August 26, 2011 at 8:45 am
I find it less important whether the manager 'gets the concepts' than whether she recognizes that she doesn't get them. I have had good managers who had no concept of what I was doing, but they stood back and let me do it. They weren't weak managers by your definition because they were problem solvers that would shield me from crap and help me overcome obstacles, which is what I need in a manager. I would by far prefer that kind of a manager than one who "thinks" they get the concepts, and/or tries to get me to explain concepts to them that they have no possibility of understanding, or one that might get them, but spends too much of my time asking me to explain minutia with them so that they know exactly what I am doing every minute of the day.
The ideal manager leaves me alone until I need them. Most of the time managers have realized that I don't need hand-holding and have let me do my job. I've had problems with ones who wasted too much of my time trying to understand details that were too deep for their skills (or more detailed than a manager needs to know). That's not saying that I am reluctant to give status updates, I'm not at all. I just don't see the need to put every minor technical decision up for debate between people not equipped to make the decision 🙂
--
Anye Mercy
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"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." -- Inigo Montoya in "Princess Bride"
"Civilization exists by geologic consent, subject to change without notice." -- Will Durant
August 26, 2011 at 8:56 am
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.
[/quote]
Especially when you have a family and they are married to the job. I don't mind staying late for a project when you have deadlines, but when my kids are sick and they say "you're married, let your wife deal with it...you are the breadwinner you need to make sure you keep your job." In this economy both parents are the breadwinners and if I want to take my kids to the doctor and show them that a Dad is part of the family too then I should be able to!
Ed Watson aka SQLGator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
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August 26, 2011 at 8:56 am
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.
[/quote]
Especially when you have a family and they are married to the job. I don't mind staying late for a project when you have deadlines, but when my kids are sick and they say "you're married, let your wife deal with it...you are the breadwinner you need to make sure you keep your job." In this economy both parents are the breadwinners and if I want to take my kids to the doctor and show them that a Dad is part of the family too then I should be able to!
Ed Watson aka SQLGator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Follow me on Twitter!
Go Gators!
August 26, 2011 at 8:56 am
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.
[/quote]
Especially when you have a family and they are married to the job. I don't mind staying late for a project when you have deadlines, but when my kids are sick and they say "you're married, let your wife deal with it...you are the breadwinner you need to make sure you keep your job." In this economy both parents are the breadwinners and if I want to take my kids to the doctor and show them that a Dad is part of the family too then I should be able to!
Ed Watson aka SQLGator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Follow me on Twitter!
Go Gators!
August 26, 2011 at 9:22 am
I had a workaholic manager once [on Wall Street NYC] who said, "If you stay past 9, the company will buy you dinner and send you home in a limousine.” I replied, “If I leave at 5, I can take the subway home, cook my own d.mn dinner and eat with my family.” I was gone in three months. So was she. Downsized department.:-D
August 26, 2011 at 9:29 am
Strong, but with a caveat ... some managers "micro-manage", something I avoid at all costs, even to lose a strong manager
August 26, 2011 at 9:45 am
All the parts of the body were trying to decide which one would be the boss. The brains said "I do all the thinking so I should be the boss". The stomach said "I process the food so you can think so I should be the boss." The ***hole said "I'm going to be the boss". The other body parts laughed and said "you're just an ***hole, you can't be the boss". So the ***hole clammed up. Three dyas later the brain couldn't think, stomach couldn't process anymore food. They had an emergency meeting and elected the ***hole the boss. So you don't have to have brains or a strong stomach to be the boss, you just have to be an ***hole.:-P
I've worked for a few of those in my time.
August 26, 2011 at 10:06 am
I am stealing that one LOL
Ed Watson aka SQLGator
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August 26, 2011 at 11:01 am
Was that a trick question?
I prefer a strong boss; if I get a weak one, I WILL become the de-facto leader of the team, because leadership is an imperative.
Some bosses fall in between strong and weak; often this can be modified with proper training. If you're not actively engaged in training your manager, you might want to consider doing so. "It's Okay to Manage Your Boss" by Bruce Tulgan is a good read; a little slow and repetitive at the beginning, but stick with it - it gets better.
A weak boss is sometimes redeemable; see above. If your boss isn't performing up to standard, and you haven't tried to help them improve, then you're doing yourself, your boss and your company a dis-service (IMHO).
Being managed is a two-way street (something they don't teach you in college). Make sure you're hold up your end of that relationship.
Micro-managers usually respond to data (I like to flood them with it) and training.
Bullies are difficult to deal with; get help! That's what a Human Resources department is for; just make sure you go to them with specifics of the objectionable behavior. If it's impacting multiple people, ask them to go to HR as well (especially if they are outside of your team - that carries quite a bit of weight if other teams are being affected). If HR won't help, get a different manager / new company.
Bottom line for me: don't wait for the manager to change themselves. Be bold, be brave, emulate the behavior you want from your manager. So much of our prior experience comes from a "command and control" structure that we need to remind ourselves that this is a different world in many respects. So many studies have shown that teamwork and collaboration work much better than "c & c"; as you come across those, share them with your team, and share them outside your team to the larger team that you work within - your company.
Whew! Getting down off soap box ... NOW! :hehe:
Steph Brown
August 26, 2011 at 11:17 am
I prefer 'command and conquer' but that is the gamer in me lol
Ed Watson aka SQLGator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
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August 26, 2011 at 2:37 pm
As is the case with development and solutions, 'one style' does not fit all situations. I'd say that on first glance the #1 type of manager, strong technically, strong personally would seem the obvious choice. BUT if that person is strong and confident, they may also become inflexible at times and push for what they feel is the best solution.
It's been my experience that unfortunately the best solution is what the customer wants. Let me clarify, not necessarily the correct solution, but the best.
Another axiom that I like is that:
"one must know when to be mighty like the oak, and gentle like the reed"
loosly put that means that by and large the oak is stronger than the reed, BUT in the face of a hurricane, the oak will snap and a field of reeds will just go with the flow.
The BEST manager knows when to be assertive and strong, and when to be passive and agreeable. That is sometimes a tough line to tow.
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