How to not get fired for low productivity?

**Posts:** 367 · by **Hamming** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:06 pm

Hello,

I had been fired half year ago for low productivity. Now I am in new job, passed 3 months trial period but still trial does not tell everything, because from previous job I was fired after like 8 months.

For example I had a task recently which was estimated for 1 day and now I had worked 2.5 days and did not finish. And it might look for colleagues like a simple task.

Another complex task, estimated for 4 hours, but also working for like 3 days or so, but at least it is much more complex and estimation might be bad.

I have read a book

The Blueprint for a Productive Programmer: How to Write Great Code Fast and Prevent Repetitive Strain Injuries

and I found some new things and applying them. But still when I see those late tasks and knowing that I was fired this makes me worry.

Plus I see in other team they look a lot at some colleagues productivity and complain how they slowly do things. I would not be surprised that one of them would be fired soon.

Now I am in a "good" company according to my friend. He says if the previous company fired me, that was bad company. Sounds weird to blame the company, since there are people who worked like 8 years. If that would be bad, they would not work for that long.

And I am afraid to relax now and forget the job after work day, I am thinking how else I could improve productivity but do not know how to find a good answer. I had read lot of articles on productivity, and when I read, I do not find new things.

I might be getting disctracted often by talking people in the office. It is so fun to listen. So it should be their fault if they disctract me by talking, but bosses might not care. Like if I am disctracted by others talking, its my problem and I might be fired.

But today I was not disctracted by talks as much, but still took lot of time.

It damn annoying

It would be so bad to be fired 2 times in a row, especially because in job interviews they ask - why did you leave the job. Usually people go to interviews while having old job and I might be suspicious.

Is the job the thing where I have to be like always focused 100 % besides breaks? Is that possible? I think no, I have heard stories that people do the minimum in the workplace to not get fired. But for me it looks that I do close to maximum. If I would force myself to not listen what others talk, probably it would be maximum.

I also tried to do bit overtime, but I get stressed by knowing that I will need to tell next morning what I did, and they might say - oh you did this so long time. And when I am stressed, my productivity gets worse. And so I decide to not do much overtime, because it might be worthless time spending.

I really do not wan to be fired and hardly get some shitty job and even from shitty job I might be fired like I was during first year of my carreer - had a bad job, and even there they fired me after like 9 months of working and again they said same reason - low productivity.

I learn new things, technologies. But no matter how much technologies I learn, looks like its not as important as productivity for them

I do not want to struggle like that all my life. I want to finally learn that secret so I never get complaints about productivity.

I want to program, I do not know what else could I do besides some shitty job. I would also like some things where I could use my brain, like forex, or stocks or poker or something like that alternative. But to learn to make money from them to support myself and maybe kids in future I am not sure if I am able.

Now I would be afraid to take a loan from bank for flat. I cannot have kids when I can be fired so soon. How my kids would live if I would not be able to find a job.

I hate that my friend said - of do not worry, programmers are on high demand. So if they are on high demand, then we should not be fired and should not get complaints about productivity. For him there is no such problems, and for him its easy to say.

And my friends are not studyting more after work I believe but they manage to be ok in the market. Why I am not able? I might be putting even more hours into study then them. But who the **** cares how much I study

**Posts:** 12131 · by **Richard@DecisionSkills** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:03 pm

Hamming wrote:... who the **** cares how much I study

No one. Why should they care? Results are what matter.

If you don't want to get fired, talk to your supervisor and establish what are the job requirements. Get specific. Discuss your concerns and ask for help as needed. Then focus on meeting those standards. If you are behind, discuss options with the supervisor.

Outside of the supervisor everything else is bullsh*t gossip, or a distraction you need to ignore.

**Posts:** 367 · by **Hamming** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:05 pm

If you don't want to get fired, talk to your supervisor and establish what are the job requirements. Get specific. Discuss your concerns and ask for help as needed. Then focus on meeting those standards. If you are behind, discuss options with the supervisor.

but that can make supervisor think that I am unproductive. I need to look like I am confident with my productivity, at least my friend says not to ask things like this.

Outside of the supervisor everything else is bullsh*t gossip, or a distraction you need to ignore.

