Heard a manager at a coffee shop in Denver tell a new hire 'We don't pay you to think, just to pour'.

I was grabbing a coffee before my shift. The manager said it loud enough for half the shop to hear. It wasn't even about a mistake, just the kid asking a simple question about a new syrup. I've been a nurse for eight years, and that line hit me. It's the exact opposite of what makes a career work long term. You need people to think, to ask questions, to care. That attitude kills any chance of growth or pride in the job. It made me realize how lucky I've been with my charge nurses who actually want us to use our heads. For anyone stuck under a boss like that, how do you deal with it without just quitting? Especially in jobs that are hard to leave.

4 comments

4 Comments

lindag331mo ago

My cousin worked retail under a boss who said the same thing. He started quietly documenting every small problem that a bit of thinking could have fixed, like inventory errors. Eventually he showed the district manager how that mindset was actually costing them money.

violah431mo ago

Wait, he documented inventory errors for how long? Honestly that takes some serious patience. I would have lost my mind after a week of writing down the same dumb mistakes. Tbh it's smart though, because some bosses just won't listen until you show them the money they're losing.

jackson.faith2d ago

Sometimes the quietest proof is the loudest.

christopher_torres661mo ago

My old gym had a manager who refused to fix the broken lockers for months. The lost memberships from people getting frustrated probably cost more than the repair.