I recently resigned from my full time job with the company.
It was a painful decision; As I got used to this job and company so much that I started to feel it like a part of my own. It has been a rocking journey which finally came to an end after almost 10 years.
I personally felt satisfied with my decision. But, people around me, specially my family and close friends, are worried about me and my future. That’s why I decided to write this post to share and confess the reasons and circumstances that made me took this decision.
An interesting human nature
It is a human nature that we are very excited for any new things and relations in our life. But, we start feeling a sense of boredom or indifference or even feel hatred later for the old we had been attached with. Same applies to the relationship between an employer and an employee as well.
When we hire someone for a job, we are so excited about that person and opportunity that we ignore some weaknesses or let go those at the start. But, we start to build up differences for those weaknesses later.
We, as an employer, starts to take people for granted with the passage of time and sometime we don’t even encourage them and praise them for the good work that they are doing. It automatically increases the differences between two and finally result in something very unexpected.
Similarly, when it comes to employees. They started to lose interest and excitement for the job they had been doing with the passage of time; Because of the varying human nature. I believe it’s our prime responsibility as an employer to keep our employees engaged and excited about their job and role they play in the company for long term relationship.
Incompetency and office politics of HR department
Our company made a major shift at end of first quarter last year. i.e. April 2016. We changed our working model, set new goals, started to hire more people; As we were expecting more growth in future.
Company was growing and we were hiring almost 5-10 people every month. And for this we created a new Human Resource department. Here we make our first mistake. As per my understanding, we hired a totally incompetent and self-centered person for the most important department of our company.
Incompetency bring politics and leg pulling with it. And an incompetent person always tries to play safe and create a monopoly around itself for cover.
So the HR department started to hire people they truly trust to cover and save themselves. They don’t even bother to scrutinize the CVs for some of the candidates and induct more people like them in team just to fill the “Head count” of employees.
This introduce a whole new kind of politics and leg pulling in the company. Just think of it, what impact it will create when a HR person clearly say “Purana jaye ga to naya aye ga/Old employees must leave to create room for new ones” in front of employees?
Micromanagement and next level of office politics
As the company was growing, we introduced two new different departments based upon working model of big organizations. i.e. Professional Services and Engineering.
To support professional services, we hired a new, so called Vice President, manager. I am sure his role was to engage the team and work with them to increase productivity and success rate of company.
But, he started to administer people by doing micromanagement. He was so keen to know all the nitty-gritty that, as per my understanding, he forgot the key part of his role with the team. i.e. He need to work WITH the team.
He introduced a whole new culture of reporting all the minor details to him, including sharing of team members time amongst different teams, calling a team member on his phone if he/she got late for a meeting or forgot to report anything, even keep standing in his cabin to take permission if we need to coordinate with other teams and team members and much more.
In simple words he started to do micromanagement of everything, just like a typical school/college head master or dean or P.T master (Remember our sports and activities teacher).
He also brought office politics to another level. His first target was engineering department. So, he first got rid of that department by merging it with professional services. It come to level of finance, business development, administration department, project managers, team members soon after that.
And that was a major reason of me resigning from my 10 years of job and position in the company.
No sense of achievement
We were working as a unit before that major shift in April 2016. We achieved a lot and accomplish so many things by working as a team. We introduced a new product for better event management and engagement in the market. Although, I was part of this team at the very early stage and its real success came much after that. But, there was a sense of achievement and doing something great that can inspire people around us in the industry.
As company started to grow; most of us started to lack that sense of achievement. It started to feel like that all this success is coming from somewhere else, or may be company started to portray like this.
As I was there all the time, watching all this happening. I started to feel disconnected and less engaged; Because, there was nothing excited any more. People were more interested in taking credit of all the good instead of taking responsibility and ownership.
A dream
As I have worked very closely with the company’s CEO and COO during my job. I shared so many moments and thoughts with them. Moments of joy and sorrow. Moments of success and failure. And so many other.
Similarly, I have shared the vision as well. In my honest opinion, this is not the organization and culture that we Dreamed of, or maybe I dreamed of.
That’s why, I thought of taking things in my hand by starting a small company based upon and inspired from same values to solve an incomplete puzzle in my mind and bring that Dream to reality.
In the end, I would like to quote one of my favorite quote from Paulo Coelho’s book “The Alchemist”- “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting”.
Shahgeb
sir g kafi direct nai ho gia ? 😀
Zeeshan Elahi
What will be the purpose of confession if try to hide anything? That's why it need to be straight.
Unknown
Hi Zeeshan,
I appreciate your courageous decision. I think I know some of the characters you mentioned in this post, and I feel my decision of not pursuing an opportunity at IQVIS in November 2016 was good. I enjoyed the discussion we had, but I was annoyed by some of your colleagues because of their very casual, rather unprofessional attitude. Well, I don't wanna go into those details. I just want to appreciate you for you have made the right decision.
Good Luck with the new venture. Do let me know if I can help you with anything.
Thanks,
Zeshan M.
Zeeshan Elahi
Hi Zeeshan,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Yes, you might know 1-2 of them.
Thank again.
Anjum
Brave step, i still remember the day when i planned to rejoin them after 6 – 7 years. They called me for interview and kept me waiting for hours. Then one of their development manager came, interviewed me, i was spot on with technical questions. HR kept me waiting for months that decision hasn't made yet etc. I have started my own company now and i feel i am in better position now. By the way, i still have lots of respect for CEO and COO
Fahim
"We were working as a unit before that major shift in April 2016. We achieved a lot and accomplish so many things by working as a team." It sure was amazing time and still proud to be the part of those time, Choota tha per sanjha tha. I must say everyone from that time even it was just a team of less than 10 people we used to have fun and we were excited about things that we were doing. There was learning there was challenging environment to improve yourself. There was freedom. I truly respect CEO and COO they sure are amazing people and give people chances to explore themselves. But I also head about the extra layers and how they are interpreting things and company is no longer chooti nor sanjhi.
Zeeshan Elahi
Agreed! That was a different time altogether.
Anonymous
Nothing lasts forever ! Rahe ham nahi rahen gay ya b nahi 😀
Zeeshan Elahi
BTW, who is that? You can connect me on WhatsApp if you don't want to expose your identity here.
Anonymous
sir he will not tell you who is he 😛
Danny
Everybody is working towards their own survival. Everybody is hungry of appreciation. Everybody wants attention. Everybody wants everything and that too by shortcuts.
Zeeshan Elahi
As per my understanding, shortcuts aren't the right way to achieve your goals.
Zeeshan Elahi
Okay. Got it. 😀
Danny
Agreed!
Danny
Agreed!
Anonymous
only one question, after so much resigns and complains against management why did not take any action by CEO and COO
MAK
Good thoughts and insight to the overall culture of most of the growing companies here in Pakistan. Bravo for your step taken and wish you the best for your future ventures. If I can help in anyway I would be glad to be part. Good luck!
Anonymous
Please mention the name with designation so that other companies will also get some awareness
Zeeshan Elahi
Dear,
I have already mentioned the designation. I have not mentioned names for a reason. Because, it might effect market reputation of those individuals.
Thank you.