In a perfect world, management would understand the nature of the work their employees do before implementing rigid policies. But as Reddit user Alwaus‘s post on r/MaliciousCompliance shows, that’s not always the case.

In it, they recalled a time at a manufacturing facility after a change in leadership when the new higher-ups demanded adherence to a strict 9-to-5 schedule.

What followed was an expensive failure, where the insistence on clock-punching turned into a full day’s production shutdown.

A worker was instructed to follow a strict new schedule despite their position calling for different hours

Image credits: astakhovyaroslav (not the actual photo)

But things didn’t go to management’s plan

Image credits: drazenphoto (not the actual photo)

Image credits: alwaus

If you’ve worked at your company for years and are used to getting things done in a particular way, a new superior can add quite a bit of uncertainty

“Getting a new boss can shake up your world,” says Mary Abbajay, president of Careerstone Group and author of Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss. “You have to adjust to a new management style and personality, which is hard if this person is a micromanager, not as friendly as your old boss, or has different priorities. You’re starting from scratch.”

As this story illustrates, problems arise when new bosses have a habit of micromanaging or making unnecessary changes just to stand out. This is, of course, irritating for longtime employees, but Abbajay points out that it’s important to remind yourself to look at things from their standpoint as well.

The boss might be nervous or they might be trying to prove themselves. “They’re also trying to learn their job,” she adds. This is where empathy comes into play. “Give them some grace and space to figure stuff out.”

They’ll likely relax as they settle into the new role  and gain  a better understanding of the broader organizational context. After all, they might be facing pressure to deliver results, drive cultural change, or deal with turnaround.

However, new leaders often feel like they need to be the smartest person in the room. If they fall into this mindset and become intimidated by someone with more experience in a specific part of the job, they can quickly damage their own career.

Image credits: Tiger Lily (not the actual photo)

As the story went viral, its author provided more details about the situation in the comment section

People have had a lot to say about the entire ordeal

Some even responded with their own similar experiences

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