous demands.
The worst bosses are the ones who don’t give us the full details. We don’t even know what the client was promised. We’d learn about requirements and deliverables at the last minute.
So overtime it becomes. The team crunches through overtime, not going home, surviving on junk and fast food. When Monday comes around, you have a burned out team of zombies.
The bosses are never present while we slave away trying to meet the goal. They usually go on for drinks and karaoke, and we get calls from them demanding updates while they’re still singing. The calls and messages will keep coming from midnight to the next morning with no regards for our welfare at all.
When the bosses come in to review the project, they are dismissive, with little gratitude or thanks. The client explains what they wanted, which is not what is delivered. Cue another round of verbal abuse.
If the deadline isn’t met, it’s usually the development team that gets the blame, not the boss who recklessly made the promise and didn’t do the overtime. Overtime would be mandatory, before and after regular hours and during the weekend.
“Not possible,” is not an acceptable answer. Verbal abuse is common, “Suck it up! Be grateful you have a job! Otherwise you can quit!”
It was very demoralizing work. We could end up not going home for a few days sometimes. Every day I could feel my crushed soul leak out of my body a little bit more.
At my current job, I work at a realistic pace.
When I transferred to a new company, I figured it would be more of the same. In contrast, I now work at a realistic pace, the pantry is stocked with snacks, the company has sports get-togethers every two weeks, and most importantly, we leave at the end of day on time.
On my first project, our boss Derek was in the meeting with us and the client. My past experience meant that having the boss in the meeting meant a nightmare project of overpromising and overtime.
I couldn’t believe it when, instead of chiming in with his own opinion, he stayed quiet, listened, took notes and only asked whether we had the manpower and resources to deliver on time.
“You are too used to being overworked.”
Äfter my first week there, I actually approached him, saying, “Derick, am I doing ok? I don’t feel that I’m doing enough work. It’s been a week, but I’m not achieving or accomplishing anything.”
He looked at me for a long moment, then told me, “You are too used to being overworked. This is what normal hours at a normal job are supposed to be like. ” He glanced at his watch and added, “It’s only the first week, and you’ve already finished your tasks. It’s 3pm. Go home and take tomorrow off too.”
I was stunned. Looking back, I realized that he was right: I had been overworked for so long, I didn’t recognize normal: Normal felt like I was standing still.
29 hours of overtime in a weekend
One time, we were on schedule to deliver a working prototype six months into an 18 month long project. The client got an early build of things just as a progress update. They seemed satisfied, until they asked about a missing feature set.
It was clear that somebody had made a mistake and we were looking at overtime to deliver by the deadline. That weekend, I did twenty nine hours of overtime in three days.
During the “weekend from hell,” Derek was right there with us in the office. The only meetings were 15 minute progress updates. Otherwise Derek was busy taking care of his team: He went down to collect Foodpanda, and countless cups of Cha-Time. He spent the whole time with us to troubleshoot, support, solve problems and stay out of the way.
In the end? We delivered. The client was happy, and so was Derek.
We were compensated in our next paycheck for all of the overtime and everyone who worked was credited two extra days of annual leave. I was impressed. Yes, most companies do promise overtime pay, but if you file that claim, you often make yourself a target for non-renewal of your employment contract. It’s a fast track to dismissal complete with snide remarks about “not being a team player.” A company that gives overtime without any resistance? It was unheard of.
“Take care of your team, and they’ll take care of you.”
Speaking with Derek, I came to understand why he runs things this way: He told me that he had experienced the same sorts of abusive, neglectful and indifferent treatment before.
Most bosses just want the results without caring how it gets done. That’s what makes them poor leaders and even worse managers: They don’t understand that it’s people, not robots, that are trying their best to achieve those targets. And when one day they go too far, people start quitting, it’s too little too late. Companies die this way.
But not with Derek. He wants to avoid burning out a team, and values work-life balance immensely. He firmly believes that when you “take care of your team, they’ll take care of you.”
I’m happy where I am now. The pace of work is not always at a constant full out sprint. Projects are planned around making sure the team does not burn out. Decisions are discussed to ensure nothing unrealistic is promised. Our needs are met, and so we do our best to make Derek look good in front of the clients.
If only there were more leaders than bosses, the Malaysian working culture would be better. Employee mental health and productivity would skyrocket. Everyone would be doing a lot better. Leaders like Derek are few and far between.
Have you been through a similar experience? Share your story with In Real Life!
Submit your story to hello@inreallife.my and you may be featured on In Real Life Malaysia.
Read also: My Boss’ Jaw Dropped When I Walked Out Of The Meeting After He Yelled At Me
My Boss’ Jaw Dropped When I Walked Out Of The Meeting After He Yelled At Me
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