The Toxic Workplace Culture of Sink or Swim
She was lying on the floor, gasping for air…
Amidst the rush hour traffic of New York City, a young computer instructor lay gasping for air on the floor of the Computer Learning Center in Paramus, New Jersey. The building, with its big, bright sign promising education and advancement, became a scene of concern as all eyes focused on Nancy Baker.
It was 5:30 PM, and the streets outside were jam-packed with bumper-to-bumper traffic. Inside, the faculty room had no windows, and even if they could be opened, the outside air would have worsened Nancy’s condition. This was my first day as an employee, hoping to observe a class before teaching it myself. Nancy had promised I could sit in on one of her sessions to ensure a smooth transition.
Now, she was on the floor, unable or unwilling to move, just half an hour before class. The other teachers seemed unfazed; this was not their first time witnessing such an incident. Nancy, a twenty-four-year-old instructor, was my only hope for transitioning from primary school teaching to educating adults. I was counting on her to do what professionals do: keep her word and allow me to observe the class once, notice the dynamics and the learning process, develop a lesson plan to ensure a smooth transition. No one starts teaching with the expectation to fail the first class they are teaching. This was a premeditated plan on her part to put me in a sink or swim situation.
“Just give her a couple of minutes, and she’ll be fine,” Garry said, his long, thin frame hunched over Nancy’s body, watching her alleged panic attack. “I’m fine; I just need to be here for a while,” Nancy said, her voice emotionless and her face calm. Her breathing normalized, and she handed me a blue marker without turning on her side. “Go teach,” she said with no emotion or sympathy in her voice and remained on the floor.
In disbelief, I asked, “Where is the classroom?” Nancy assured me Garry would show me. With no time to think, I had to dive into teaching. Despite the unusual circumstances, I felt prepared, having studied the course material for two weeks.
Expect the unexpected and prepare for it. This was my motto, twenty-eight years ago and it is still my motto today.
After my first lecture on Excel, several students praised me, and Diego, a twenty-year-old programming student, remarked, “Much better than the other teacher.” I felt a sense of accomplishment and was ready for future challenges. My late-night practice sessions paid off, enhancing my teaching skills. I often stayed up until 2:30 after midnight to prepare for the next class. Got out of bed at 6 AM and started teaching at 8 AM. I was often teaching afternoon classes from 6 PM to 10 PM. We had a newborn baby, and we needed the money.
After about two months of continuous teaching, troubleshooting, late nights, and preparing every weekend without any compensation, my efforts have paid off. The student reviews were coming in and I was receiving cash bonuses at the end of every class for exceptionally good performance. I had also lost about twenty pounds from the stress and from staying up late to prepare. If you want to lose weight, I don’t recommend this method.
Since 1996, I’ve trained over six thousand adults across the USA and Canada, contributing significantly to local economies. My students, from diverse backgrounds, have become successful professionals in various fields.
After a few years of teaching, I have invited every new instructor to sit in on my classes, so that they never have to face what I had to endure. No one should have to. Companies and educational institutions should spend a considerable amount of time and effort to train and help their employees before they start working and continue to support them.
I often see that corporations and companies put some papers on the desk with numbers on them, ask the newly hired employees to start entering them into a worksheet and they think that constitutes training. Kathy in New Jersey has received such a training, and my wife had to sneak over to her desk during breaks to show her some basic formulas and functions.
I hope you’ll have a positive experience when you start a new position and your job training is successful. I hope your coworkers are decent, helpful, and supportive people. I hope you’ll never be forced to sink or swim. I hope that the people you work with will not try to sabotage you in any way and you will be provided with adequate training before you start.
Join me on my adventures as I share experiences, trials, tribulations, and tips for successful teaching and also show you how I have solved software problems for companies. Well-designed, on-the-job training programs can start someone on a productive, supportive journey. Please stay tuned and check out my “Tips for Teachers” blog series and discover why I’d say I’d be a pumpkin if asked the cliché interview question about being a vegetable. I claim to have the best answer to that question, and I hope that you visit my website to find out the answer. I also invite you to request topics for some training videos. Welcome to www.OfficeShortcuts.com
How to Prevent Sink-or-Swim Onboarding
Summary of Takeaway:
The “sink or swim” workplace culture can be toxic, leaving individuals unprepared and unsupported in their roles. This culture fosters unnecessary stress and sabotages potential for success. A better approach is fostering a supportive environment where training and preparation are prioritized, ensuring that new hires feel competent and confident in their responsibilities.
7 Tips to Avoid the Sink-or-Swim Situation:
- Provide Comprehensive Training — Ensure new employees receive thorough training before starting their roles, allowing them to fully understand their tasks and expectations.
- Assign a Mentor — Pair new hires with experienced colleagues who can offer guidance, answer questions, and provide continuous support.
- Gradually Increase Responsibilities — Let employees build confidence by gradually increasing their responsibilities rather than overwhelming them on the first day.
- Create a Safe Space for Questions — Encourage a culture where asking questions is welcomed, reducing the fear of judgment and helping employees learn faster.
- Offer Regular Feedback and Coaching — Provide constructive feedback and guidance to help employees grow in their roles, instead of leaving them to figure it out on their own.
- Foster a Collaborative Environment — Promote teamwork and collaboration so employees feel they can rely on others when needed, rather than feeling isolated.
- Monitor Employee Well-Being — Keep an eye on employees’ mental and physical health, and intervene if they show signs of burnout or excessive stress, as seen in Nancy’s case.
I hope you found value in this story or the tips above. I’d love to hear from you, please leave a comment below or share your own sink-or-swim experience, or what helped you most when starting a new role. And if you think a friend, family member, or coworker could use a little encouragement (or a training culture wake-up call), please share this post with them. Every share helps me keep bringing you honest stories and practical advice.
