Don’t miss the forest for the trees

I recently came across something that made me feel very sad.

It was a Reddit thread highlighting toxic employers and their practices in Singapore.

Over the past decade, I’ve been through my fair share of toxic managers and company policies.

☠️ But some of the practices shared by disgruntled employees here feel like they can be adapted into TV dramas.

For instance, the owner of a local architectural/design firm was so obsessed with cutting costs that he refused to turn on the aircon in the office, opting to leave their glass doors open.

Not a very conducive environment for his team to work in, I imagine.

He also made his employees water the plants around the office using a hose reel from the toilets 😅

To be clear, the issue here is not his frugality.

As a small business owner, I completely understand the need to ensure every dollar goes the distance. That’s the only way we can survive!

⚠️ However, the problem is that he let his obsession with a few trees block his view of the forest.

The company might have saved a few dollars on electricity and water per month, sure.

But it would almost certainly lose thousands of dollars in productivity lost because of the hot, uncomfortable work environment it created.

As managers and company owners, we need to have vision and perspective.

🌲 Don’t miss the forest for the trees.