Note to higher-ups: If you ignore my project until the last minute, you no longer have the right to freak out about my work. Criticizing at the last minute is useless and just serves to piss off everyone who works for you.

it's not useless. it makes you work harder. to counter this, do a half-assed job and turn it in at the last minute. that way, it makes your half-assed efforts seem like more work than it was. ask for feedback along the way so it looks like you were really trying. when all shit breaks loose, do your only actual work in the last 10 hours. that's what being a team player means.

that's my point. STOP TRYING. just look like you're trying. and only kinda try at the last hour. your total effort will go way down and your attitude will look better, meaning it will look more like you're an ideal employee when you're really a much worse one. but the result is you'll be paid more for less work.

I'm right there with you. The most aggro thing about my job is that I'm the last stop, so everyone else fucks around 'til the last minute, then drops it in my lap for me to pretty it up and tie it together. Which means no matter how on the ball I may be, I'm still stuck being frazzled.