I am not sure whether this is the case everywhere but most, if not all of my fellow slaves in my department hate despise dislike one of the top management in the department. Let’s call that person ‘the hated one’. Many things have been said about the hated one… many bad things actually. But it’s a strange world indeed because in an upward evaluation done annually in my company, the hated one actually had the best score! Don’t ask me why, it’s absolutely beyond me.
The longer I work in this department, the more bad things I hear about the hated one. It has reached a stage where I personally think it is beyond ridiculous. Imagine depriving a staff of her meal which cost a mere RM7 in a company that has almost a billion in profit in the name of cost control. Don’t ask me for details, decipher it yourself.
“Why don’t you all do something? Voice it out!”
You’re probably asking that right now. Well trust me, we really want to. Just that it’s not as easy as you think. First, the big boss who runs the whole division carries a somewhat same mentality as the hated one. “Cut-cost-at-all-cost” and “make-the-slaves-work-like-dogs-no-matter-what”… then the big boss sees the hated one carrying out such acts, it gives the big boss much pleasure.
Are you in a somewhat similar situation? Or do you see situation of similar nature around you?
Surely, we all want someone who is willing to sacrifice himself and get his hands dirty to reveal the dark side of the hated one to the right channel. But are you prepared to be this brave soul? Honestly speaking, no one has the guts to do it. We only know how to bitch about it during lunches and curse behind the hated one’s back.
But…
Imagine… a guy has the guts to step out and “indirectly” represent the majority and voice out all the concerns. Imagine… a guy who is willing to sacrifice himself to come out and deliver what hidden in all our hearts to the right person. Hey… this guy might even do a rap music video and put it up in the company’s intranet and he raps nothing but the truth, the desire of your heart. Or this soul is daring enough to write a long mail to the CEO.
What happens then?
I wonder how many of my fellow slaves will stand beside him. I wonder how many of my fellow slaves will slowly raise their hands and say… “yeah, that is true”. I wonder…
But you know what? I have a strange feeling that many of my fellow slaves will say… “Oh, he shouldn’t have done that”…”Oh, his intention was right but what he did wasn’t so ethical, not very professional”… Would you agree with me?
Isn’t that ironic? We have so much suppressed inside us and we long to let it known. But when someone is willing to do that on behalf of us… when someone is willing to stand up against the hated one… we will probably just disappear into the background and be a silent observer from afar…
Such is life… the hypocrite in us. Guess we all deserve to be exploited… be it modern slaves, or other means.
The longer I work in this department, the more bad things I hear about the hated one. It has reached a stage where I personally think it is beyond ridiculous. Imagine depriving a staff of her meal which cost a mere RM7 in a company that has almost a billion in profit in the name of cost control. Don’t ask me for details, decipher it yourself.
“Why don’t you all do something? Voice it out!”You’re probably asking that right now. Well trust me, we really want to. Just that it’s not as easy as you think. First, the big boss who runs the whole division carries a somewhat same mentality as the hated one. “Cut-cost-at-all-cost” and “make-the-slaves-work-like-dogs-no-matter-what”… then the big boss sees the hated one carrying out such acts, it gives the big boss much pleasure.
Are you in a somewhat similar situation? Or do you see situation of similar nature around you?
Surely, we all want someone who is willing to sacrifice himself and get his hands dirty to reveal the dark side of the hated one to the right channel. But are you prepared to be this brave soul? Honestly speaking, no one has the guts to do it. We only know how to bitch about it during lunches and curse behind the hated one’s back.
But…
Imagine… a guy has the guts to step out and “indirectly” represent the majority and voice out all the concerns. Imagine… a guy who is willing to sacrifice himself to come out and deliver what hidden in all our hearts to the right person. Hey… this guy might even do a rap music video and put it up in the company’s intranet and he raps nothing but the truth, the desire of your heart. Or this soul is daring enough to write a long mail to the CEO.
What happens then?
I wonder how many of my fellow slaves will stand beside him. I wonder how many of my fellow slaves will slowly raise their hands and say… “yeah, that is true”. I wonder…
But you know what? I have a strange feeling that many of my fellow slaves will say… “Oh, he shouldn’t have done that”…”Oh, his intention was right but what he did wasn’t so ethical, not very professional”… Would you agree with me?