**Posts:** 12131 · by **Richard@DecisionSkills** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:15 pm

Hamming wrote:but that can make supervisor think that I am unproductive. I need to look like I am confident with my productivity, at least my friend says not to ask things like this.

Well, your friend is wrong.

If you were a supervisor, would you want the people working for you to come to your for help or to avoid you? Would you want them to ask for help or to hide? Would you think they are unproductive for asking for your help or would you be glad and even feel good if they thought so much of you that they would come to you for help?

How would you be as a supervisor? Would you fire a person, would you want your employees to just shut up and perform or get fired? Is that how you would be? If so, then maybe that is why you have such a fear or maybe that is why your friend has such a fear.

I have been in leadership positions. I have been both a leader and a follower. Relationships with your leadership is more important than many recognize. Good leaders want their employees to succeed, they want their employees to confide in them, trust them, and come to them when they need help. The thing that gets an employee fired is when they treat the supervisor as not human, as a person without feelings to be avoided and not trusted.

If you fear your supervisor so much, then you need to leave the company or transfer to a new supervisor, etc. But, so far you have not posted anything that suggests your supervisor would not help you. The only thing is some bad advice given to you by a "friend,".

**Posts:** 367 · by **Hamming** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 7:54 pm

If you were a supervisor, would you want the people working for you to come to your for help or to avoid you? Would you want them to ask for help or to hide? Would you think they are unproductive for asking for your help or would you be glad and even feel good if they thought so much of you that they would come to you for help?

of course I want that they come and tell the truth. And then if this does not get fixed, I reduce salary or fire them and not waste my money.

The only thing is some bad advice given to you by a "friend,".

My friend is so succesful at this industry and when I try to do something what he says not to, it ends up being bad. But if I try what he says - then it ends being good. But not always.

And he says - "you again did not listen to me. Do not listen to people who do not work in this industry, they cannot know as good as succesful people in industry."

But yea, what you say makes sense, but still I am afraid to risk. I work in company just few months and it would suck to leave. Also I do not know better company in my city. It might be the best I have found.

I think for the techonology I work with in that company there is one superwisor only, so I cannot transfer. ANd some guys on interenet even did not recomend to ask for team change becuase I show I do not like something about the team.

Btw also talked with one in this industry who is succesful. I asked - is he conentrated 100% when working. He said - if the task is easy, he listens also sometimes what others talk. But if task is complex, then he does not listen what others talk.

So that might be the difference from me and him. And I asked - how he does not want to listen. He asked me - maybe I am not motivated to work.

So I really do not understand - I am motivated, but maybe not as much as he is.

I like so much to listen when there are conflicts between colleagues, when there are jokes, when there are others talking how slow other colleague works. Btw this - how slow other colleague works is very interesting because I want to see what will happen, because same thing can happen to me.

There are so many interesting things and I have to force my mind to focus on task. THat is not what I want. But at the same time I do not want to be fired. So being fired is worse, so I need to try to force myself accept more boring day without listening to talks.

Yea, the cause also might be that tasks are not as interesting. If they were more interersting than people talks, then probably my mind automatically would focus more on tasks.

But at least maybe I have found a way to fix my productivity. Will need to try. Now was trying couple of days, its hard.

**Posts:** 12131 · by **Richard@DecisionSkills** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:06 pm

Hamming wrote: My friend is so succesful at this industry and when I try to do something what he says not to, it ends up being bad. But if I try what he says - then it ends being good. But not always.

And he says - "you again did not listen to me. Do not listen to people who do not work in this industry, they cannot know as good as succesful people in industry."

Well, here you are...asking people outside of the industry. Why?

Maybe, just maybe, it is because you are smart enough to recognize that a supervisor in one industry vs. another vs. another vs. another are relatively the same, because they are universally human. Supervisors have family, kids, friends and just want to be successful, same as you. This means you are smart enough to recognize your friend is full of sh*t sometimes.

This is not just about being fired for low productivity. This is about how you choose to live your life...constantly in fear? Why? Why live a life of constant fear, because you are afraid to approach a human being that happens to be your supervisor?

There are several possibilities here;

-1- You approach your supervisor, he helps you and you find out your fear is misplaced.

-2- You approach your supervisor and find out your fear is justified at which point, why work in fear? Man up, stop being a puss and look for other opportunities in life if you find out you are in situation -2-.

