Career Expert Warns Workers To ‘Walk Slow’ As Soon As You Start Any Job To Avoid Being Micromanaged
Don't put everything you have into your job.
Vitaly Gariev / Pexels There are opposing schools of thought when it comes to standing out and getting ahead in the workplace. Some people believe that giving your all to your job is the best way to be promoted. Others believe that putting in more effort than the rest of your team will only reward you with a heavier workload for no extra compensation.
A career expert explained why workers should ‘walk slow’ when starting a job to avoid being micromanaged or called out for underperforming.
Aaron Knightley, a career coach and business content creator, advised employees not to push themselves too hard in whatever role they have.
“Walk slower in your workplace when you start a job,” he declared.
It would appear that Knightley literally means for people to walk slowly, as in, do your work at a slow pace, to not set expectations too high.
“When you go in, and you do things very quickly, and you walk quickly, and managers ask you to do something, or go and get something, and you do it incredibly fast, that is a standard that you have set yourself,” he said, an action he called “Making a rod for your own back.”
Knightley maintained that you can’t reverse the initial pace you’ve set for yourself without negative repercussions.
“If you suddenly slow down, you’re going to get highlighted and noticed for underperforming,” he added.
He revealed the various negative ripple effects that accompany being deemed an underperformer, including increased performance reviews and being micromanaged — both of which might eventually lead to losing your job.
“I would always walk slow, and I wouldn’t accept additional tasks,” Knightley said. “When we were in a meeting, I wouldn’t put my hand up when they were like, ‘Who wants to take this project?’ that you’re not going to get paid for."
While taking on more responsibility sounds good, in theory, you could find yourself stuck in what experts have dubbed a dry promotion. Simply put, you walked too fast, and now you are saddled with extra work at the same pay and the same title.
The career coach had more advice on how workers can walk slowly, including setting one very specific boundary at their jobs.
Knightley shared another example of how to achieve his work-to-live mindset: Deciding how much time you’re willing to give your job.
He believes that the most important boundary to set in the workplace is to never stay late.
“When I was finishing my shift, I was packing up my stuff five minutes before my shift ended because I fulfilled my contractual agreement,” he said.
Knightley described work as “A situational relationship” that exists between an employer and employee.
“I offer my services and time for a salary; that’s it,” he said. “When that is fulfilled within the contract, I’m going home to the people that I love and the people that I want to be with.”
“Ultimately, I’m trying to obtain time freedom, so I’m going home to those people,” Knightley reiterated. “I’m not prepared to stay late because I know I’m not truly valued, and I could be fired at any point."
In many ways, Knightley is imparting a valuable lesson, which is to put more focus on the life you have outside of the workplace.
He emphasizes that people should prioritize themselves as family members, friends, and partners over their role as employees. Knightley believes that workers have little control over their professional futures, yet they can control how they show up outside the workplace, and that’s what people should focus on most.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture and all things to do with the entertainment industry.