Leadership presence and anxiety:
When senior leadership visited, the effect on my team felt more like anxiety than clarity. I value leading from the front; what I observed felt closer to motivating through pressure.
Pay vs. standards:
The consistency demanded by senior leadership was often abstract, which felt more like trying to fearfully anticipate a director’s taste than following leadership.
Performance reviews at odds with roles:
Corporate style performance reviews were applied to staff on or near minimum wage. While I agree with the idea of “finding the right people,” I experienced some feedback as inappropriately personal.
In-group labels:
The phrase “BK person” used in a team meeting to differentiate employees; a mean-spiritedly narrow definition of “fits.”
Public naming in a meeting:
A specific short coming of colleague from another store singled out by senior leadership as an example in a team meeting. The public criticism, without full context, felt extremely unfair, unnecessary and demoralizing.
Behaviour at a staff event:
At a company event, I witnessed behaviour that I would experience as bullying. My colleague was left shaken and upset.
Serious concern reported by a colleague:
A colleague confided that they felt mistreated. I wasn’t part of any HR process, but from my vantage point it seemed the response did not resolve their concern.
