Just a rant about managers

[Anonymous]

Not looking for advice, just want to rant - but what is it with micromanaging? Is it because "training" is no longer offered, and we just hire people into managerial positions without considering how they manage? We are always given "climate surveys" which clearly don't matter.

Our work environment has very low morale, but between the constant micromanaging, which yes...feels like you're passively implying I don't know how to do my job despite my being here for 5 years and despite my higher education level...the furloughs, the lack of appreciation or acknowledgment for a job well done, it is all sort of compounding into constant resentment, in turn zapping motivation.

I just don't understand why more senior people feel the need to behave like this. It definitely hurts your employees and in turn makes your organization run less smoothly.

Don't do it.

[Anonymous]

Too many managers are insecure or narcissistic, either of which can lead to micromanagement. Too many are also selected for their skill in the field, not their ability to manage, which are 2 different skills.

Being good or great at what you do doesn't mean you'll be a good manager.

It is a horribly unproductive and disempowering trait and technique, I agree. It's a shame more managers don't see when they're doing it, or when their subordinate managers are doing it because it kills initiative, morale, and productivity.

[Anonymous]

I also think a lot of managers don't internalize that their roles fundamentally shift when they move from independent contributor to manager, and even fewer understand that the shift from manager to "director" (or whatever you want to call it) demands an entirely different skillset. What I tell my team by level is this:

If you are a new hire out of school your focus needs to be business fundamentals, learning and understanding how do the analyses, how to interpret results and how to present.

If you are an associate looking to move to manager, you need to be developing your own agenda and identifying opportunities and problems proactively. As a manager, that's going to be your primary responsibility: driving results

If you are a manager looking to move to the next level, you need to let go of the details and focus not on the business but on leadership development within your team; cultivate success and drive engagement - that will lead to success and growth.

[Anonymous]

HR Bitch here: what happens is if someone is good at their job, they are, at a certain point, rewarded by being made manager. Very few people realize that managing people is an actual skill. As a manager, a person has to feel very secure in their position. Anyone who gets a managerial position and worries they don't deserve it will compensate for those feelings by throwing around their power. Sorry you're dealing with a difficult manager, OP.

[Anonymous]

OP here...the thing is, there are SO many ways to get feedback. Like I said, we do "climate surveys" all the dang time - yet the only climate that changes is outside of our office!
Our manager is nice enough as a person, but completely unable to handle stress - if we have something big upcoming, you can definitely tell and her attitude shifts. If it's calm here, she's calm. To me, you shouldn't be able to tell your manager is stressed due to a big thing coming up. A manager should expect those big things since, you know, they're a manager.

and the lack of appreciation for underlings...it's ridiculous IMO. pay freezes, furloughs - they're out of our control. So a few extra "thank yous" or some 59s go a long way to making your underlings feel appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I think it is typically an insecurity thing. That seems to be what it is with my boss, who is worse because not only does she micromanage all of yours tasks one day, but the next day you see her rarely and when you do she's completely tolerable. You never know which one you're going to get and it's exhausting.

I work for a small company so it's not a "feeling like my job is threatened by this underling" insecurity thing, it's just a general dislike for being constructively criticized or having subordinates make suggestions that you didn't come up with yourself. She's very paternalistic and while she is great at her non-managerial work like drumming up new business and advising on some of the theoretical work, she manages like there is absolutely no other way to do the project than the way she sees it being done!!

[Anonymous]

OMG 10:30, we are in the same situation.
I never know from one morning to the next how she's going to be - we have a VERY small shop - 12 people - and the other civilians completely agree and are completely irritated. I think I am probably more so because I'm young and am frustrated about disliking the situation whereas the others are content to just count down until retirement.

I'm not even constructively criticized. I'm either criticized or ignored. When I know how to do the "above and beyond" aspects of my job, I'm still reminded how to do them ("call their office, let them know their bosses are on their way back from the meeting" really? because I haven't done that 50 times over the years?).

[Anonymous]

If you ever become a manager you'll see how it is. Your staff's performance is a reflection of you and if you are at a company that is not doing well, then the pressure mounts. Managers are only as good as the staff that they manage. It's important for staff to build trust with their managers and also learn to manage up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you ever become a manager you'll see how it is. Your staff's performance is a reflection of you and if you are at a company that is not doing well, then the pressure mounts. Managers are only as good as the staff that they manage. It's important for staff to build trust with their managers and also learn to manage up.

