I originally posted this post on my blog.
I didn't pay for the most expensive hamburgers I've eaten. An ex-employer did.
When I say "most expensive," I mean the same greasy $5 or $10-dollar hamburger from a food truck or a corner in a busy street. But they felt expensive because I ate them while working overnight.
I was in a "self-managed team"
In a past job, when my team was lagging behind the self-imposed deadlines of sprints, higher-ups told us:
"This sprint is behind schedule. What are you going to do? You're a self-managed team, so decide that by yourselves. But if I were you, I'd choose to work overtime to keep up."
"You're a self-managed team" was their subtle way of telling us to work extra hours, without accepting any responsibility.
We didn't have any say in what tasks to do and how. We were only a self-managed team when it came to choosing to work overtime.
They didn't pay us for that extra time. They only bought us hamburgers. And, when someone raised their concerns about the quality of those hamburgers, they told us we should be grateful because other companies buy their employees nothing to eat.
Since I don't want this to be only a rant...
If you're told you're part of a self-managed team, read the fine print. Look for signs of real self-managed teams:
- Look at job descriptions.
- Connect with people already working there.
- Ask follow-up questions during interviews.
Otherwise, they might expect you to work overtime without compensation or just buy you an hamburger.
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I totally get where you're coming from. Being told you're part of a “self-managed team” while being pushed to work overtime, without real authority or extra pay, is frustrating. And being “rewarded” with cheap hamburgers just adds to the disappointment. On a lighter note, if you're ever in the mood for a real burger you can actually enjoy, you might like browsing through whataburgermenue. As a fellow burger fan, I found it super helpful for checking out the latest Whataburger items, their prices, nutrition facts, and current deals. No hidden expectations, just tasty options laid out clearly. Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself to a proper meal, no overtime required.