Corporate Detox

[MARKL]

Today was my first day of being unemployed in over 25 years, felt awesome :cheer2:

I got up in the morning and finished off a spreadsheet for my old work that I said I would sort out. Took my daughter off to school holiday drama class and then went for a ride.

Somewhere in the midst of all this I breathed a deep sigh of relief, I thought about all the bullying behaviors, the internal politics, the licking of arse, jobs for the boys and even my own behavior at times when I have dropped my own standards. I'm so glad to be gone :bounce: It feels like the greatest detox of all time as the buildup of so much crap begins to fall away.

You won't mind it. I'm very glad to have left the stupid far behind...

It's first day and I'm already wrapped. When I left yesterday, I got in the lift and there was a guy who I have never spoken to before. I asked him to buzz me down to the upper basement (easier to get to the street my car was parked in), I explain that today was my last day, taking a voluntary redundancy. He says to me 'you know the directors taking VRs are getting $$$, that is a life changing amount of money'. I thought about that comment today, he underestimated the dollars but I realised that the life changing thing was leaving such a toxic corporate culture, the money is just a bonus :high5:

I'm feeling better after one day, how many Rotorburners have had a corporate detox? Has it had a long lasting effect? Change in career etc?

Anyhow I'm going riding again tomorrow:thumb:

 

[Jesterarts]

Similar thing happened to me in April.

The company I had been with for a couple years in a snr management role acquired another business and in the reshuffle my role was make redundant.

I'd always been a thorn in a few execs backsides not willing to compromise on my values and quality of service. The company was only 80 employees but all of what you mentioned about internal politics and all that crap was there.

Unfortunately for them I was a bit of a workaholic so I had 8 weeks of leave due to me, plus the redundancy package.

I was told the news at 12:20pm, and negotiated out that it would be my 4 weeks notice that I would not have to work but would be paid for.

At 12:40pm I was finishing up my meeting with the CEO just letting him know that I appreciated the time I had with the company and at 12:45pm I was in the basement on the phone to the wife. And so ended my last 7 years of working for 'corporate' organisations.

Surprisingly, I was very calm and almost relieved that the balancing act of running the department, managing the teams, finance, quality vs efficiency and all that was instantly gone.

The 'detox' as such only really lasted for 5 weeks before I was snapped up but another company. That 5 weeks was spent riding a lot, walking my dogs and just doing stuff I wanted.

My new company is very start up, I have a lot of influence on direction, clients, methods and quality.

Aside from that, more money, profit sharing and I get to work from home 3-4 days a week.

I do have to suit up for clients, but I balance that with working in a cookie monster onsie from home.

It's always interested to look back sometimes after leaving a role and think 'fuck, why was I putting up with all that shit?'

Enjoy the 'reset'.

 

[johnny]

Honestly, I read a lot of people's experiences on here and feel blessed. Outside of the army I've never been bullied in the workplace (didn't particularly see it as out of place in an infantry unit either), most of the people I've worked with have had their bad points outweighed by their good and the work has almost always been fulfilling on the whole. I'm not changing the world or anything but I really enjoy the places I work right now and only look forward to increasing my involvement with them.

Put it this way, I even do volunteer work at one organisation I work for. I'll be finishing up with them at the end of the year and will continue on in a volunteer role even after I'm completely finished my paid role. Good people, good work and worthy goals. Wish you cats could all enjoy the same with your workplaces.

 

[Minlak]

Honestly, I read a lot of people's experiences on here and feel blessed. Outside of the army I've never been bullied in the workplace (didn't particularly see it as out of place in an infantry unit either), most of the people I've worked with have had their bad points outweighed by their good and the work has almost always been fulfilling on the whole. I'm not changing the world or anything but I really enjoy the places I work right now and only look forward to increasing my involvement with them.

Put it this way, I even do volunteer work at one organisation I work for. I'll be finishing up with them at the end of the year and will continue on in a volunteer role even after I'm completely finished my paid role. Good people, good work and worthy goals. Wish you cats could all enjoy the same with your workplaces.

But then again life as a spy is pretty glamorous Johnny Bond ........

 

[Hamsta]

SNIP


.......but I balance that with working in a cookie monster onsie from home.

SNIP

I like the sound of your job.

 

[pink poodle]

Today was my first day of being unemployed in over 25 years, felt awesome :cheer2:

I got up in the morning and finished off a spreadsheet for my old work that I said I would sort out. Took my daughter off to school holiday drama class and then went for a ride.

