The Company Through the Eyes of an Employee
Sometimes I try to look at my company through the eyes of someone who works there, rather than through the eyes of the person who runs it.
The same decision seen from the other side of the desk.
Read essayReshid Dervishi on
People, Work & Companies
Agreements, pay, people’s development and the culture of everyday work.
A company looks different from different seats. The owner knows what preceded a decision, how payments are coming in, and why a priority changed. An employee often receives only a task and an expectation to understand its urgency immediately. A manager tries to connect demands with the team's capacity. When we forget these differences, we can easily judge others without understanding their circumstances.
Sometimes I try to look at my company through the eyes of someone working in it. That can be uncomfortable, because it reveals how much I rely on an explanation that exists only in my head. What I have been working through for several days is new information to someone else. Good intentions are not enough. A decision needs to become understandable to those expected to carry it out.
A salary is another place where the same thing carries different meanings. For the company, it is an obligation to meet even when payment is delayed. For the employee, it is security in everyday life. Neither perspective removes the other. An honest conversation requires us to discuss contribution, capacity, expectations, and an agreement both sides can understand. Respect does not replace fair pay, just as money does not justify humiliation.
Developing people cannot be reduced to a new title. A good specialist does not become a capable manager simply because we wanted to reward them. A different role requires different abilities, support, and time. Sometimes greater recognition means allowing someone to grow in the work where they contribute most, rather than moving them into a position where they lose confidence and the team's trust.
Company culture is visible in everyday actions. Who can say a deadline is unrealistic? How do we respond to a mistake? What happens when a good employee leaves? Does the responsibility of the best people become a permanent obligation to make up for others' lack of effort? Rules have meaning when they make serious work easier, rather than conceal a problem nobody wants to name.
This topic connects the relationship between employer and employee, communication, working conditions, and team development. It does not begin by assuming one side is always right. It begins with the need for a clear agreement and responsibility on both sides. A company has more room to mature when people can understand what is expected of them, say what they need, and see that their contribution does not go unnoticed.
Selected reading
Start here
A Salary Is More Than a Number in a Spreadsheet
For the owner, a salary is an obligation that must be fulfilled even when business isn’t going well, when payments are late, when clients are pressuring them, and when the numbers don’t add up.
Agreed pay at the meeting point of company obligations and employee security.
Read essayThe Most Expensive Reward in a Company Is a Misguided Promotion
The most expensive reward in a company can be a misguided promotion. When someone excels for years, it is natural to want to reward them.
The difference between recognising expertise and readiness to lead people.
Read essayRights and Responsibilities on Both Sides of the Table
We often discuss rights and obligations at work as if they belong to opposing sides. Employers complain there are no workers; workers complain there are no good employers. A fair relationship requires responsibility on both sides.
Trust as the result of an agreement honoured by both sides.
Read essayQuestions within this topic
Pay and respect
Fair compensation and dignity are needed together.
Fair pay and respect go hand in hand
Development and promotion
A new role requires readiness, support and different abilities.
Ability Cannot Be Seen Through Only One Kind of Task
Expectations on both sides
An agreement has meaning when it applies to employer and employee alike.
Monday Does Not Have to Begin with Every Outstanding Request
Culture and communication
People need to understand the context of a decision they carry out.
Work That Absorbs Us Also Needs Sustainable Conditions
Good intentions aren’t enough either, because good intentions don’t clear up confusion.
Seeking a publisher
The Philosophy of Entrepreneurship
The relationship between employer and employee is one way to test the philosophy of entrepreneurship in practice. That is why I connect this topic with The Philosophy of Entrepreneurship and responsibility for the company we build together.
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Read essayWork Is Never Just Work
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Read essayA Manager Speaks Two Languages
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