Minimum Guy
- 3 min readIf you have watched “The Family Man” season 2, you might have noticed that the term “minimum guy” is used multiple times in the first three episodes. Srikant Tiwari, once an undercover agent, is struggling at his desk job while his manager breathes down his neck and keeps pushing him to not be a minimum guy.
As much as I have enjoyed this, it is a sad reality in many of the organizations. His manager, being younger and in a better role than him, always feels the compulsion to make Srikant to go above and beyond. His manager never attempts to understand what Srikant is saying. He always berates him for not doing good enough. This is a classic case of immaturity in a manager.
The pressure, both direct and indirect, is there to over perform and exceed expectations. As mentioned in this Dilbert comic
If you are expected to exceed expectations, then you’ll only be able to meet the expectations and never exceed them.
We tend to associate the term minimum guy with negative connotations. Like someone who is lazy or someone who slacks off at work.
Minimum guy is someone who does what they are asked to do. The opposite, “maximum guy”, is someone who exceeds expectations and goes above and beyond of what they are asked to do.
Why you would want to be a minimum guy?
In my opinion, no one wants to be a minimum guy forever. It is about the circumstances that lead to this behavior.
- You might want to work on your startup idea.
- You might want to spend more time with your newborn.
- Being a maximum guy is taking a toll on your mental health.
- You might be moonlighting to hone your skills or develop your new skills.
- You might be preparing for higher studies or professional certification.
- You do not expect your career to grow in your current organization and are planning to switch.
- You did not get expected recognition by being the maximum guy.
An organization needs both minimum and maximum guys in a healthy proportion. It ensures that work is done efficiently without causing burnout. Too many maximum guys will lead to Frenetic Burnout. Too many minimum guys will lead to Under-challenged Burnout.
Workplace dynamics have rapidly shifted post the pandemic. Minimum guys percentage has started to increase. People started to call this phenomenon as Quite Quitting.
Conflicts arise when minimum guys don’t accept that they are minimum. They compare themselves with maximum guys and feel frustrated that they are not being rewarded appropriately. This ends up pushing the morale down and spoiling the work culture. Half day clearly depicts this point.
In conclusion, being a “minimum guy” is not a bad thing, but rather a conscious decision to prioritize other aspects of your life or to avoid burnout. It is important for managers to recognize and respect the different work styles of their team members, and to create a healthy balance between “minimum guys” and “maximum guys” in the workplace. Ultimately, it is up to you to embrace your work style and find a balance that works for you and to stay true to themselves. By doing so, they can achieve success and fulfillment in both their personal and professional lives.