Somewhere in the midst of all this I breathed a deep sigh of relief, I thought about all the bullying behaviors, the internal politics, the licking of arse, jobs for the boys and even my own behavior at times when I have dropped my own standards. I'm so glad to be gone :bounce: It feels like the greatest detox of all time as the buildup of so much crap begins to fall away.



It's first day and I'm already wrapped. When I left yesterday, I got in the lift and there was a guy who I have never spoken to before. I asked him to buzz me down to the upper basement (easier to get to the street my car was parked in), I explain that today was my last day, taking a voluntary redundancy. He says to me 'you know the directors taking VRs are getting $$$, that is a life changing amount of money'. I thought about that comment today, he underestimated the dollars but I realised that the life changing thing was leaving such a toxic corporate culture, the money is just a bonus :high5:

I'm feeling better after one day, how many Rotorburners have had a corporate detox? Has it had a long lasting effect? Change in career etc?

Anyhow I'm going riding again tomorrow:thumb:

Congratulations MARKL!

Corporate life can suck a fat one. I was lucky enough to close to 6 months "winding down" my last job. I did zero work for organisation, built up 2 extra weeks time in leu (searching the web) which they paid out (along with everything else), lined up an awesome new life, and drank coffee like it was going out of style. On my last day I leapt up onto the security counter on the way out and scared shit out of the guards!

There is something about being trapped in a massive cube farm with a bunch of self serving jerks pushing for lowest denominator. The shit I have left behind was some of the worst behaviours possible, a lot of it just seems like it was made up now.

 

[Flow-Rider]

Somewhere in the midst of all this I breathed a deep sigh of relief, I thought about all the bullying behaviors, the internal politics, the licking of arse, jobs for the boys and even my own behavior at times when I have dropped my own standards. I'm so glad to be gone :bounce: It feels like the greatest detox of all time as the buildup of so much crap begins to fall away

Summed it up in the most elegant way possible.

After working with trades people for 17 years in small businesses and interacting with all types of people from the corporate world to the general hard Aussie struggler, I decided to take on a role in a corporation. The cock smoking shit that I had witnessed was ridiculous. I couldn't believe some people would stoop so low just to make an income. I actually thought I was in one of those Hollywood comedies. It started with the CEO's teenage daughter with the silicon boob job about 10 sizes too big for her frame and the tightest and shortest mini skirts I had ever seen in my life. She was employed as a secretary and I had never seen her do a days work in the time I was there aside from filing her finger nails.

The company was a pure joke, being assigned over 130 clients to manage per month, all over Queensland, mostly angry at that and had been screwed over by the companies sales pitch. Everyone in the office just wanted to pass on their work load onto someone else, like unsinged paper work from the sales department and the list goes on. They made a lot of promises to which they never committed to and they turned over staff like it was going out of fashion. Soon after 3 months I departed and from what I was told after 3 years, my position has never been able to be filled.

Anyway Mark, put it all behind you, start enjoying life and ride as much as your body will allow you. I think mountain biking is the best medicine in the world. I forget about everything on the trails and just focus on riding. Even when riding with others, I try to avoid talking about the work place.

 

[CourseOut]

Oh yes, been there for sure!

Did 2 years working in business development straight out of uni. Being my first "real" job I kind of assumed all the crap that went on was just how it was - lying to clients about where our services were provided from, management positions being filled by a group of people all with the same last name, all sorts of incestuous office politics, etc. etc.

My apathy for it all shone through and I got sacked, followed by about 9 other people being made redundant. That was from a workforce of around 120.

I unfortunately didn't have much joy in being sacked. I rode a lot, but I was pretty depressed. I got paid out my leave and my 4 weeks notice but that was it. Eventually I went back to uni, got a Masters in OHS and have been working in the construction industry for the past 3 years, with 2 years in machinery before that. Although it was hard getting fired was the best thing that's ever happened to me - if you've got a little money behind you I would recommend taking some time to think about what you want to do before making your next move. I worked in a spare parts shop to keep a little cash rolling in and found it pretty liberating to work a stress free job for a while (not that I didn't give it my all, more that knock off time is actually knock off time, no performance reviews to fill out, etc. etc.)

Best of luck in your endeavors!

 

[ajay]

Working a trade, its easy to get fed up with the little things like constantly having cuts all over my hands, making the same stuff day in day out, working in 50 degree heat etc. The appeal of a corporate gig is strong, until I read posts like this (or talk with partner about her frustrations with internal politics of government).

All the best MARKL, you sound like you're in a great space!

 

[schred]

Having this internal debate right now. Not feeling the love for this company and the other stories def resonate. But the flipside is if I hang on a few months more, it can fund more family, play, toys, study, holidays. But if I do, I think I'll go mental/retire on the job/get a poor reference.

