Desperately needing time off in your 30s is also often a result of how corporates murder creativity, fuel your burnout & extinguish job satisfaction [Thread]
1. Huge disconnect in expectations vs. reality
How many times have you left a career fair/ corporate recruiting presentation thinking "Wow, this role is so glamorous"?!
Fast forward 18 months & it's nothing like they promised.
The trailer is always better than the movie.
How many times have you left a career fair/ corporate recruiting presentation thinking "Wow, this role is so glamorous"?!
Fast forward 18 months & it's nothing like they promised.
The trailer is always better than the movie.
2. The system is far too rigid
"We're open to ideas..."
Red tape suffocates breakthrough ideas. From idea inception to execution takes years.
Chances are, it doesn't even get past the first phase. Eventually the flame dies out - the system isn't designed for disruption.
"We're open to ideas..."
Red tape suffocates breakthrough ideas. From idea inception to execution takes years.
Chances are, it doesn't even get past the first phase. Eventually the flame dies out - the system isn't designed for disruption.
3. Forced innovation
If someone grabs you right now, throws you on stage & forces you to tell jokes... you will crash & burn.
Yet after 4 shots of tequila on a Saturday at a braai, you're killing it with knockout punchlines. Why?!
The environment.
You can't force creativity.
If someone grabs you right now, throws you on stage & forces you to tell jokes... you will crash & burn.
Yet after 4 shots of tequila on a Saturday at a braai, you're killing it with knockout punchlines. Why?!
The environment.
You can't force creativity.
4. The business owns your intellectual property
Corporates only see the value of ideas when it translates to cold, hard cash. Consequently, you don't get rewarded for brilliant ideas - you get rewarded for being a worker bee.
There's no upside since the company OWNS your ideas.
Corporates only see the value of ideas when it translates to cold, hard cash. Consequently, you don't get rewarded for brilliant ideas - you get rewarded for being a worker bee.
There's no upside since the company OWNS your ideas.
5. The system rewards conformity
The type of people who progress through to middle management are the class prefect types. They (happily) live average lives & will probably never set the world alight.
Rule breakers don't last too long. They get worked out of the system quickly.
The type of people who progress through to middle management are the class prefect types. They (happily) live average lives & will probably never set the world alight.
Rule breakers don't last too long. They get worked out of the system quickly.
6. Companies focus on process and not outcomes
If you finish your contracted task in 2hrs, you should be able to go home.
No chance.
The business will find more useless shit for you to do. As a result? You end up dragging out a 3hr task over 8hrs.
Everyone becomes worse off.
If you finish your contracted task in 2hrs, you should be able to go home.
No chance.
The business will find more useless shit for you to do. As a result? You end up dragging out a 3hr task over 8hrs.
Everyone becomes worse off.
7. Your effort to reward ratio is low
In large corporates your effort gets diluted. No matter how hard you work, your effort gets lost in the ocean of processes. Also benefits accrue to senior management disproportionately.
You will never be compensated fairly to your efforts.
In large corporates your effort gets diluted. No matter how hard you work, your effort gets lost in the ocean of processes. Also benefits accrue to senior management disproportionately.
You will never be compensated fairly to your efforts.
8. Popularity over performance
You can be a complete rockstar, but if you're stuck in a toxic team, you're fucked.
Cram a group of people into a tiny space & the desire to be competitive starts outweighing any upside from being collaborative.
Also, incentives are misaligned
You can be a complete rockstar, but if you're stuck in a toxic team, you're fucked.
Cram a group of people into a tiny space & the desire to be competitive starts outweighing any upside from being collaborative.
Also, incentives are misaligned
9. Useless training & development
Do you really need to attend that compulsory class on basic excel formulas again?!
.... or does a mental health day off sound better?
Companies give you what they THINK you need and NOT what you actually need.
Do you really need to attend that compulsory class on basic excel formulas again?!
.... or does a mental health day off sound better?
Companies give you what they THINK you need and NOT what you actually need.
10. Personal time is a foreign concept
Essentially it's modern day slavery. You shouldn't have to feel guilty by stepping away for an hour to run an emergency errand.
So you squeeze everything into the weekend. As a result? You're exhausted on Monday.
Repeat the cycle.
Essentially it's modern day slavery. You shouldn't have to feel guilty by stepping away for an hour to run an emergency errand.
So you squeeze everything into the weekend. As a result? You're exhausted on Monday.
Repeat the cycle.
