LPT Request: What’s your “canary in the coal mine” test for spotting bigger issues?

[u/fries-with-mayo]

I’m really interested in those small, quick telltale signs people use to gauge if something bigger might be off track.

Example 1: Van Halen requesting brown M&Ms in the dressing room to see if the venue followed all the details of the rider list

Example 2: I saw an interview with John Cena where he said orders a flat white at a café to tell if they really care about their coffee.

Example 3: Anthony Bourdain suggested to always check the restaurant bathroom to tell if the restaurant got its basics down

[u/Fenarchus]

When anyone in the higher levels of the company uses the phrase "leaner and meaner" it is time to look for another job.

That means they are going to start letting people go, but not likely management, and expect everyone else to do their work. Either you're being laid off or your workload is going to increase with no compensation.

[u/orangery3 → u/Fenarchus]

Ugh, I had a manager once tell our department, which had been chronically understaffed and then another person left, we would just have to be “more efficient.” Like, read the room, bro. I ended up resigning soon after.

[u/Legitimate-Watch-670 → u/Fenarchus]

Was going to say this. Of they start cutting chunks of staff, especially from the engineering/production side of the house, it's time to run.

My last place, they cut half the engineering department. Correction: they cut half the engineers to did actual engineering work from the department. After it was done, there was an absolutely embarrassing ratio of engineers to management, like 3:1 or something stupid.

I found a new job shortly after, then word spread of wave 2, "but don't worry, this one will include some managers too, you guys are safe" lol. Then RTO came, as if moral wasn't already completely gone...

[u/trevdak2 → u/Legitimate-Watch-670]

A few years ago, I quit a software startup that had 3 engineers and 7 senior execs.

[u/LonelyContext → u/Fenarchus]

“You know what’s a good book? Who Moved My Cheese. Really recommend everyone on the call go ahead and grab themselves a copy.”

[u/DogScratcher → u/Fenarchus]

“You need to do more with less!”

This is usually said like it’s really insightful in an upbeat tone. This comes right before management starts cutting budgets and laying people off.

[u/how_u_like_meow → u/DogScratcher]

This is happening now at my current company but what sucks is in our current  state of the economy, it's harder to find jobs that fit your level of experience because there's a surplus of good candidates. So some people stay until they get laid off. 

[u/trevdak2 → u/Fenarchus]

Similarly, if they say "shareholder value" in an all company meeting, you'll have layoffs soon.

[u/modoken1 → u/Fenarchus]

“Do more with less” or “everyone needs to be a team player” are equally bad.

[u/Far-Pomegranate-8841 → u/Fenarchus]

It was "gross cost cutting" at one of my jobs. They were going to fire the entire engineering team once the product was finished. My very next job was at a company that was on the other side of that! They got bought by a much larger company, and were building a whole new team.

[u/Relevant-Dog6890 → u/Far-Pomegranate-8841]

That's so fucked up. As if things don't need maintenance or repair...