-3- You don't approach your supervisor, your performance is fine, but you don't ever really know other than not being fired and you work all the time in fear.

-4- You don't approach your supervisor, your performance is not fine and your fear is realized as you are fired.

There are 4 scenarios for you...only -1- resolves your fear in life. Scenarios 2, 3, and 4 you live in fear.

Take your pick.

**Posts:** 367 · by **Hamming** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:22 pm

Actually what I would like more is to find a job where it is acceptable to be not as productive. Which is super hard to do. But I hear stories of that happening. Sometimes I see people lieing and pretending that they are productive. But I also do not want to lie, usually people are not that stupid, even if they cannot prove that you are lieing.

I would be happy if I found company that does not care much about my productivity as long as I work, do not chat too much, do not play games or wathc movies, or do not browse facebook during working hours. And if there were good colleagues, not angry.

This means you are smart enough to recognize your friend is full of sh*t sometimes.

at least I am smart at soemthing

yea my friend is really full of sh** sometimes. Especially when it comes to non work topics.

This is not just about being fired for low productivity. This is about how you choose to live your life...constantly in fear? Why? Why live a life of constant fear, because you are afraid to approach a human being that happens to be your supervisor?

I would not be afraid to aproach my superwisor if the job would not be at stake. If there was shitty job, I could risk, because I would not care much about loosing it.

-3- You don't approach your supervisor, your performance is fine, but you don't ever really know other than not being fired and you work all the time in fear.

Btw my superwisor few times said that my performance is good. But he does not see directly, he manages another team more. And I see how he manages and tells some of those team members how they are unproductive. Now stopped saying to one of them.

So I maybe I should talk to my closer boss who knows closer how I work. At least he said to that supervisor that I do ok I believe, because superwisor said that some poeopple said that I do good. I believe those some people are my team members.

But yea, in previous company the director said I do good and he wants that I work there. Just mentioned that he will check how fast I do on new project. And I was fired after 5 more months while working on the new project. So when bosses say I do good, that does not mean that I do.

Also even if focusing on taks and not listening to what others talk makes me productive , I am afraid that this might not last long. What if I burn out?

**Posts:** 12131 · by **Richard@DecisionSkills** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:10 pm

Hamming wrote:Btw my superwisor few times said that my performance is good....So I maybe I should talk to my closer boss who knows closer how I work. At least he said to that supervisor that I do ok...

What if I burn out?

When I say supervisor, I mean your closest boss. Your closest boss, the one that is in charge of you...that is who you need to talk to about your fears, including how to pace yourself, etc.

**Posts:** 367 · by **Hamming** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 6:03 am

aha.

Btw:

-1- You approach your supervisor, he helps you and you find out your fear is misplaced.

I think my friend say not to ask, because if I am unproductive, it is impossible to help me anyway. And so supervisor will think it is impossible to do and will fire me or smth.

I mean maybe my brain does not work productively, and I cannot replace my brain.

**Posts:** 367 · by **Hamming** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 6:03 am

aha.

Btw:

-1- You approach your supervisor, he helps you and you find out your fear is misplaced.

I think my friend say not to ask, because if I am unproductive, it is impossible to help me anyway. And so supervisor will think it is impossible to do and will fire me or smth.

I mean maybe my brain does not work productively, and I cannot replace my brain.

That would be very bad if that is true.

**Posts:** 12131 · by **Richard@DecisionSkills** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 4:21 pm

Hamming wrote:I mean maybe my brain does not work productively, and I cannot replace my brain.

What HUGE BULLSH*T Hamming!!!!

You are a programmer and based on your English, you speak multiple languages!!!!! Your brain doesn't work productively!!!! Hahahahahaha! What un utter crock of absolute CRAP!!!!

MAN UP! Stop being a friggin girl in life! Stop talking like you are not smart enough or good enough, that is utter crap and a big excuse!

Your brain is not what is the problem in your life Hamming, it is your heart...you lack self-confidence, you are acting scared and frightened.

As long as you continue to believe you are worthless, then you will fulfill your own prophecy and you will be worthless. WAKE UP Hamming! Stop making excuses and get to work.

