August 25, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Would You Rather Work for a Strong or Weak Manager?
August 26, 2011 at 5:28 am
Strong - definitely. At least you know where you're going, and you tend to get used to better purpose.
I've said there are four kinds of managers:
1 - Technically strong, weak personal skills
2 - Technically weak, strong personal skills
3 - Technically strong, strong personal skills
4 - Technically weak, weak personal skills
I can work for any of the first three - there's always some redeeming quality that you can respect. Unfortunately, the Peter Principle tends to make many bosses fall into #4 above - getting them promoted to their level of incompetence.
Fortunately, I've had a string of good luck lately, and my past 3 bosses have not been in category #4.
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August 26, 2011 at 5:53 am
I want a manager who is brave. Brave enough to protect the team and our work from outside pressures, and brave enough to address issues within the team. Also, I like a manager who is brave enough to understand his/her technical weaknesses and make up for it by utilizing the team or obtainig the knowledge. I have a manager who is strong technically and is a really nice fellow, however he has difficulty confronting issues or bad ideas with the people causing them. This causes a lot of frustration and wasted time/money.
IT Managers need to understand that it is their responsibility to make upper management and other departments aware of the pitfalls and realities of a decision. They are doing their organization a disservice if they are not.
Managers also need to confront issues within the team directly, not beat around the bush. For example if someone's work effort is in doubt, address that person and monitor them closely and helpfully, do not make the entire team suffer the burden of stricter controls.
Holly
August 26, 2011 at 6:25 am
We are leaving out the bully and the micro-manager, both of which can make life very difficult especially when they are technically strong.
Ed Watson aka SQLGator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
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August 26, 2011 at 6:27 am
hlewis (8/26/2011)
I want a manager who is brave. Brave enough to protect the team and our work from outside pressures, and brave enough to address issues within the team. Also, I like a manager who is brave enough to understand his/her technical weaknesses and make up for it by utilizing the team or obtainig the knowledge. I have a manager who is strong technically and is a really nice fellow, however he has difficulty confronting issues or bad ideas with the people causing them. This causes a lot of frustration and wasted time/money.IT Managers need to understand that it is their responsibility to make upper management and other departments aware of the pitfalls and realities of a decision. They are doing their organization a disservice if they are not.
Managers also need to confront issues within the team directly, not beat around the bush. For example if someone's work effort is in doubt, address that person and monitor them closely and helpfully, do not make the entire team suffer the burden of stricter controls.
Holly
Very well said and I strongly agree.
Ed Watson aka SQLGator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Follow me on Twitter!
Go Gators!
August 26, 2011 at 6:38 am
I'd like a strong manager, and I'd like to commute to work with a jet pack. I've given up on hoping a strong manager will come along some day. I'm not giving up on the jet pack though.
August 26, 2011 at 6:40 am
hlewis (8/26/2011)
I want a manager who is brave. Brave enough to protect the team and our work from outside pressures, and brave enough to address issues within the team. Also, I like a manager who is brave enough to understand his/her technical weaknesses and make up for it by utilizing the team or obtainig the knowledge. I have a manager who is strong technically and is a really nice fellow, however he has difficulty confronting issues or bad ideas with the people causing them. This causes a lot of frustration and wasted time/money.IT Managers need to understand that it is their responsibility to make upper management and other departments aware of the pitfalls and realities of a decision. They are doing their organization a disservice if they are not.
Managers also need to confront issues within the team directly, not beat around the bush. For example if someone's work effort is in doubt, address that person and monitor them closely and helpfully, do not make the entire team suffer the burden of stricter controls.
Holly
Absolutely spot on, IMHO. To summarize, I believe a manager should be an "enabler" rather than an "obstacle", a "mentor" rather than a "mouse", and a "guiding light" rather than than "blinding beacon" of a train getting ready to run someone over.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
August 26, 2011 at 7:13 am
Definitely working for a strong manager any day.
My biggest grumble is when my own manager seems less competent in defending the interests of the team against outside influences. There is nothing worse than watching a pending mini-disaster approach due to the inadequacies of the manager and being powerless to stop it due to organisational structures / politics.
While a good manager does not need to be techinally aware of everything they do need to have a enough knowledge to spot when other managers are speaking technical bullshit (ie exagerating the brilliant benefits of XY approach with fanastic cost savings, etc).
August 26, 2011 at 7:47 am
I'd rather work for Andy Warren.
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"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
August 26, 2011 at 7:48 am
As with everything else - It Depends.
Sometimes with weak managers, I find myself becoming the defacto manager of myself. I make the priorities, defend myself and teammates, and, if necessary, go around the manager to get those priorities needed to make the project successful. Would I prefer a strong manager? Absolutely. But, I would guess for most of us, the job/project at hand is most important and career comes next. We adapt to make the project successful, which helps our careers, of course. And as much as that may mean learning new technology and stepping out in areas we are not 100% comfortable with, it may also mean learning to navigate an odd political landscape.
Thoughts?
August 26, 2011 at 7:56 am
Bully Managers are the about the worst with Micro Managers one step better. Given that as a DBA I tend to have a rather strong personality, when I encounter a bully manager I know that my days are quickly numbered. I will not put with a bad situation very long.
Micro Managers are easier to handle, since it is easy to give them as many tasks as they give you. Sometimes it can be as simple as handing them a card that says on one side Turn Over and then on the other side Turn Over.
One other class that has not been mentioned is the Workaholic boss. They are there all time and do not understand why you are not. I had one that once pointed to all the contractors on the floor and said that they are here working hard past hours and asked why as salaried employee I was not. I got the hint and became a contractor. Now I am just as happy to work as many hours as they want me to and my family is happier too.
August 26, 2011 at 7:58 am
Craigmeister (8/26/2011)
As with everything else - It Depends.Sometimes with weak managers, I find myself becoming the defacto manager of myself. I make the priorities, defend myself and teammates, and, if necessary, go around the manager to get those priorities needed to make the project successful. Would I prefer a strong manager? Absolutely. But, I would guess for most of us, the job/project at hand is most important and career comes next. We adapt to make the project successful, which helps our careers, of course. And as much as that may mean learning new technology and stepping out in areas we are not 100% comfortable with, it may also mean learning to navigate an odd political landscape.
Thoughts?
---------------------------------------------------------
How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
August 26, 2011 at 8:11 am
I prefer a strong but most importantly honest manager, and one that does not have a 'tefal' (non sticky) attitude. A person who stands up to be counted, and takes responsiblity.
One that doesn't have the it was ok when I left it way of working.
August 26, 2011 at 8:15 am
Who would NOT want to work for a strong manager? Good managers are hard to come by... as is good leadership in general. Unless he is incompetent, a strong (insert any title here) knows what needs to be done, knows who can do it and how long it will take and knows what his people need to get the job done, End of story.
Most of the failures of society and business are due to poor leadership and/or management. Very few are due to acts of nature.
The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival.
August 26, 2011 at 8:37 am
I had another thought on the topic.
Whilst it is good to work for a strong manager when it works in your favour, how about the flip side.
For example when you disagree with the direction they take, or when you have made a mistake and get called to account by them....
Perhaps sometimes it is easier to have a weak manager in certain circumstances. 😀
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