Polls
Discussions
1. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NOW? Root causes explained only through examples and stories.
Scene 1 — Bengaluru (IT Product Team)
A project manager, Rohit, ran every call like a school teacher. One week he got dengue and vanished from Slack and Zoom. The team panicked for 2 hours… then organised themselves.
By Friday, they closed the sprint with zero escalations.
When Rohit returned, a fresher told him quietly:
“Sir… jab aap nahi the, hum sab zyada responsible ban gaye.”
That hit him harder than the fever did.
Scene 2 — Hyderabad (Design Studio)
The CEO noticed interns rejecting offers if the reporting manager was “controlling.”
One intern said bluntly:
“Uncle-type managers drain my battery. I want someone who teaches, not someone who checks.”
Scene 3 — Jaipur (Retail Chain)
Area Manager “Uncle Ji” insisted all store decisions route through him. Teams began bypassing him and solving issues on WhatsApp groups. Within months, the CEO quietly moved Uncle Ji to a documentation role.
What’s happening:
Employees want ownership, not approval chains.
Work is moving faster than traditional hierarchy.
And Gen Z simply refuses to tolerate micromanagers.
This shift pushed companies toward Unbossing.
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2. HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE WORKFORCE? Feelings, behaviors, motivations — always through examples.
Scene 4 — Noida (Analytics Team)
Mehak told her HR during feedback:
“My work is mine. But my manager treats me like a shared Google Doc.”
When her new manager stopped supervising hourly and started asking, “How can I unblock you?”, Mehak’s confidence jumped.
She produced 3 of the quarter’s top dashboards.
Scene 5 — Chennai (Software Team)
A developer, Abhinav, said:
“Earlier I spent 40% time coding and 60% time seeking approvals. Now it’s the opposite.”
His productivity doubled not because of tools — because his lead stepped aside.
Scene 6 — Pune (Marketing Intern)
Her boss told her on Day 3:
“You drive the campaign. I’m just your seatbelt.”
She said later:
“Sir gave me wings. That’s why I didn’t apply outside.”
Unbossing transforms emotions:
• Anxiety → Confidence
• Fear → Creativity
• Obedience → Ownership
• Resentment → Loyalty
This is what young workers crave.
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3. HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE ORGANISATION? Business metrics explained only with real-company situations.
Scene 7 — Gurugram (SaaS Startup)
They created 6 “Self-Steering Squads.”
No micromanaging managers.
Just one “Guide” per squad.
Quarterly results:
• Delivery speed ↑ 22%
• Customer escalations ↓ 40%
• Employee referrals doubled
• Code bugs reduced because devs finally “owned” decisions
CEO comment:
“I removed three managers and gained thirty leaders.”
Scene 8 — Kochi (Logistics Company)
They tried “Friday Free Zone”:
No approvals from 10 AM–4 PM.
Unexpected result?
Friday output went UP because teams weren’t waiting for signatures.
Scene 9 — Hyderabad (Fintech)
They introduced cross-team “mentor floaters.”
Not bosses — just experts who walked around helping.
Within 6 months:
• Attrition in 0–3 year employees dropped from 34% → 12%
• NPS among employees jumped
• Meetings reduced by 27%
Unbossing = speed + retention + innovation.
Not theory — real numbers.
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4. WHAT SHOULD EMPLOYERS STOP DOING? Don’ts expressed ONLY through real moments)
❌ Don’t create bottlenecks disguised as leadership
A Mumbai manager insisted every document go through him.
The team jokingly called him “CEO of Delays.”
Three star employees quit — all citing him.
❌ Don’t run Zoom like a school
A Chennai project lead demanded everyone keep cameras on “to track discipline.”
By week two, half the team updated their Naukri profile.
❌ Don’t cc-yourself culture
In Gurgaon, a sales lead asked to be cc’d on every message, even memes.
Teams switched to private WhatsApp groups and stopped communicating openly.
❌ Don’t do “pseudo-freedom”
One company said “take ownership!”
…but required 14 approvals for a ₹5,000 expense.
Employees laughed and left.
These are the things companies must stop — because they kill trust.
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5. WHAT SHOULD EMPLOYERS START DOING? Dos told through real company actions.
✅ Example — Jaipur Media Firm
They started “Reverse Shadowing”:
Juniors lead the meeting; managers just ask:
“How can I support you?”
Confidence shot up.
Clients loved the new energy.
✅ Example — Pune Engineering Company
They renamed “Managers” to Guides.
Symbolic? Yes.
But now every Guide starts Monday with one question:
“What do you need from me to do your best work this week?”
Workplace mood transformed.
✅ Example — Bengaluru Startup
Created a “Blocker Board”:
Anyone can list what’s slowing them down.
Leaders must remove blockers within 48 hours.
Morale soared.
✅ Example — Kochi Manufacturing Firm
Invested in building a Mentor Academy.
Mentors didn’t approve work — they coached careers.
One welder said:
“For the first time, I feel my boss wants me to grow, not obey.”
✅ Example — Hyderabad Agency
Implemented “Self-Drive Wednesdays”:
Teams run themselves.
Managers join only if invited.
Projects started moving faster than ever.
Unbossing works because people don’t need bosses.
They need guides.