Isn’t that ironic? We have so much suppressed inside us and we long to let it known. But when someone is willing to do that on behalf of us… when someone is willing to stand up against the hated one… we will probably just disappear into the background and be a silent observer from afar…
Such is life… the hypocrite in us. Guess we all deserve to be exploited… be it modern slaves, or other means.
58 comments:
hardly got chance to be the 1st! Eeks! Eh u is my friend lah. i added you in the list already. Happy mou? =P
I know what u meant as I have encounter a few 'hated one' myself. Yes it is no use 'bit*ching,cur*seing ' if u don't take action!U can only take action when u on't give a dam what will happen to u ( get ready a new job on the standby ) or when his boss is on ur side ie u have already 'bypass' him without the 'hated one' knowledge!During the couse of my working life I have use the second method! It dose feel good & u earn all the respect of ur stuff.But do remember to treat ur stuff well. Do remember we work to earn a living not not work for the co. My working life motto is 'does it concern me or no? if it does affect me in any way for good or for worse then I will take action, other then that I don't give a dam!' Have a nice day.
Oh rabbit is facter then a monkey!!!While I am pokeing at the keyboard!!Ha!Ha!
Wuah do deep. I need a float, please!
oh dude i so know exactly what you're talking about. depending on how much the others have got to lose, some of them might actually stand up and defend you, but most of them will be more concerned about their own job or whatever. you'll even get people who apologize publicly on YOUR behalf but are buddy buddy towards you!!
Hmmm... I think I read something between the lines...
I shall raise my hands...
I get what you mean.
Well, maybe this is just the typical working world...
we win some we lose some
we win some we lose some
isnt it the same for eberything? school, government, workplace..
Everyone has their own best interest to keep. The more popular u r the more possibility u face some malicious scandals or be a target of something. Sometimes some people had to play discreet or main kotor at the back, whichever way to save their ass.
I try not to see meself as a slave but as a continual apprentice (ok ka zewt?). It's a bit delicate this whole work colleague thing. There wud be times when we r favoured by the majority and then there are also times when we either have to act subtly lest we jeopardize our own position or be the sycophant (the ass-licker). It might piss u off when u r reduced to being just a worker or when u r not getting a good cooperation with those around u.
Zewt, be the "player" mate! The ball is in ur court. Risky business (tom cruise) it is.
there are 3 rules in the corporate world...
1.foremost,cover your own backside.
2.never cover a subordinate's backside..
3.polish your boss' backside...
office politics is not the same as conventional politics. We've got to use a different strategy. Standing up against your boss is not a wise idea unless your lifestyle doesnt depend on your salary or you are the best at what you do.....
it's human nature i guess..either work over or work under.. everyone got their own agenda. From bottom to mid level till high level.."you poke me, i poke" end of the day
a)suck it all up; life goes on
b)play belakang mali; silent but lethal
c)quit lo; when's the next meal?
d)form a union; depends on company also
agree. good post, well said.
but is your 'hated one' reading this?
well, everyone has a story n he's just trying to keep his job ;)
bless u + positive tots all round ;))
How's the bonus? Good or not? All those cost savings must go into someone's pocket.
Sometimes it's not just a matter of RM7. It could be a matter of principle whether such compensation is justified.
It's easy to criticize from your level but hey, have you tried to rationalize it from the 'hated one''s point of view or from a holistic perspective perhaps?
What are the implications and its effects should this precedent be allowed to take place? Look at the 'big picture'.
It may translate into a lot of money corporate wide since yours is a MNC.
Maybe someday when you run your own company, you might understand his reasons for doing so.
-Asst to the hated one. Hahahahahaha!!
Office politics are the same everywhere. As for people supporting that one person who has the guts to challenge the hated one's decision - I don't think many will support him even if they secretly admire his guts.
People want to protect their own interests. Organizations don't encourage unions, do they? What if these supporters were to lose their jobs. They may be supporting their families and will obviously not think fighting for free lunches is worth risking their job. And, I don't blame them. If I were in their situation, I'd probably carry a sandwich from home if I didn't want to spend eating out everyday but I wouldn't join a union.
