I work at a V15 and I used to think the hardest part of this job would be the hours. But since I became a mid level I’m beginning to realize more and more that it’s the people you work with.
Specifically, working under seniors who think authority is automatic. Some seniors don’t realize that just as much as juniors are expected to respect and obey them, they also have to earn respect. If you want juniors to take ownership, anticipate issues, run with things without being hand-held, you cannot also sweat the small stuff too often and publicly blast them on email chains.
There is a massive difference between “hey let’s tighten this up. Here’s what I’d change” and “why did you do this?” Cc’ing everyone on the chain. Ofc people will comply either way. But they will not care either way. The difference between good and great work imo is often someone deciding to think one layer deeper and not necessarily because they were told to, but because they want to. You don’t get that from fear. You would think this is obvious to all seniors but some of them just don’t get it. I’ve worked with seniors who get it. They manage like shepherds, not nitpicking owners. They correct without humiliating. They explain the “why.” The difference in morale and output is so so so obvious.
What makes it harder is when the senior doing the blasting isn’t someone you’d aspire to become. There’s something uniquely destabilizing about being managed by someone you don’t fully respect and I don’t mean this necessarily technically, but in how they treat people. It makes the hierarchy feel mechanical rather than earned.
I guess the lesson I’m learning from this is I can’t control whether someone inspires me, I can only control my posture towards it. I still have to play the long game since I actually desire to be here for the long haul. I still have to protect my reputation. And if nothing else, I’m getting very clear on the kind of senior I do not want to become.
I wonder if people here have had similar experiences and would like to know how you managed it (especially as these seniors could be strategically powerful in the firm).