In the workplace - being told to work differently / slower

[Au Naturel]

Hmm, I understand social harmony is important. I feel I can separate work performance from social interactions, even at work, so I'm still friendly if the person is friendly, even if their work performance is not up to par. Just because you're an ok, or even bad employee doesn't always mean you're a bad person.

BUT I suppose people combine the two in some sense. My attitude is that, if I'm better than you, and that threatens you, that's your own emotional problem and self-esteem issues. So I find it weird when a manager comes to me to tell me to make adjustments, when the other person has the problem (I assume, since no one ever says these things directly). I don't know if I'm explaining this well, but my logic leads me in a way other direction for problem solving.

I can understand, "That's your problem, not mine."

The other person may not agree. People will often make their issues your problem even though you've done nothing wrong.

People rarely say these things directly. You are always supposed to go through the manager for anything work-related before talking directly to the other person. Good managers will handle it well and poor ones will either drop the ball or blow the issue way out of proportion.

 

[Au Naturel]

LOL this also confuses me. If everyone is done early, you don't have to go home or sit and do nothing, but you can enjoy yourself or just relax? I wouldn't call it being lazy, you're just done. There are lots of studies that the enforced 8 hr work day is not productive, and work by goals and task completion leads to more productivity and happier employees. I think Germany or some European country follows this model. I'd rather go 100mph for 4 hours than 50mph for 8.

The way most American jobs work is that you have to stay at your workstation until the end of the shift. Unless you are management, in which case you are free to go when you feel like you're done.

Nobody cares about studies. There are exceptions but most American management works on hundred-year-old theory.

If you are paid hourly, they may send you home early so as not to have to pay you for those hours. A fast worker in an hourly job could be taking money away from the not-so-fast workers. That gets nasty.

 

[autism-and-autotune]

I try to do that sometimes, but then I feel guilty for goofing off a little while others are probably working hard. But I'm sure they find time to goof off too (one of my old coworkers chatted with me one day and said they spent all morning looking at real estate to purchase lol)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Right?? Unfortunately my people-pleasing skills come to light in retail; "Oh, I should do this so no one else has to!" I've learned to ease up on it, but when I first began I was glad to be extorted. And exploited.

 

[Shevek]

When we had an excellent MD here, who had vast experience and just wanted a small community to slow down in, all the lesser talents ganged up to make him leave. It is not uncommon for a large team of researchers to stay happily employed for years struggling toward a goal that has already been achieved by an individual. Extreme abilities are "superhuman" and regular humans get very worried by them. It lowers their self esteem, and carries the threat of being required to improve. Bezos has made a science out of forcing everyone to keep up with an athlete in training.
I'd recommend working at your preferred pace, but limiting your output with a side project. People have written whole books on company time. Others have automated their jobs, and not told management. R&D departments are notorious for engineers working on their own projects, sometimes to give management more options if they were wrong, and sometimes to incubate a whole new company, even a competitor.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

My dad quit his job of 18 years unionized as he was accused of working to fast decided to buy a farm where he could be his own boss. he was a skilled tradesmen. Never looked back.

 

[Beanfinity]

My dad quit his job of 18 years unionized as he was accused of working to fast decided to buy a farm where he could be his own boss. he was a skilled tradesmen. Never looked back.

Haha, funny you mention this, I might find myself in the same boat in the future! My boyfriend and I have chats about moving to a small town, or going into entrepreneurship. We both don't really like working for other people.

 

[Beanfinity]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Right?? Unfortunately my people-pleasing skills come to light in retail; "Oh, I should do this so no one else has to!" I've learned to ease up on it, but when I first began I was glad to be extorted. And exploited.

Yeah, I can relate for sure. I like to help out and feel useful, cuz that's my strength and sense of worth in the workplace. I'm not the most enjoyable to just 'hang out' with or 'chit chat' with, so I gotta work lol

 

[Judge]

Haha, funny you mention this, I might find myself in the same boat in the future! My boyfriend and I have chats about moving to a small town, or going into entrepreneurship. We both don't really like working for other people.

Self-employment can be incredibly rewarding for an autistic person. If they have both the drive and capitalization to make it happen. The good news being you are solely responsible for your own actions. The bad news being one and the same.

Job interviews were always the bane of my existence. For me it made being self-employed for nearly ten years more often a joy than a curse. Though at times it could be enormously stressful.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

The only issue my dad had is none of his sons wanted to take over the farm, he ended up selling it and the buying a hardware store. Either way all his kids got a post-secondary education along with all his grandchildren.