A friend of mine, who doesn't believe in sucking up to the boss, used to say - We know life will be much easier if we are more submissive and suck up to our boss. However, we choose to not be like that. We can't then resent people who take the easy way out, can we? :)
Now, that post brought back memories of hate, hate, hate! Case in question: You weren't in the same slave-sub-group, but I remember a certain 'hated one' back when we share mutual 'slave drivers'/ masters. It took one kinder soul of the same rank as da big master-god to hold a department-wide meeting of slaves-only, behind closed doors, and identity confidentiality guaranteed kinda meeting to air what was kinda an open secret such as the one you mentioned.
Then the kinder master had to practically pry the grouses from us, remember. Did that achieve anything? In the short term, perhaps. Then, another 'hated one' took her place. And another, and another...
yeah man. Guess we can never run away from these politics. I'm still only a form 5 student in school but there's so many of these cases going around. People don't like, brave soul voices out, people lose their balls.
oh well..its whether u wan to be the 1 to polish the shoe..or tell the person its time to change ur shoe no matter how much u polish it bcoz its time..
hahaha i can imagine myself as the hero d...wahahahha
Sounds exactly like what we're having in the company which I'm working in too. Two things I've noticed in my 3.5 years of working there.
1. Top management bosses are sad shits.
2. Small fries like us engineers (sadly, that also includes me) are hypocrites.
The bosses will do anything to cut cost; they just have to balance their P&L and most importantly, look good to the people in HQ. So they'll cut the slightest things, cutting our resources, yet still expecting us to deliver the highest standards of goods and services.
As for the small fries, we can't stand what the sad shits are doing to us. We complain and complain, get ourselves worked up, but when it comes to the part "eh better complain man", and we go "ya ya we have to complain", NOBODY does anything for the fear of getting their arses kicked. Everyone just wants to protect themselves at the end of the day. Modern slavery indeed.
PS: Apologies for the colourful use of words; just reading what you wrote reignited the sad dissatisfaction of my workplace.
No working politics for me. Period. I rather earn less money.
Still a student, I am kinda terrified by this post. Is the working world really that bad? This situation is kinda similar to that in schools, in the case of a big bully and those being bullied. But I guess it is completely different since now you are talking about money and earning a living as well? Big bullies in school get pocket money...
ahh..i guess it's true..but if someone voice it out for me..i dun mind standing at his/her side....provided i've already gotten another job! hehehehhehe
Hey bro, from your recent posts, it seems like it's almost time for you to step out of being an employee and consider being self employed or building a business....=) as long as we remain employees we will continuously be exposed to these scenarios....
Reminds me of my previous company where the whole team wishes that one day, the boss will just dissapear from planet earth.
Common scenario la... everyone says everything behind and but when the truth comes out in the open, no one dares to voice out anything! Suddenly, everyone acts dumb. We call this... KIASI. Afterall, your yearly appraisal is dependant on the person u very much hate, right?
hey zewt..
You are my Dilbert.
i know exactly what you mean. most of the time, the people who talk bout the 'hated one' will most probably not do anything when someone brave comes along and challenges the "system". They're too afraid of their asses being cut off the payroll then of the fate of the brave person who wants to "do the right thing."
*shakes head* such is the sad state of affairs in most high end companies..
rabbit - now u r first already lor.
hor ny - take action when it concerns u eh... we need more ppl like u. as for the rest... they just wait for others to take action.
5xmom - heh heh... sam jiu ler.
cheryl - hi and welcome to AZAIG. hope your bro is well. dont think i get your last sentence though. see ya around.
angel - you're one of the few who managed.
day dreamer - indeed... very typical.
Winn - are u sure we win at all?
TTL - yup... same everywhere... school... garmen...
Manal - apprentice... ok la... better than slave right? haha... yeah, we are just so cautious about own position, we will never be able to stand up for ourselves. hmmm... i shall play the ball perhaps.
democratic junkie - CYA... haha... that is something which i will write soon. no one dares to stand up against the boss unless that person is leaving. nice to see u here again.
-=Sin=- - union is often seen as a nuisance... sometimes... by fellow slaves too... which is so stupid.
freelunch2020 - so long never see u here. hated one wont be reading this cos office block blogspot haha!
true.. sad to say.. no one will stand with dat poor person as everyone is jz out to CYA.. by dat it means Cover Your A** (of course your own)
no one wants to jeopardise their job and rather suffer in silence... i know i did at my previous place... althought the scenario is no where near as bad as dis... jz dat i didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb (which i already did) so jz keep my big trap shut most of d time no matter how pissed off i got... did i digress?
adrian - bonus... ok ler...
cocka doodle - it was only one of 7 bucks, there will not be any repetition. well, let's just say it's ridiculous. i know what u mean about total control. but stil... we are all employees, no need to treat us in such a manner.
