Many times over the last few decades, I’ve been witness to how people who trust each other, whether in a work setting or otherwise, band together to deliver a promise in the face of enormous challenges. Today was another such day at work. Despite the ridiculous deadlines inflicted on a small team, and insane personal challenges to contend with, they were able to ship an invaluable tool to their eager customers.
I also see distinctly how poor leadership management behaviours are causing these ridiculous work hours. Doing it once may be heroic, but demanding that they be done as a matter of routine is madness.
I’ve been listening to a podcast from two amazing data scientists, both of who found themselves unemployed. A quote (I paraphrase) about “going from doing work I find meaningful one morning, to no longer wanted to be doing it later that morning” when finding herself laid off resonates strongly. It’s also a reminder that the stated “focus on people” means little when those people don’t see that translated into support in real life – whether being paid appropriately, or paperwork being done at even half the pace of the demand of them. Disappointing.