Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
Working with others requires patience, clear communication, and, of course, respect, but a new post from the subreddit ‘Petty Revenge‘ shows that not everyone possesses these traits.
Created by a lab technician who goes by the nickname Jacked-Cookies, the story details a frustrating encounter with an arrogant senior scientist whose dismissive attitude led to a costly mistake.
While the organization fosters a collaborative environment, this one scientist insists on micromanaging every task and doing things his way only. Luckily, in the end, he did receive a lesson in humility. Hopefully, he gets the message.
RELATED:
There are type A personalities, and then there are entitled jerks
Image credits: ThisIsEngineering / pexels (not the actual photo)
This petty revenge story is about the latter
Image credits: Polina Tankilevitch / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Jacked-Cookies
Micromanagers aren’t doing their organizations any favors
Julia DiGangi, who is a neuropsychologist and the founder of NeuroHealth Partners, says we are naturally programmed to detest micromanagers.
“The human brain is wired for independence,” she writes. “When management experts talk about things like employee choice, schedule flexibility, and bringing your authentic self to work, they are describing the brain’s drive for autonomy.”
“Regions in the brain, such as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula, give rise to people’s innate sense of self—the drive we all feel to have our own preferences, make our own choices, and express our own desires.”
So why do leaders like this scientist fight human nature?
“At root, the tendency to rely on command energy stems from a leader’s own anxiety and lack of confidence,” DiGangi explains. “And as anyone who has worked for a micromanager can attest, this style of leadership tends to increase the anxiety of subordinates, too. That’s especially troubling now, when rising percentages of the workforce say they already suffer from anxiety.”
Indeed, 2024 data from ComPsych analysis—based on a representative sample of more than 300,000 U.S. cases—found that anxiety is now the number one presenting issue among American workers, topping depression, stress, partner/relationship issues, family issues, addiction, and grief, among other topics people sought help for.
Micromanaging creates transactional relationship in which the manager fixates on minor mistakes and focuses on a person’s weaknesses. Great coaching, on the other hand, highlights support and trust that emerge out of a rhythm of collaborative conversations, leading to teamwork and shared accountability.
Hopefully, the scientist can become a coach. For his and everyone else’s sake.
Image credits: Airam Dato-on / pexels (not the actual photo)
The lab technician behind the story shared more information on what happened in the comments
People were happy to hear the scientist got what he deserved
Poll Question
Thanks! Check out the results:
Newsletter
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
What do you think ?
Gavin Johnson 2 months ago
Worked collecting and delivering samples, had to work closely with our lab across over three years of sampling. Our team were the beginning of the process, collecting water samples from thousands of sites. We had basic sampling skills, even so the lab manager and all of the team there encouraged us to speak up BEFORE anything became an issue. Their attitude was always two heads are better than one, three heads are better than two. Everyone has an off day every now and again, everyone is human, we all have the potential to make an error.
Blah blah blah 2 months ago
Ok unless it was an entire tray of 300ul tips then this actually was sabotage since they come prepacked, you don't load each tip manually as that has a high risk of contamination. In over 15 years in a lab I've never once seen a few tips get "mixed in" with another type
Katharina Sei. 2 months ago (edited)
They refill their racks. And if you refill them this can happen.
Load More Replies...
Jihana 2 months ago
I wonder how it can happen that there is a mixed rack in the first place. Normally they are even a different colour. Who loaded those racks?
Katharina Sei. 2 months ago
In some facilities where they use a TON of tips there are apparates that can refill tips (same like refilling by hand but much faster). So if two tip types get mixed up in the apparatus you will end up having two types in the rack. (Like described in the story.) Furthermore quite a bunch of tips are colorless so you wouldn't see the difference at the first glance. (Depending on the supplier only the rack may have a specific colour. And not even everywhere- I really HATE the thermo tips in our lab who all have blue boxes. )
Load More Replies... Gavin Johnson 2 months ago
Worked collecting and delivering samples, had to work closely with our lab across over three years of sampling. Our team were the beginning of the process, collecting water samples from thousands of sites. We had basic sampling skills, even so the lab manager and all of the team there encouraged us to speak up BEFORE anything became an issue. Their attitude was always two heads are better than one, three heads are better than two. Everyone has an off day every now and again, everyone is human, we all have the potential to make an error.
Blah blah blah 2 months ago
Ok unless it was an entire tray of 300ul tips then this actually was sabotage since they come prepacked, you don't load each tip manually as that has a high risk of contamination. In over 15 years in a lab I've never once seen a few tips get "mixed in" with another type
Katharina Sei. 2 months ago (edited)
They refill their racks. And if you refill them this can happen.
Load More Replies... Jihana 2 months ago
I wonder how it can happen that there is a mixed rack in the first place. Normally they are even a different colour. Who loaded those racks?
Katharina Sei. 2 months ago
In some facilities where they use a TON of tips there are apparates that can refill tips (same like refilling by hand but much faster). So if two tip types get mixed up in the apparatus you will end up having two types in the rack. (Like described in the story.) Furthermore quite a bunch of tips are colorless so you wouldn't see the difference at the first glance. (Depending on the supplier only the rack may have a specific colour. And not even everywhere- I really HATE the thermo tips in our lab who all have blue boxes. )
Load More Replies... You May Like “I Know That It's Your Day Off, But”: Employee Teaches Boss To Never Bother Them On Days Off “Some Tasks Shouldn’t Be Rushed”: Employee Embarrasses Boss By Doing Exactly What She Asked For “Doesn’t Look Like We Can Avoid The Inevitable”: Hospital Worker Faces $5K Repayment Demand
Gabija Saveiskyte
Justinas Keturka
Gabija Saveiskyte
Related on Bored Panda
34
12