Rashikaps - not to be like that eh... but the thing is... sometimes we have no choice but to comply... to be part of the gang. that's the reality of life. not many will be able to hold on to one's principle. our hearts and heads just dont go with each other.
cirnelle - hahahaha... i know who that person is. maybe he was trying to be the hero of the day. you're right... nothing will be done... no good will come out of it. such is life... sucks.
daryleak - hi there and welcome! hahaha... i am surprise that it has reached schools. i am glad such thing didnt happen when i was in school, though we have the nerds vs the gangsters.
constant craver joe - u sure? i was somewhat the hero once. trust me... no returns wan.
Tine - hahahaha... so sad eh? i guess life sucks in the engineering world too. apology accepted. in fact... keep them coming!
Princess Eileen - are u sure?
Jimmy Ng - yeah... it's bad. but dont worry la... maybe you will get a chance to work in a better environment. for now... enjoy student life first.
Huei - see... you have your interest in mind.
Jazzi - i dont mind if i have the capital... but i dont have ler...
purple mushroom - hahaha... KIASI... definitely that. no better word to describe it. yup... appraisal means future means... we must all eat our words.
jorji - i take that as a compliment?
water angel - high end companies and everywhere else. we are born to be exploited i guess... and we only know how to complain.
aSstHa - KIASI mah... cos we all have big ass... all need to cover it... damn sad right? we dont even wanna get our hands dirty... ass... must cover lor.
everybody like to talk about the act, but to put that talk into act .. not everybody willing to do that. My take, just biar la .. unless nextweet you already will have to report to work in another company which pays you better or you won a jackpot worth more than you can imagine. but still, i doubt it people will stand by you. Sad but True ...
I dunno why, but for some reason I thot u were a chick. Fool me. Just found out via JT's blog.
Absolutely adore ur writing. It triggers lotsa thoughts in my head.
Been in the same shoes, Zewt... we just end up having nick names and scold the fella behind his back :D
Sad but true. That's the culture here in Malaysia. Too afraid to voice out. In a way, we've all been bruoght up like that. We've been taught not to question things. Instead, just take whatever that's thrown at us. That's how things go in this country. But, with the emergence of Internet and blogging, things are starting to change a little and that's why the powers-that-be are a lil shaken.
On a smaller scale, like the case of an organization like you mentioned, the sad truth is that, as you have concluded - nobody will have the guts to voice their dissatisfaction. I was being 'overly-outspoken' once a few years ago and it got me into trouble. Luckily it was nothing major. But still, the lesson to be learnt here is that, just mind your own bloody business.
I hate to do that, but I'm not prepared to do a one-man-show and go against the flow either.
*sigh* There are hated ones everywhere. I used to work for one and am working with one right now. We b*tch and we grumble but we can't do anything about it simply because the hated one is higher ranking than us drones and the boss favors the hated one.
Where's my $1 million jackpot? I need to quit my job......
Let me play the devil's advocate just so we can have a balanced perspective. :-)
Say you're the boss/mgt level, what are your priorities? Boss dun want to hear your problems... they hire you to solve theirs.
OK... dun hate me. lol
Well uh, my comments come a little bit late so I'll try to be as different as I can.
freelunch2020 is right, everyone has their own side of the story. Helen is right, boss don't care.
Now allow me present my point. I deal with the same kind of people in my office too. I'm a considerate person, so I'm imagining that he was abused a a child and now he's taking it out on others thinking that he's superior now.
I would just swallow whatever he throws at me, (then down the toilet later that day) and forgive him because he was abused.
Then I'd scheme against him, Some day, I will GET him, and boss don't care; they just want to see results ;)
am currently jobless but i think i can picture this situation pretty well..kekeke..wat to do..life's like tat..u sure u goin to kiss goodbye to the tickets??
sad but true. i'm waiting the day i'm free from this modern slavery thingie. haizz.
I really think Bad Guys always win, and they have longer life-span too, despite all the curse people cast on them. I know quite a few of this sort of "hated ones".
