We all get our fair share of horrible bosses at least once in a lifetime. When I was new to the corporate world, I always wondered how these managers just lost their humanity one day and decided to turn into these horrendous monsters.
However, I soon learned that you have to deal with them wittily. Just like this Reddit user, who was the star performer when he worked in a company, but his boss called him out publicly for being late by just 1 minute. Well, he listened to his manager, and here’s how he complied maliciously!
The best way to deal with a horrible boss is by complying maliciously with their absurd demands
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Back when the poster worked for a company while finishing college, he was the star performer, and his boss felt threatened by him
Image credits: anon
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels (not the actual photo)
One day, when the poster arrived just 1 minute late to work, the boss called him out in front of all the employees
Image credits: anon
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)
He decided to comply maliciously and stopped putting in the 45 minutes of overtime that he used to do every day
Image credits: anon
Image credits: Thirdman / Pexels (not the actual photo)
When his boss gave him work, he refused to keep doing it after his shift ended
His boss brought this on himself and couldn't even do anything, much less fire him, as he was the best employee
In today’s story, the original poster (OP) tells us how he dealt with a manager’s toxic behavior by doing exactly what the guy asked him to do. OP was just working there while finishing college and didn’t really see a future in that career, but since he was the star performer, who had been offered higher positions, his boss felt threatened by him.
One day, he showed up to work at 3:01, when his shift started at 3:00, which triggered the manager so much that he chastised him in front of everyone. When OP brought up the point that he often worked overtime for 45 minutes, the awful man just brushed it off, so the poster decided to comply maliciously with his demand.
He stopped working overtime and always stuck to his shift timing. When the boss gave him work, he straightaway told the guy that he couldn’t do it after his shift ended. Well, the manager had dug his own grave, and he couldn’t even do anything about it, or even fire him, considering his brilliant performance.
When Bored Panda got in touch with OP, he shared that he found the incident very funny and wanted the internet's take on it, so he posted it on Reddit. Although the poster finds it entertaining, he also feels glad that the biggest mark that he has made on the internet is basically just him advocating for everyone to relax a little bit and try to be more human at work.
The poster elaborated that his manager feeling threatened by him was probably the most challenging part of the whole situation. OP was working part-time and finishing college, meanwhile his boss was there full-time and trying to develop his career.
Image credits: Antoni Shkraba Studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Apparently, the man knew that if it were a 1:1 competition, OP would beat him for a more senior position, but he was running on one leg and focusing on other goals. “So he’d do little things like this to try to assert dominance. We were young, and he’s a smart enough guy, so I bet he grew out of it. I think he and I would get along if we happened to run into each other again, we were always friendly,” he added.
The poster also shared some illuminating advice with us. He stressed that if someone else is experiencing extreme micromanagement, just stick to the rules exactly as they’re written. He feels that the downside is that this kind of working environment is bad. However, OP believes that there are jobs out there where you can work cohesively with your team, and your life will be significantly better because of it.
“I know there's a growing mentality about how ‘work is just there to provide means to afford life’, but at the end of the day, we spend about 1/3 of it working. There’s no reason to be miserable, and productive collaboration with people you enjoy can be fulfilling,” he narrated.
OP even had a few wise words for all the "micromanagey" managers out there: “If you feel like you need to control someone down to the minute, then take a step back and evaluate why the associate is having these issues. Think about how you would respond to the message you’re trying to relay, and tailor the message to the person you are presenting it to.”
Coming back to his own manager, OP clarified that he very easily could have said, “Hey man, I know that it’s just a minute, but you’re a leader on this team. I want to improve this stat because of XYZ, and I can really use your help in delivering it.”
The poster thinks that this way, rather than getting chewed out, the boss is helping him identify value in something that’s low on his radar currently. “Of course, this varies by industry and the problem you're having, but if you're seeking out problems to address with the strongest employee, then some self-reflection could be beneficial,” he concluded.
Our wise poster has given us a lot to think about, hasn’t he? What are your thoughts about it and the way he handled the situation? Let us know in the comments!
Netizens applauded the poster for wittily tackling his micromanaging boss, and also shared similar experiences