I was watching a bad ABC show called Utopia, a parody of Govt organisation, and fark me it was like I was at work. I'm not even government but it was gripping stuff. The use of big words and 'here's the process to follow, but I don't want to hear anything from you unless its the right answer'. The overuse of padding words drives me nuts, people parroting each other and debating things until the original idea has been so watered down the the agreed solution is less useful and meaningful than any one idea by itself.
Here's some gems

-Absolutely, and I don’t disagree, but to your point

-Listen, you’re absolutely right, but

-Proactive engagement

-Sufficient bandwidth

-Underpin the delivery

-Scalable solutions, tools and enablers

-Test and challenge the assumptions

-Embryonic establishment of functions

I think corporations would have less turnover if they just labotomised people upon signing the contract.

 

[Jesterarts]

Biggest issue for me was that everyone around me was happy to compromise the quality of the solution for a few more bucks.

The GM would set goals in terms of profit and margin. I would figure out how to get the teams to meet them and in achieving the goals I was asked: 'how do we do it cheaper, quicker, easier'.

My department was a service based solution and there is a limit to how hard you can push peaple.

At which pint the conversation turns to 'can we outsource?'

 

[mas2]

... he underestimated the dollars...

You need a new bike.

 

[ajay]

Having this internal debate right now. Not feeling the love for this company and the other stories def resonate. But the flipside is if I hang on a few months more, it can fund more family, play, toys, study, holidays. But if I do, I think I'll go mental/retire on the job/get a poor reference.

I was watching a bad ABC show called Utopia, a parody of Govt organisation, and fark me it was like I was at work.

Absolutely cracking show!

 

[Haakon]

I did the consulting thing for a bunch of years. Small company was great for a long time, then it got bigger suddenly with a merge and it was less good. I moved to a much bigger one that was a disaster. Bullying, in fighting, cultural nightmare.

So get away from petty politics I moved to the public service. :bounce: Despite the hilarity of that statement, it was a breath of fresh air on so many levels - its nice to get paid to do something you feel good about - but I stopped looking at what I'd be earning if I'd stayed in consulting because it just depresssed me...


But there is no getting away from it - put more than 3 people together and you get office dramas...

 

[Flow-Rider]

I think a lot of people figure that more money buys more freedom, including myself at one stage but not always the case in reality. I would never sign a salary package again unless I know the exact time required for the job. Corporations are good if you're the one at the top getting your balls licked.

 

[johnny]

But then again life as a spy is pretty glamorous Johnny Bond ........

Lol, I work in a university and a not for profit think tank. We're about as glamorous as an ingrown toenail.

Just good fun; the subject matter - international relations - is always complex and compelling and my workmates are good folk. Prob just lucky.

 

[Minlak]

Lol, I work in a university and a not for profit think tank. We're about as glamorous as an ingrown toenail.

Just good fun; the subject matter - international relations - is always complex and compelling and my workmates are good folk. Prob just lucky.

Tell me its Bond University you work at.......

 

[schred]

Tell me its Bond University you work at.......

Yes and he's not averse to wearing Bonds, Chesty Bonds.

 

[MARKL]

Cheers guys.
Day 2 - daughter went to Costco with some friends:noidea: I went and sessioned some jumps :rockon: (god I suck at jumping). Planning next weeks riding, Oakes, Ourimbah, Andersons or sneek off to Stromlo :drama:

Didn't miss work at all

So get away from petty politics I moved to the public service. :bounce: Despite the hilarity of that statement, it was a breath of fresh air on so many levels - its nice to get paid to do something you feel good about - but I stopped looking at what I'd be earning if I'd stayed in consulting because it just depresssed me...

My job was in the public service and doing something you feel good about was the only thing that kept me there. In my farewell speech I said 'I have had the privilege of being a public servant...' confused looks all round from the management team I was part of.

You need a new bike.

Haha. It will give me the time to finish off V1.5 of my home made downhill frame.

 

[Haakon]

My job was in the public service and doing something you feel good about was the only thing that kept me there. In my farewell speech I said 'I have had the privilege of being a public servant...' confused looks all round from the management team I was part of..

If its the APS, I bet they looked confused!! Very rarely do I meet anyone who actually has a personal interest in what they're doing... I started my current session of public service in the Vic gov in Melbourne and the APS/canberra thing was a massive culture shock.

People here complain of becoming de-skilled and losing the ability to work in the real world - and its true... Australia would be soooooooooooooo much better off as a country if canberra didnt exist and the public service was forced to compete for people that can cut it in the Melbourne/Sydney job markets.