Especially a) managers not knowing the basic tasks the people they manage do (I got trained in everything my employees did at my last job. I didn't generally have to drive a fork truck or order picker, but on really busy days I was definitely out there in the tunnels picking parts for orders
b) the need to manage up. Which sucks in that we'd all like to respect and trust the people we report to - who often, yes, make more money - but that's just not the way it is. If I'm a bit skeptical of the ultra wealthy thinking they deserve orders of magnitude more for their skills, it's mostly because in my experience people up the chain of command are generally neutral to bad. They're sometimes more hindrances and obstacles then help, and the ones that are truly amazing are a treas and a rarity. I consider it kind of a compliment if a manager is just 'alright'. And wow, that sounds even worse when I type it out. Like, being 'alright' is fine. There really are good reasons these people make the big bucks, and it's a tough job to do right. It's just kind of annoying that mediocre and bad ones get paid about the same and get credit similar to what the ones who actually do a good job do. Also that the system seems to reward bad and mediocre business people, and even helps protect them from the consequences of their actions. Like... You may not be a horrible waste of space, but when lots of people are one paycheck away from disaster and deal with uncertainty and job loss all the time, I fail to see why your mediocrity deserves more security. Either make everyone have molder consequences, or make everyone deal with high risk and uncertainty... I have my personal preferences, but the real problem is the double standard. (and the way their screw ups affect ordinary people even more. Like the bailouts. I get why economists and politicians felt it was needed, and far too many people suffer during times of economic uncertainty... So I'd rather we prevent that then not. But it's really messed up that it's structured that way. That's also part of why I'm not so much of a fan of revolution and boogaloo boys and the folks trying to create chaos for political gain. Did they not realize that the main theme in Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, etc is that a lot of people suffer? Many of them innocent? And most often the ordinary people who don't have resources to but protection. Using such a strategy to gain power is pretty much proof you don't deserve it, since you're a pretty shitty shepherd or steward. Same, btw, for coronavirus and vaccines and public health. If you want to act a fool, and you're the only one who suffers the consequences, then that's your business. But when your foolishness means other people suffer the consequences, that's a problem.
Also c) meetings, updates, and 'keeping the boss informed' can sometimes get in the way of doing what has to be done. Like when we were busy and I was picking parts? That was partly because we're generally able to cover for each other in a pinch, so some of the other supervisors and coordinators were able to track our progress and make decisions on how to shift where people were working. Yes, the chain of command needs to be kept in the loop, but sometimes the hardest part of being a manager is being patient and letting your people do their jobs.
This, btw, relates back a bit to the 'don't always understand what managers do' piece. Because if I've ensured my people have the training and resources they need, then they can generally do the work without my hovering. But there's actually quite a bit of work involved in that, it's just done weeks/months/years before.
Its making time to cross train when things seem slow, or placing the orders for ammunition and equipment a month earlier, or giving timely feedback on performance issues, or any number of little things. People don't necessarily see good management at work, but the definitely feel it's absence.
No comments:
Post a Comment