When your boss breathes down your neck

I felt suffocated, miserable and stressed. I wanted to push my boss off the roof.

It’s not fun. It’s not helping, and no, it’s not okay. Please leave me alone.

I did a sales job about a year ago. It was probably the worst experience ever. It galls me to even speak of it as the memories haunt me till date. But, after being in denial about my skills for a good five months, and falsely assuring myself, “If he can do it, then so can I” or “If she can do it, I can definitely do it”, I finally realised, it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Dealing with customers was not painless; it came down to crushing my ego, being super clingy, persistent and being mentally exhausted, along with several other vile things and still not doing too well.

I didn’t know what I was doing wrong. But all these nerve-wracking things were not enough.

I had a self-proclaimed superstar breathing down my neck to make matters even worse. My boss. I felt a bucket-load of emotions: suffocation, rage, misery, and above all, stress. I wanted to run away or jump off the roof (or maybe push him off the roof).

“You can do it. Here, listen to me speak to this customer over the phone. You will then understand the art of talking to clients.”

“Come here, let’s sit together and discuss tactics. We can do this.”

“Oh this client is a 10-year-old. Eiman. You must turn into a kid and deal with him. You can do it. Bachi ban jao. Become his friend.”

He was probably just trying to help and be constructive but sadly, the ‘motivation’ and ‘encouragement’ he was providing, just wasn’t working. It had the opposite effect, if anything.

Unfortunately, this species of bosses holds a large percentage in society. At some point in life, you will come across one and know this: it won’t be easy and one person might just come out dead the other end.

Sometimes, I feel like I’ve been scarred for life. But, on the other hand, one good thing did surface — no matter where I go and am in life, I appreciate (normal) people more. I’m able to overlook their flaws because I know, things could’ve been much worse.

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