Failure or Professionally Convenient - A reflection

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(Pic-AI Generated)


Disclaimer - Read it with a light heart and retain no heaviness.


Today, I am not writing a book review —today I am reflecting on the exhausting, hilarious art of being the "Reliable One", as I am experiencing it nowadays in repeated mode.

I am a "doer." I treat professional commitments like blood oaths, often at the expense of my own sanity (Opinions!!). Yet the last two years have forced a rethink: the world doesn’t want a problem-solver; the world wants a professional mime—someone who works hard, produces results, and remains blissfully silent when the logic falls apart.

My favourite corporate game is "Ignore the Human, Embrace the Bias."

Let me explain.

When I point out that a workflow/plan of action has some flaws, trust me, I am not being difficult; I am asking for a crumb of logic or a little discussion. But in today’s scenario, asking why is seen as resistance. If I am not immediately convinced by an illogical mandate, my sincerity is dismissed as "casual." It seems my greatest "failure" is actually giving a damn about the quality of the outcome. Sometimes I wonder if I just switched off my internal audit system; I might be the perfect employee. But alas, I have this pesky moral compass (which needs serious fixing. Is it?).

Then there is the "Blue-Eyed Person" phenomenon. We have all seen it—the differing standards applied to different working styles. I have spent years thinking that if I just worked harder, I would be "seen." I was wrong. I was being judged by a rubric designed for people who don't actually exist.

So, am I a failure? I spent a few sleepless nights entertaining the idea. Maybe I am just too loud with my opinions (reason 1), too "not-silent" for the comfort of the status quo (reason 2), and never mask my work with a thin coat of corporate varnish (reason 3). I have been told that my bluntness—my refusal to be a quiet worker bee—is a liability (reason 4).

But here is where the satire ends and the hope (the damn hope) begins: I am not a failure.

I am simply a person who has realised that the professional world is a stage play where the script is written in crayon. I have been playing a serious, dramatic role in a farce. Am I making an excuse for giving up? Maybe. Or maybe I’m just opting out of a race where the trophy is a "Good Job" sticker from people whose opinions I no longer value.

I am not going to be a silent worker (against my core nature). I am going to be a present worker. I will continue to perform (my value system is wired that way), because I like the satisfaction of a job done well, with my own unique twist. But the emotional attachment? The desperate need for validation from someone who thinks "logic" is an optional feature? That, I am leaving at the door.

If being a "success" means being a cog that never asks why the machine is overheating, then I am happily, proudly, a failure. And honestly? It feels like the first time I am able to breathe in professional years.

So, to my fellow "doers" who are currently trying to balance high standards with corporate realities: keep your quality high, keep asking the smart questions, and stop trying to find perfect logic in an imperfect system. We aren't failing the assignment; we're just outgrowing the standard template.

Now, tell me—have you ever realized that your greatest professional "fault" was actually just you being too competent for the room (full of ….) you were in?

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