Work is home, work is home, and so it goes every day. They say life is a great adventure, but in the monotony of days, you don’t even feel like you’re living. This led to reflections on the topic and the conclusion was — perhaps, provided that each single-celled organism strives to do its job well. Thus, the first part of the study took shape, focused on the personal needs of individuals. But office plankton are social creatures, so interactions in groups deserve separate consideration.
* This essay is based on personal facts and does not claim to be a comprehensive guide to bringing life into order.
Dragging the existence of office plankton is extremely unpleasant. You feel powerless and unable, devoid of the will to fight for the survival of the soul. That’s how it was for me when I decided to change the course of my life and become not just its hero but also its author. To begin with, I engaged in a thorough analysis of past but still so fresh mistakes. I stumbled, of course, more than once, but believed that if you unravel the tangle from one end, you would find the reason for the current state of affairs at the other.
The first thing that bubbled to the surface was the desire to blend in with the crowd. The social group does not forgive a single display of weakness. Did you falter once? Remained silent or agreed without asking for arguments? They will expect that from you again and again. Office life is not a battle; it’s a drawn-out war. If you decide to sit in ambush today, you've been erased — permanently excluded from active participants in the action. Therefore, the heartfully understandable and logically justified desire to appear charming in a new place, at least for the first couple of months, can lead to a very disadvantageous position. I, too, voluntarily joined the ranks of those who accept everything as it is — the Chinese dummies. Instead of delving into every aspect of the project and its technical details, I contented myself with receiving instructions regarding my part. Like a greedy black hole, I absorbed everything indiscriminately and was unable to release anything in return — not even a tiny drop of light.
And the second thing I realized is that you cannot say what you do not believe to be true. There is a lot to explain here. This is not about using the truth to press on sensitive points, or that your truth is more important than someone else's. It simply states that it is very easy to succumb to the temptation to distort objective reality in words for immediate gain. We exaggerate, downplay, withhold information; in short, we manipulate the information we have to create a desired impression and tip the scales in our favor. This is unacceptable, as it undermines trust and self-respect. And then it becomes impossible to even rely on yourself. For example, in your research, 75% of the respondents left negative reviews about the product. You wholeheartedly agree with them, so you are tempted to conclude that 'more than half' showed the expected result. But the number of respondents with a negative rating was three out of four.
Another form of lying is remaining silent when there is something to say. Two years ago, my colleague — let's call him M. — was fired from the company. It was well known why he lost his job — for the ideals we shared. M. recklessly got involved in a struggle for our common freedom to think and to do quality work, and he was defeated. I not only failed to stand up for my comrade but also used this situation to negotiate better contract terms for myself. In the same vile manner, they got rid of the manager who fired M. This even pleased me — karma caught up with the villain! However, retribution awaited me too. Quietly, under the guise of phony smiles, my sentence was written: to leave the company voluntarily. And this time, no one stood up for me. Naturally.
I know what you're thinking — that subordinate test subjects are powerless to overturn management's decision. Perhaps. But I still believe it's not entirely true. Higher management won't interfere in the political games of middle managers, because they themselves empowered them and must support them. However, someone in the same unfortunate status as a colleague can indeed ask the boss a question. Sometimes, all it takes is one well-placed question. And if several people show genuine interest, the chance that the executioner will doubt the correctness of the decision rises above zero.
One person told me that seeking trouble is the mark of a loser. They said it's better to sit quietly under the wallpaper and not stir, because there's no happiness in office life, regardless of where you work. There's really nothing to say in response. I'm willing to be a loser if that's the only way to stay true to my ideals. Fearing for a guarded position and speaking less than what you think for that reason is quite primitive. Maybe that's why I'm haunted by the metaphor of the simplest.
I sincerely hope to outgrow the invertebrate phase of life and to prioritize convictions over the desire to protect my cozy little world.
Source: habr.com