Life is unfair.
hey zewt! altho i'm not in ur field, i do hear about the misfortunes of modern slavery in the clinics too. such is life, yes, but not when u're being exploited! i do get angry when patients tell me how their boss is harrassing/manipulating them but i also know that it's a fine line btwn standing up for ur rights and keeping ur job at bay. sigh... the world doesn't go by ideals, does it?
Interesting point Helen raised here. But, i got one quest. What if the only way to solve the problem is for the boss to first hear out my problems? So how? makan sendirilah. lol
Thats what they say about me.
I get personal pat at the back for voicing out. But when the heat comes, everyone s a kitten.
Now you know why I m not suitable in the working world. :P
cibol - well... if i have gotten myself that 1m bucks as per the tag i done earlier... i will certainly do something. you can count that on me.
galadriel - hi there and welcome! hahaha... you're not the first. if i am not wrong...you're the 4th person who thinks i am a 'hole' rather than a 'pole'. i am glad what i wrote intrigues you. hope to see ya around.
Terra Shield - oh yeahhhh... nick names... sounds all too familar.
narrowband - yup.. and this default gene in us thus influence other parts of our lives as well. so in the end, we are not vocal in all aspects of our lives... and continue to let ourselves be exploited. i have been in your shoes before... to voice out and be hero... in the end, aint that heroic eh?
rinnah - hahaha.... the boss favours the hated one... oh yeah... that's life... i wanna win my 1m jackpot too!
Helen - damn!! hahaha... well... i have seen bosses who are willing to fight for their boss and trust me, with such boss... the staff will work doubly hard. cutting cost and imposing other stupid policies will just make things worse.
Jenius - hi and welcome to AZAIG! hmmm... i like your considerate element. perhaps you're right... i guess his... actually... it's a her. her history is perhaps scarred. will you get her one day?
neno - i thnk so. havent got my ticket. and i am not sure which day i will go.
alan zed - i am also waiting for that day... sigh... but actually... it's not that bad in other countries.
elizebeth DL - i guess we should just all be bad. the thing is... all of us choose to be good ... and stupid.
Jun - hi there... welcome! definitely not. the world is cruel and it gets worse as times go by. but i think we must know our limits. no matter how low we choose to do... we should know our depth.
whisperingshout - the boss will hear our problems... whethe or not anything will be done is another issue, dont u think?
Maxforce - hahaha... max!!! where have you been!! i didnt see u in ben's place either. well... i have been in your shoe before, so i know how it feels.
my boss is liek that.
sigh.
wonder why i am still here.
such is life.
i think everyone hopes to be rescued by someone. so, don't think that gals only have this attitude.
so, u're right that we deserve it. sigh... our parents also teach us not to be so "pat" and try to mind our own biz, not to be a hero and etc...
vicious cycle it is.
IF YOU CANT BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM...
dont play super hero, we work for money ler friend.
that is part and parcels or work. in every organization, i believe that there will be at least one 'the hated one' in it.
on the bright side, this 'figure' is very useful! we can actually lash out our anger/frustration towards all cuts incidents, but of course, preferably behind his back or not to his knowledge.
as for 'the hero' in the organization, this is actually very rare. should there be one, i don't think there will be many people supporting him, at least not supporting in front with him.
as the phrase from some place i have heard;
"the nail that stuck out, got strike first".
Only by the grace of God do we continue to bear it in silence my friend.
rational thinker - becos we all need to make a living... and we are a slave to that.
Angie Tan - indeed... vicious cycle... certainly very deadly when we are in it... right?
ahjohn - yeah... i think i should join them... money talks... bullshit walks eh..
Soulblade - i like that phrase. but it's sad... the real world is cruel towards brave souls.
anon @ 1.17pm - Amen ... amen...
ya see *drawls*, bitching is fun.....having no job is not that fun. having colleagues outcast u once u hv spoken is not so fun either. we're hypocrites....not stupid! :-p
very insightful comments on Malaysia work mentality and on the reason why malaysians are overworked and underpaid; lack of people with the guts to stand up to management and ask for change in working condtions...sigh
me - look out for the sequel... :)
friendfromtaiwan - oh... you are not going to believe what i will write about come monday... ppl with guts...
office politics, eek! I'm adverse to any kind of politics. I'll errr... tapau lunch and eat in the corner...
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