When Following Instructions Goes Hilariously Wrong: A Tale of Malicious Compliance at Work
We’ve all been there: handed a new process or checklist at work that makes you wonder if upper management has ever actually done your job. Sometimes, the best way to highlight the absurdity is to do exactly what’s asked—no more, no less. That’s precisely what Reddit user u/Big_Personality2332 did, and the results? Comedy gold, a confused (yet oddly impressed) client, and a manager forced to confront their own red tape.
This isn’t just a story about paperwork gone wild; it’s a hilarious lesson in how a little bit of “malicious compliance” can go a long way in sparking real change.
When "As Written" Means Everything—Literally
Let’s set the scene: our hero, a diligent employee, is handed a new client onboarding checklist by their manager. The instruction? “Follow it exactly as written.” To anyone who’s ever endured corporate bureaucracy, you know that’s a loaded phrase. The checklist itself? A Frankenstein’s monster of outdated steps—think printing digital forms, signing, scanning, and sending them multiple times. It’s the kind of process that would make a tree weep and a productivity guru faint.
But instead of pushing back or quietly skipping redundancies, u/Big_Personality2332 decides to play the game by the book—literally. Every form, no matter how unnecessary, gets printed, signed, scanned, and emailed multiple times. No step is left behind. The client, on the receiving end of this paperwork tsunami, is baffled but can’t help but admire the thoroughness. Meanwhile, the manager—finally forced to face the absurdity—realizes just how broken the process really is.
Malicious Compliance: The Art of Proving a Point
For the uninitiated, “malicious compliance” is the fine art of following instructions to the letter, knowing full well it will produce an absurd or undesirable result. Think of it as workplace performance art, but with more paper cuts and fewer standing ovations.
What’s brilliant about this approach is that it exposes flaws far more effectively than any polite feedback ever could. How many times have you flagged a redundant process, only to be told “it’s always been done this way”? Sometimes, the only way to get your point across is to show—not tell—just how much time and energy is being wasted. In this case, the manager got a front-row seat to the madness they’d unknowingly unleashed.
The Hidden Wisdom in Following Instructions (Too Well)
Stories like this are funny because they hit close to home. Who hasn’t been stuck in a cycle of unnecessary paperwork or pointless meetings? But there’s a nugget of wisdom here: sometimes, the best feedback is to let a broken system run its course—just as written. Only then does the full weight of inefficiency become impossible to ignore.
Plus, there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing you did your job exactly as asked, even if the task itself was ridiculous. It’s a win-win: you avoid blame, highlight the flaws, and maybe, just maybe, spark the process improvement your workplace desperately needs.
The Client’s Perspective: Confused but Impressed
Let’s spare a thought for the client in this story. They’re inundated with digitally signed forms, scanned signatures, and a flurry of emails that could have been a single click. At first, confusion reigns—why so many copies? But as the dust settles, they can’t help but be wowed by the attention to detail. In a world where corners are often cut, going above and beyond (even if unintentionally) can leave a lasting impression. Just maybe, they’ll tell their friends about “that one company that took onboarding very seriously.”
Lessons for Managers: Don’t Ignore the Obvious
For those in charge, this story is a cautionary tale. If your employees are telling you a process doesn’t make sense, listen up! Otherwise, you might find your inbox flooded with redundant paperwork—meticulously executed, but utterly pointless. Empower your team to suggest improvements, and don’t be afraid to kill off steps that no longer serve a purpose.
And if you ever wonder why your printer budget is through the roof, now you know who to blame.
Your Turn: Have You Ever Gone Full Malicious Compliance?
Have you ever followed instructions so literally that it backfired—or led to unexpected improvements? Share your stories in the comments below! Sometimes, the best way to fix a broken system is to let it break in the most spectacular, by-the-book fashion.
Remember: when life hands you a ridiculous checklist, grab a printer, a scanner, and a sense of humor. You might just change your workplace for the better—one unnecessary form at a time.
Original Reddit Post: Boss Said “Follow the Instructions Exactly,” So I Did