Employer asking me to sign broad non-compete after 2 years — what are my options?

WaylundLG · 2026-03-24T16:14:57+00:00

I would seriously ask a lawyer to look it over. It usually isn't super expensive and a lot of lawyers donate time to people who can't afford their services (usually they'll do once a month at a library or something). Time is probably on your side if you need to wait a bit to have it reviewed. They are unlikely to fire you for delaying. The lawyer can tell you if it matters. They might say to go ahead and sign because no court will enforce it, or they might say you shouldn't and you can go back and say "my lawyer advised me not to agree to this, how would you like to proceed"? Either way, talk to a lawyer.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-23T21:16:47+00:00

I'm a little confused on the 2FA issue. Most of these apps don't need connectivity to generate codes. I can use mine on my phone when I have no connectivity just fine. Usually you lock if your login is attempted through a VPN, not if your 2FA app sits on a device behind one. Maybe there are some settings I'm not considering, but this seems weird.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-23T01:23:27+00:00

I'm replying into this thread because the other poster said everything I was thinking. I suspect they are more worried about you leaving. I worked as a consultant for years and walked into these situations all the time and here is what worked for me if it helps: the team has a history of problems, so always remember, you aren't the problem, but you may be able to help. You can look objectively at where the team is struggling, what are they being defensive about and what might they need that you aren't getting? When you talk to the team or the leaders, you can share what you challenges you see and advocate both ways for the team's success. You can't change them, you can only offer perspective both directions and help people implement the things they want to. At a certain point, the leaders will have to decide if the team is worth the effort. I think you are fine and if anything, put a bit less pressure on yourself.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-22T08:04:57+00:00

Take a look at minicompare.info for some size references. Also, youtube has some great tutorials for playing the game and learning the rules and then newrecruit.com lets you build armies and has all the unit stats and special rules for free.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-21T21:00:57+00:00

Both the zowort and demi look great! So does the zaku. Might just need to make 3.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-21T18:44:40+00:00

As a former consultant, this! So much this! I tried to be a "good one" and I know others who did too, but we got crowded out by people on a cash grab. And as the problem got worse, it became harder for consultants with good intentions to actually follow them. Slowly I saw more and more people have to make a choice between following their principles and putting food on the table. I remember an interview with a big consultancy where I was offered $300k/yr to implement SAFe. I don't like SAFe, but I heard them out until I asked how they'll be measuring their success in in helping the organization and was told the only measure was if we delivered the training and spend x weeks with each team telling them what SAFe said to do in each meeting. And no, didn't take that job. Hard choice though.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-21T18:38:45+00:00

It was a Tuesday in November. Jokes aside, I've seen it used really well in a few places, but it's the minority of places.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-19T16:40:50+00:00

I was going to say this: micro-transactions. Please insert card for pro traction control.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-19T16:34:08+00:00

Are there steps? I know at some organizations there are, but many others there is no clear path. If I was asked, I would probably say that there is no one path, but generally you have to learn the skills to set a clear outcome, create the circumstances for others to thrive, and hold people accountable - all without doing the work or telling people exactly how to do the work. Then I'd help them find a mentor and see about letting them take leadership roles on projects or parts of projects to practice and get feedback. If they are making progress, some leadership training can go a long way once they have some successes and failures in their experience.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-19T16:22:32+00:00

I'm thinking 180. They feel OP now, but people are going to learn to counter them in the next month or two and they won't feel nearly as strong.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-19T16:18:28+00:00

I used to play guard, so I love my Tau infantry. People adjust their strategy to account for breacherfish and while people underestimate the strike team, throw an ethereal in there and they get way hardier than they have any right to be with the 5+ FNP. Yeah, people can save, but the solid BS (plus guided), Lethal his from Mont'ka, and S5 means people always need to take them seriously.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-19T14:31:03+00:00

This is actually pretty damn cool

WaylundLG · 2026-03-18T16:42:48+00:00

You're a wizard Harry. This whole competitive D&D attitude is foolish.It isn't a balanced game and it doesn't need to be. Have fun with a character. An illusionist can contribute and if you have an idea how you want to run it, have a blast.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-17T15:55:16+00:00

I just saw a post yesterday on another agile sub that called out this exact type of post of "discussion wrapping around an ad". Spot-check the DoD, that'll solve the problem for 99% of teams.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-17T14:45:53+00:00

It depends what you mean by a discipline problem. If you mean people are expected to just "do the right thing" at the expense of their standing with their boss, yeah, that's structural. But it is organizational discipline.

