May 16, 2020 at 12:00 am
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Bad Managers
May 16, 2020 at 10:06 am
I consider myself very fortunate as I can count the number of bad managers I’ve had in my long career on one finger. This isn’t to say my other managers were stellar but they had a good mix of people skills, technical knowledge, and business acumen to build teams that the job done. That said, I do see many managers, especially in technical fields, exemplify the Peter Principle so I don’t think you’re experience is uncommon.
Earlier in my career, my manager decided to leave the firm to pursue a different vocation (farming). He strongly encouraged me to apply for the vacated database manager position since I was the lead DBA. Even though the pay bump was significant, I declined because I enjoyed my hands-on technical role and would rather be an excellent DBA than a mediocre manager.
May 16, 2020 at 4:44 pm
I, unfortunately, have experienced everything the author mentioned and more. I've enjoyed the work sectors I've been involved in, however, IT was more of a necessary evil and not the main focus of the employer. Underscoring many of the examples the author gives, I'd say too often the "manager" is focused on managing up, trying to please his/her superiors, rather than leading his team. You won't be able to make the big bosses happy for long if you've created an environment which projects no value to the very staff that allows you to make the bosses happy.
May 18, 2020 at 10:11 am
I, unfortunately, have experienced everything the author mentioned and more. I've enjoyed the work sectors I've been involved in, however, IT was more of a necessary evil and not the main focus of the employer. Underscoring many of the examples the author gives, I'd say too often the "manager" is focused on managing up, trying to please his/her superiors, rather than leading his team. You won't be able to make the big bosses happy for long if you've created an environment which projects no value to the very staff that allows you to make the bosses happy.
Our team has just been taken over by a manager with just such characteristics. He's not well received - generally he seems to get in the way of what we need to do, rather than help in any way. It's certainly frustrating, and is diametrically opposed to the rest of our team who are brilliant at having each others backs to get the job done.
May 18, 2020 at 11:24 am
One of the worst managers I had was one who never gave credit for work we did. This was only enhanced one year when the company, one of the Big 3 automakers, gave managers and above bonuses of up to 100% salary. The common sentiment was, "What did Bill do to deserve a 100% bonus that none of us did for him?"
May 18, 2020 at 1:54 pm
Keeping this short and sweet. With around 25 years of I.T. experience, I can safely say that good managers are a fantasy. If you have had one, you have been blessed, and I am sure you know it.
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