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'He was "reassigned" to a different department': Operations officer demands less collaboration with disastrous results, loses his job

One thing employers almost unanimously do is encourage collaboration, promote synergy, and do deep dives into core competencies in order to close the loop on big data and growth hack deliverables… While no one is completely sure what any of this means, there's a chance that your boss has used one of these phrases in order to promote whatever thing they're pursuing, and it remains certain that collaboration is often at the forefront of company initiatives. 

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Posted by Brad Dickson
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  • This contractor, however, shared their story about how the operations officer at the tech firm where they were working prohibited workers from deviating from their assigned tasks, effectively banning collaboration. So, of course, when a project the team was working on encountered an issue that they weren't assigned to fix, they opted to comply with the directive maliciously, and the contractor ensured that they were strictly adhering to their tasks as instructed—which did not include fixing the simple issues to progress the project. Eventually, the company realized what everyone had already realized: that strict rules with no flexibility or balance are stupid. So, the operations officer was reassigned to a different department and projects were able to resume as normal.

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  • 1
    Product - "He wanted none of that cross-departmental 'nonsense. SVE
    Via Marvin Meyer
  • 2
    Font - Posted by u/2Screens1PC 3 hours ago "Strict Adherence to Contract" Backfires Beautifully Had to share this gem of a story from a few years back when I was contracting with a tech firm. Get your popcorn, because this one's a treat. Enter "Mr. Grayson," the firm's new operations head. Now, this guy had a reputation for being a stickler for rules, often to the point of absurdity. Shortly after his arrival, contractors like myself were handed these freshly inked contracts. It was
    Via u/2Screens1PC
  • 3
    Font - verbose, to say the least. But one clause stood out: "All contractors shall adhere strictly to the tasks outlined in their contract. Any deviation will result in immediate termination." This was Mr. Grayson's baby - his attempt to ensure we stayed in our "designated lanes." For context, the firm had a history of a collaborative environment. Developers would occasionally assist with design queries, and designers (like me) would sometimes offer input on usability to the developers. But Gray
    Via u/2Screens1PC
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  • 4
    Font - Now, onto the malicious compliance. A big project was on the horizon, and midway, the development team hit a snag. They identified a design flaw, something my team could've fixed in an hour or two. However, helping them wasn't "in my contract." So, I sat back, sipped my coffee, and watched the drama unfold. The developers, bound by their contracts, spent days trying to engineer their way around a
    Via u/2Screens1PC
  • 5
    Font - problem that wasn't theirs to solve. The project timeline got stretched, costs increased, and frustrations bubbled. The climax? A big meeting with higher-ups where Grayson had to explain the delays. When the design flaw was brought up, all eyes turned to me. I simply slid a copy of my contract across the table and highlighted the strict adherence clause. I recall the deafening silence in the room, broken only by Grayson's stammering.
    Via u/2Screens1PC
  • 6
    Font - In the aftermath, Grayson's "strict contract" idea was trashed. Collaboration resumed, the project got back on track, and our dear Mr. Grayson? He was "reassigned" to a different department, far away from meddling with contracts. TL;DR: New operations head enforces strict contracts preventing collaboration. A minor hiccup in a project leads to major delays, highlighting the absurdity of the rules. Operations head gets a metaphorical pie in the face and a new "assignment."
    Via u/2Screens1PC
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  • 7
    Font - Metraxis 2 hr. ago It's like I tell my people: "The only way to change an asinine procedure is to follow it to the letter and let the world burn. If you go against it and do the sensible thing, not only are you opening yourself up to an error, but you are hiding the real error at the same time." Vote Reply Share ...
    Via u/2Screens1PC
  • 8
    Font - Nutella_Zamboni. 2 hr. ago I agree. I tell my crew NOT to do anything special before/during/after the big shots visit out site. That way, they can actually SEE if something is wrong or we need to do something different. Vote Reply Share Vote ... USAF6F171 1 hr. ago For my 22 years in military, I wondered every time a Distinguished Visitor came through whether they were fools since our desks, by order, were cleared of any work materials. Reply Share
    Via u/2Screens1PC
  • 9
    Font - Feather_of_a_Jay 3 hr. ago I'm glad he got removed from that position. He clearly didn't understand the good such collaboration can do Reply Share Vote
    Via u/2Screens1PC
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  • 10
    Font - AngelaMotorman - 3 hr. ago Bean counters and control freaks simply cannot comprehend collaboration. Bravo! Vote Reply Share ...
    Via u/2Screens1PC
  • 11
    Rectangle - CoderJoel 3 hr. ago Small minded people love to micro manage. Vote Reply Share
    Via u/2Screens1PC
  • 12
    Font - Top-Put20383 hr. ago Bang. "Oh! My foot" Vote Reply Share Vote ... USAF6F171 1 hr. ago But their aim was so precise! Reply Share
    Via u/2Screens1PC
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  • 13
    Font - RedditAdminAreMorons - 2 hr. ago An environment where different departments get along, work well together, and solve problems without being asked? That's every c-suite's wet dream, a literal job where everything runs itself. Yet for some reason this guy decided that was a terrible idea. Was there a reasoning behind this other than "he wanted it done his way"? Reply Share Vote
    Via u/2Screens1PC
  • 14
    Font - Fixerguy415 2 hr. ago I love it when bean counters get nailed by their own obdurate rules!! Reply Share Vote technocraft 13 min. ago obdurate This is a great synonym for stubborn. ... Reddit is like a word-a-day calendar. Reply Share Vote
    Via u/2Screens1PC

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workplace discussion workplace-stories jobs fired job malicious compliance work workplace Horrible Bosses employment in the workplace

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