Working in food production and my supervisor has made "perfection" his entire personality.
We're talking rewashing equipment that's already been washed, sanitized, and oven dried — because of microscopic residue on imperfect shaped pans. At what point is clean, clean? Apparently never in his world.
Every minor thing becomes a crisis. Tiny mess somewhere? Stop everything. Something slightly out of place? Address it immediately regardless of timing or priority. There's no concept of good enough, no prioritization, just an endless moving goalpost of perfect.
And the kicker — he doesn't apply any of this to himself. Zero self awareness about how his own inefficiency affects the whole team. But if someone else makes the smallest mistake? He's on it immediately.
No acknowledgment when people go above and beyond. Just blame hunting when anything goes slightly wrong.
The frustrating part is he's completely complaint-proof. Nothing is technically wrong enough to escalate. Impossible standards dressed up as dedication and management eats it up.
I've got a few months left before I move on to something else entirely. Just trying to survive without losing my mind.
For those who've worked under chronic perfectionists — how did you mentally handle it?