**Posts:** 367 · by **Hamming** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 6:06 pm

What HUGE BULLSH*T Hamming!!!!

You are a programmer and based on your English, you speak multiple languages!!!!! Your brain doesn't work productively!!!! Hahahahahaha! What un utter crock of absolute CRAP!!!!

I wish you are right about me telling bs that my brain sucks.

As long as you continue to believe you are worthless, then you will fulfill your own prophecy and you will be worthless.

I do not understand this.

Yea, ok, I am not worthless, I still do useful things. Just not as productively as others.

Today I checked similar tasks which can be measured aproximately.

My teamleader did similar task in 4 hours, I did in 6 hours. And I was trying hard, I was concentrated well. No idea how he makes it in 4 hours unless he lie to everyone.

Another task again similar one done he in 2 hours, I done in almost 3 hours, but it is not yet reviewed, so he will review and will find what needs to be fixed as most of the time, so likely it might take about 40 mins, so will be 3.5 hours. Again was working focused. No idea how to improve.

I wish to reach not only same as he, but even quicker so that I would have a time buffer in those cases when I am not able to concentrate and so I would not get stressed.

THe numbers show things. How to not believe numbers?

Oh and when we are estimating tasks, I am even afraid to tell that I will not make in those 4 hours, to not look like bad. So I tell ok, 4 hours, and many people say that when you create bigger goal than you can achieve , you do more. But for me this does not work

**Posts:** 12131 · by **Richard@DecisionSkills** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:40 pm

Hamming wrote:My teamleader did similar task in 4 hours, I did in 6 hours. Another task again similar one done he in 2 hours, I done in almost 3 hours, .

THe numbers show things. How to not believe numbers?

So what? There is nothing wrong with setting goals and trying to improve. But, there is a big difference between setting a goal to improve and fear of being fired. Your boss says you did fine, the overall supervisor said you are fine. It appears you are now trying to conflate two issues, being fired with the comparing performance.

What if you did the task in 4 hours? Would then your team leader need to do it in 3.5? It is not a friggin competition. There will always be people that do certain things better than you and other things probably not so good. And what if the team leader improved to 3.5 hours, would you then be afraid, fearful once again, because you could only do it in 4 hours?

Stop being so focused on it being a competition or comparing yourself to others. You can do the task in 6 hours, now set a goal to improve to 5.5 hours and ignore what everyone else is doing.

**Posts:** 367 · by **Hamming** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 4:17 pm

So what? There is nothing wrong with setting goals and trying to improve. But, there is a big difference between setting a goal to improve and fear of being fired. Your boss says you did fine, the overall supervisor said you are fine. It appears you are now trying to conflate two issues, being fired with the comparing performance.

In previous job also the director was saying I do fine and that he wants very much that I work there. And after few months fired for low performance. So thats why I think same here. Plus in my first job also was fired for low performance, but at least first job was bad anyway.

What if you did the task in 4 hours? Would then your team leader need to do it in 3.5? It is not a friggin competition. There will always be people that do certain things better than you and other things probably not so good. And what if the team leader improved to 3.5 hours, would you then be afraid, fearful once again, because you could only do it in 4 hours?

No, teamleader does not need to do in 3.5 hours if 4 is enough to not be fired for his salary. Thats true, there will always be people who are better. But as previous job showed me - the better ones stayed, worse one - me was fired.

There is good new today. I had similar task again, bit less difficult. But still estimated for 4 hours.
And I managed to finish it in 2 hours 20 mins. Of course I did it in a rush and if no reviewer I could have made mistakes, so if there were no reviewers, I would probably spend 1 more hour to make sure I did not make mistakes.
But even after he reviewed, he also just found 2 minor cosmetic fixes I need to do. Wow. I was suprised how could I do it so fast. Like when done in 6 hours, I felt it is imposible to make it faster. But I learned from the similar task and probably it was the reason why I made it faster. I had done similar tasks like month or more ago, so I should have learned, but during that time I forget things and so do less robotic, need to think more which takes time.
After work day I even checked did I log all the the time I spend, maybe missed, but looks like I did not miss. Ok at least one evidence that I can do it faster. Need to collect more of those, becuase probably 95 % of my tasks end up missing deadline than doing quicker than deadline.

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