Fair enough, but do you believe that good managers should want the best of the best working under them? That once an employee has proven themselves over several assignments that they need some independence to work well? Not to mention that I've never, ever, heard an employee say their office morale was boosted by a micromanager - does morale and general working style/environment not have a significant effect on productivity?

What these poor managers don't realize is that this is like being in a relationship with a clingy person. The person clinging to you is doing so because they are concerned you will leave the relationship and they want to show how much they want you to stay in the relationship. Meanwhile the clinginess rapidly gets old and the partner ends up being pushed away by it and leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you ever become a manager you'll see how it is. Your staff's performance is a reflection of you and if you are at a company that is not doing well, then the pressure mounts. Managers are only as good as the staff that they manage. It's important for staff to build trust with their managers and also learn to manage up.

Which is why I don't want to be come a manager - And unfortunately, if a manager doesn't show employees the respect or trust to do what they were hired to do, they are sort of screwed. They tend to be all too happy to blame the underlings for bad work, but then never share the credit for good work. That said, a good manager should know how to use their people properly, not micromanage. It's not a management style that gets long term results or long term motivation.

We're a fed office. There's no "company doing well". But I think it's probably not a good thing when your employees have very low morale as a result of your managerial style.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you ever become a manager you'll see how it is. Your staff's performance is a reflection of you and if you are at a company that is not doing well, then the pressure mounts. Managers are only as good as the staff that they manage. It's important for staff to build trust with their managers and also learn to manage up.

Which is why I don't want to be come a manager - And unfortunately, if a manager doesn't show employees the respect or trust to do what they were hired to do, they are sort of screwed. They tend to be all too happy to blame the underlings for bad work, but then never share the credit for good work. That said, a good manager should know how to use their people properly, not micromanage. It's not a management style that gets long term results or long term motivation.

We're a fed office. There's no "company doing well". But I think it's probably not a good thing when your employees have very low morale as a result of your managerial style.

Either you are a manager, or someone is managing you. The higher you are up the management chain, the fewer people that manage your work. I resisted making manager, but it really is a good thing to pursue. If you were a manager, you wouldn't have a manager bothering you, maybe a director, but they tend to be more hands off. Besides that, managers make more money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you ever become a manager you'll see how it is. Your staff's performance is a reflection of you and if you are at a company that is not doing well, then the pressure mounts. Managers are only as good as the staff that they manage. It's important for staff to build trust with their managers and also learn to manage up.

I can only do so much managing up. My manager's anxiety makes it harder to do my job because I'm always trying to guess what she wants and it's not clear what that is some days. Imagine spending the day trying to decide which approach to take but not knowing whether you'll be attacked for it, regardless. She just doesn't trust people to do their jobs. I basically have the philosophy that it's important for me to do a good job in spite of how I am treated - but as others have said, it's exhausting and they lose good people because of it.

That said, she's not as bad as some of the people described on this thread and if I didn't work for her I think we'd be great friends. I feel guilty for criticizing her behind her back but some days I think that her being a nice person in many ways just makes it worse because I do feel guilty and I shouldn't!

[Anonymous]

I have no desire to manage people or projects in the way we think of "managers" here. It's not because I have no drive, but the work/life balance isn't something I wish to give up (not that I actually have one at this job, but it would only get worse). I don't think the money is worth it. And based on my past managers, I don't really have the best role models on how to manage (though, I know how I wouldn't WANT to manage so that's something!).
But it's just not something I am interested in.

[Anonymous]

My "senior managing director" is the one who needs to take some courses, in developing talent and consistent decision-making processes. She is going to lose even more good people if she continues this control freak stuff and random project decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you ever become a manager you'll see how it is. Your staff's performance is a reflection of you and if you are at a company that is not doing well, then the pressure mounts. Managers are only as good as the staff that they manage. It's important for staff to build trust with their managers and also learn to manage up.

Ha! After years of giving high performers normal reviews, the year boss lady underperformed, went out of the speaking/networking circuit overly month, and restructuring the small team to her personal advantage, she also threw people under the bus in their reviews. Badly.
She got replaced. Ironically she had the same references at her previous place of employment. Awful manager and leader. Meanwhile, 50% attrition in her team.