Singapore man who ‘accidentally climbed the corporate ladder’ says he just wants to mind his own business, do his job, and go home

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man who works in tech lamented online that he was “pushed into a people manager role” after his colleague underperformed and was terminated, while their team lead left the company after the workload “became too much”.

He said he “accidentally climbed the corporate ladder” as he was the most senior person left and had been performing well.

Describing himself as a “pretty chill” worker who does his nine-to-five job, goes home to his family, and enjoys his hobbies, he added, “It honestly s*cks to be put in this position. I just wanted to mind my own business, do my job, and go home.”

Seeking advice on r/singaporejobs, he asked others if they had experienced something similar and managed to adapt, as he shared, “Management expects me to push my team harder, but I feel like everyone is already working hard and delivering a lot. Now I’m also starting to really see, hear, and feel all the office politics.”

While some commenters pointed out that he could be a “victim” of the Peter Principle, a concept in management theory where every employee tends to rise to their level of incompetence, another commenter noted how seeing his team’s efforts and abilities is actually setting him up to be a good manager.

“Most people who don’t have a good manager often become one or quit to find one. I think you just might have it in you to be one.”

Another encouraged him to take it positively, as experience gained, saying, “Nothing can always be smooth sailing in your career. Be it in managerial or sticking to your previous chill role.” The commenter also remarked that, in the long run, staying in his non-managerial role would mean a stagnant salary.

A third added that he just might have his first managerial task at hand: “Sounds like it’s a problem you need to solve with upper management expectations and optics you can’t think you can’t push the people anymore.” /TISG

Read also: ‘Burnt-out and lost’ employee wants to quit amid growing responsibilities ‘for growth’ with no hope of promotion, advised to ‘quiet quit’