Most employees have dealt with a manager who seems more interested in tracking minor details than recognizing actual results. It’s like you’re doing everything right but they will point out you were a minute late last Friday.

In this case, one employee was good at his job and also fast, but his boss didn’t see that.

He decided to see the cup half empty and instead of discussing future goals or ways to improve the department, made an actual list of things he wasn’t happy about… and they weren’t even really important things.

Well, his employee sure was inspired, just not in the way he expected.

Read the full story below.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes: Micromanager edition

About two years ago, I was 27 and coasting at a company where I had the job down to a science.

I was in total cruise control, mostly because my team of 50+yo dudes would take 15 hours to finish a PowerPoint that took me 15 minutes and therefore weren’t alarmed if it took me a full day to make 5 slides.

Nothing wrong with being “slow” when it comes to technology and they were much quicker than me in a lot of different tasks.

But yeah, I spent most of my days browsing Reddit, collected my paycheck, and enjoyed my stress-free life while they all thought I was working as hard as they were.

But his skills weren’t really appreciated.

The turning point was a meeting where my boss spent 90 minutes scolding me over tiny, insignificant “errors” he’d put into a bulleted list.

He didn’t even complain about me “not doing enough”. He just decided to be a pain in the behind.

To name a few of the points:

• An Excel file where he had all my “clocking” hours logged in, and basically went over certain days where I left “a few minutes early” despite the fact I had an “hour-less” contract
• An email he sent me for which he never got an answer (minor minor subject) that he physically printed out and handed me during the interview
• The fact I went home directly after coming back from a mission abroad on a Friday afternoon instead of passing by the office which is like an hour away from where I live and two hours away from the airport…. the list goes on

It was pathetic.

He wasn’t having it.

The company was already in a financial hole with a total hiring freeze, and instead of being glad he had competent staff, he decided to treat me like a child.

That was the day I decided to become the most “important” person in the department just so I could watch it crumble when I left.

I spent the next few months making myself a single point of failure.

His secret mission went just as he planned.

I volunteered for two massive projects and became the only person trained to use a very specific piece of equipment after the previous specialist quit.

I swapped my “extensive” Reddit time for one or two extra hours of work a day.

I waited for about a year until the department was pretty much dependent on me, and then I gave my resignation.

He was honest, too.

During the exit interview, I told HR and management that the “unbearable pressure” and “extreme workload” from my boss had burned me out, especially since I wasn’t being compensated for all the extra responsibilities.

It worked like a charm.

Because the company was already struggling and I was the only one who knew how to run the equipment, the department hit a wall. My boss was fired two months later.

Don’t try me.

Maybe he could’ve approached it differently, but his boss definitely learned a lesson he and his next subordinates will be better off with.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who works fast and helps her coworkers, but is met with disapproval from her supervisor because of this practice

What did Reddit think?

Higher salaries and a better work environment, probably.

Pro Petty?

Weaponized efficiency is also a good one.

Another reader chimes in.

It was something.

It’s interesting how he decided to not even argue with his boss, he just went straight to his plan.

He basically realized his competence wasn’t being appreciated and began planning his exit, while positioning himself as someone crucial for the company. He took on specialized responsibilities and became the only person trained to operate critical equipment.

But notice he still wasn’t being appreciated for all the value he brought to the company.

During his exit interview, he made it clear that he was leaving due to management issues. Employees are the ones really keeping everything together and it’s part of a boss’s job to recognize that.

A good leader knows that showing appreciation and encouraging others works better than micromanaging.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who rejects a low contract offer and leaves the company instead.