 

[Beanfinity]

When we had an excellent MD here, who had vast experience and just wanted a small community to slow down in, all the lesser talents ganged up to make him leave. It is not uncommon for a large team of researchers to stay happily employed for years struggling toward a goal that has already been achieved by an individual. Extreme abilities are "superhuman" and regular humans get very worried by them. It lowers their self esteem, and carries the threat of being required to improve. Bezos has made a science out of forcing everyone to keep up with an athlete in training.
I'd recommend working at your preferred pace, but limiting your output with a side project. People have written whole books on company time. Others have automated their jobs, and not told management. R&D departments are notorious for engineers working on their own projects, sometimes to give management more options if they were wrong, and sometimes to incubate a whole new company, even a competitor.

Hi Shevek, this is some great advice. I am my worst enemy though, and some stuff gets in the way. Like taking company time to do other things. I do like to be straightforward and honest and transparent with my colleagues, and I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to use company time to pursue other endeavours. I have been trying to do a bit of this, but it comes with a lot of guilt haha.

I suppose I am still ruminating on why people feel threatened, when it's clear I do have my own deficits, socially, that could impair my ability to get things like promotions or any favouritism with project assignments. I guess, if people truly are feeling threatened in my workplace by my performance, I'm bothered they can't appreciate their own worth to the organization, or in other ways where they excel (ie. corporate knowledge that I don't have since I'm fairly new, leadership skills, presentation skills, etc. the list goes on honestly). It's not like I'm lording my abilities over other people or expecting them to meet my standard. For example, I don't feel threatened by other people's ability to socialize and form bonds with colleagues that give them a leg up in certain situations, but I do recognize it is a weakness of mine. I see it from a different point of view, I guess.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Most of my job involved making ink when I started at the company their was a lab tech per shift. When I retired, I was the only one standing doing the work of multiple people. with lots of free time on my hands I was able to fix the process and colour control ink formulas to the point very little adjustments needed to be made. none of the competitors knows how I did it. last I heard the hourly workforce now makes the ink just prior to use. Something I was told years ago was impossible. Keep in mind substate, treatment basecoat, ink and clearcoat all contributed to the colour and the ink was also translucent. I could see it all in my head. control evert thing concurrently. To me it was easy had time on my hands. Read magazines. took minutes to make a ink very few adjustments required online.
no tinting. I controlled the paint companies processes indirectly, showing them how to adjust their process. to give colour on colour first time every time.

 

[Vindiesel]

never have I ever heard that regardless… that’s a ridiculous comment to make. I would say “what do you mean?”

I would use it as leverage for a raise or additional incentives/opportunities to advance also the supervisors should give you more work to do or train others to reach your level. A job should be quoted by average labor hours to complete. So if your foot is on the gas, you’re accurate and of course quality work then management should give you a promotion.

Most companies if you show a high capacity or special skills they will use it to their advantage. Not say “slow down.” If the employee isn’t assertive enough to ask for a raise then the company will take advantage of you.

If Rick Joe and Bobby do 10 a pc a day and your doing 15pc a day it makes them look inferior.

If company quotes people to do 10pc a day then why would you work harder if there is no incentive?

Also works the other way someone does 5pc a day and management doesn’t hold them accountable then the people doing 10pc get irritated and let off the gas and creates animosity.

Mind you I’ve been in factory work for almost 20yrs and in management for several years.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I almost got promoted to lab supervisor, was passed over, apparently no people skills.it was a close competition.
The company realized what they had, changed their business model to printing exclusively, then the owner of the plant sold us to a coil coater with multiple plants, who were up front that they bought use for our expertise in printing. It took them a while to realize that I was the secret weapon, soon latter I retired.

 

[AutistAcolyte]

I try to do that sometimes, but then I feel guilty for goofing off a little while others are probably working hard. But I'm sure they find time to goof off too (one of my old coworkers chatted with me one day and said they spent all morning looking at real estate to purchase lol)

yeah, that was something i learned when i got my current job, which is the first time i've done office work. several people had to tell me that its expected that you wont be working the whole time youre on the clock.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

If your self-motivated and move the company's agenda forward as far as their business model concerned ae they are offering a product or service determines whether you are essential to them or redundant on a coil coating line the machine does most of the essential work the more efficient I machine became the less work us employees need to do. that's how you should view your place. My agenda when I joined my last employer was what would it take for me to be the last lab tech standing and get promoted to quality manager. 21 years later only lab tech narrowly missed becoming lab supervisor. The companies quality engineer quit and left the company three weeks after I started I had become friends with his assistant so I spent the first day on job putting together a company control plan which I gave to her to show her how to do it, two weeks later the plant manager retired and the new hire asked to see the company control plan there was none so the one I made instantly became it. not one manager questioned it.