Workplace Misconceptions (Part 1)

I had such an idealistic view of the corporate workplace when I first started working. But let me share with you a few harsh workplace misconceptions I've discovered over the past few years. Things people would choose not to talk about, but I feel are important to know, especially for young professionals.

Fairness is an illusion.

I was under the assumption that most, if not all, employees went through a rigorous recruitment process and were hired because, indeed, they were the best candidates. Because they deserved it. Wrong. Not all employees are there because they deserve to be. In your career, you will come across people that make you question, really, how is it that they got this job??? And that question is not for you to answer, and I would advise you not to dwell on it too much because there are reasons that you will never get satisfying explanations for. While some suffer from imposter syndrome, having to convince themselves every day that they do deserve to be there, others aren't even grateful that they might actually be taking the place of someone more deserving - c'est la vie.

Overestimating people – stop that!

Another assumption I had was that as long as a person was hired to do a specific job, they would have a clear idea of how they would do it; furthermore, I assumed that most people in the company had a clear understanding of the company's objectives and what was expected of them. Nope. You will find that some people are just taking it one day at a time, day by day, and doing the bare minimum to get by. So, my tip would be: don't assume people know everything they should, but also don't assume they don't know anything. It's safe to assume that most people know just enough to deliver what's expected and would rather you not confront them about it.

Is there anything corporate employees love more than meetings?

It's true that most corporate meetings could just be an email. And if you choose to sit back and just observe and really pay attention, you will quickly notice that most meetings are people repeating what somebody else has already said, just in a different way. You will also notice that leaving a meeting without saying anything is a nightmare for most corporate employees, and so they would rather risk wasting your time stating the obvious or again repeating what somebody has already said instead of just leaving the meeting. This is not something that's going to change anytime soon, so just try your best to not be one of those people, and if indeed you're the one organizing the meeting, try to make it more effective.

What’s obvious is not so obvious.

One big lesson I had to learn the hard way is that most things are not as they seem; in fact, taking things at face value will cost you. There have been numerous occasions in which I felt the solution to a problem was very obvious. And it would baffle me that others couldn't see what I was seeing. But in reality, it's not that they hadn't seen what I was seeing; it's that I couldn't see the hidden politics and nuances existing behind that seemingly obvious solution. So before you judge and ask, why can't we just simplify things and go with the obvious solution? Take a moment to understand that behind that problem exist circumstances that you will probably never know. So, pick your battles; it's not all worth it. Actually, it’s almost always not worth it.

Accountability is a scary word.

This one was a hard pill to swallow. You will find that when most people are up against the wall and it's between you and them, they will throw you under the bus. Especially if the corporate environment is toxic and people fear reprimand, don't be surprised if they escape consequences at your expense. There are many different factors at play here, including job security, personal insecurity, and loyalty. Try not to take it personally. Workplace relationships are not romantic relationships, so expecting loyalty or even just honesty will leave you disappointed.

Above and beyond

My young mind was under the assumption that going above and beyond or doing more than expected would always yield positive results. Wrong. While the intention behind it might be positive, you will find that when you decide to do more than what’s expected, even more work will be added to your plate. And you might find yourself overworked with tasks that might not even have been your responsibility to begin with. And forget the recognition; you probably won’t get it. So all I’ll say about this is pick and choose what you choose to ‘go above and beyond’ for. Make sure it's something that aligns with your career goals, and make sure you’re doing it for reasons other than getting recognition, that you’re probably not going to get anyway.

Let me know your thoughts about these reflections. Have you had similar experiences? How did you handle it?

And stay tuned for Part 2 :)