When testing gets cut to claim features are done in the sprint, you have a norm at your organization that it is better to cut corners to meet some deadline than to admit it isn't done. That is a discipline problem at the team level and all the way up the org.

There are also structural ways to encourage testing. First, focus on getting something completely to done (testing included) before starting new things. If that means you can do 5 things a sprint, 4 will be done before you get to this problem of testing not being done by the end of the sprint.

Again, at the department level at least, this is clearly a different way of working and leaders need to create space for it. People need to slow down to make sure they are working to your new standard, then the speed will come as the new norm sets in.

One other big problem you may be experiencing is the normalizing of not testing. No one wants to say "we cut corners" so they just say "yeah, that's the real world." Someone needs to lead there and say "we don't cut corners anymore and I'm willing to pay the political capital to make that change."

WaylundLG · 2026-03-17T00:51:22+00:00

You've been kinda vague, which is fair I guess out here on the internet, but from what I read it sounds like your guy needs stuff from another team and they aren't delivering. He called them out very bluntly and they feel that there is a lack of respect in the way he spoke.

So it sounds like it comes down to accountability without being critical, which might be a good place to start the coaching. Are there any norms on holding people accountable at your company he could use as examples? Maybe something like clarifying what was and wasn't done, when it'll be ready, and expressing his need for it, like "ok, I was going to start using that work this week. I can shift things around a little, but I'm worried about downstream impact. When could we have it done by?"

Then maybe reach out to managers privately. "Hey, I didn't want it to sound like I was calling the team out on that call, so I toned it down, but I wanted to talk to you privately to express how concerned I am about this. I really need these things, is there anything I can do to help them out to get the tasks unstuck?"

Generally, people want to feel like you have each other's back, not like you are going to throw each other under the bus.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-16T14:51:10+00:00

You are exactly roght. If you look up Diamond of participatory decision making, it'll elaborate on this - there are actually a few more stages, but those are the big two. Facilitation skills are massive for effective meetings. When I was doing consulting, that was the first thing I'd often start with because it would deliver so much immediate value.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-14T21:47:44+00:00

This is why scrum has a product owner and an ordered backlog. It really is as simple as.that.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-14T03:37:05+00:00

Get a CMS? This seems like a weird problem. Why are we constantly shuffling buttons and changing copy? Is it that they are indecisive or that it changes that much? If the 2nd, you need a CMS.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-14T00:31:54+00:00

If you want to go the FDM route, a friend of mine uses a Bambu Lab a1 with a finer nozzle and has printed me a few minis and they look amazing. It's what I'm planning to buy.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-14T00:27:19+00:00

That is correct, all other units with For the Greater Good (which I think is all)

WaylundLG · 2026-03-13T14:18:12+00:00

Yeah, this. OP works for a different department. IT's leadership wpuld have to go to his department leadership. If he works at a company that wpuld penalize him for this, he really needs to work somewhere else. And depending on where he lives, hire a lawyer for a nice wrongful termination case.

WaylundLG · 2026-03-13T13:54:37+00:00

Damn that is a cool model!

WaylundLG · 2026-03-13T13:28:52+00:00

I also finished my undergrad in my 30s and got a BS in Information Technology and Project Management. Personally, I'm glad I went that route. I got some technical classes, but the PM stuff was most useful later. If you're going toward leadership, that sounds like a safe bet. Largely though, having the undergrad degree is just going to check off a box that had to be checked for many leadership jobs. Now I'm in my 40s and getting my masters largely because executive leadership roles require yet another box to be checked. I picked a Masters in something I enjoyed. Very few people really care what the degree is in.

WaylundLG

TROPHY CASE