austinpscottt's Blogs

i'm a manager and i'd like to think i'm a nice one :-) How old are you Austin and what type of job do you do?

thanks guys for your explanations, love scott

i had a long history of manager positions. i learned fast i did a better job "leading by example". i also had to learn how everyone responds to a different motivational stimulus.
i'm happy now just doing my job left to my devices and conscience. i know that sounds rare but i have to answer to any of my failures if any of course.

Yes, there are good managers. I am lucky to have a good manager in charge of the plant where I work. He is supposed to be a desk jockey, doing paperwork, scheduling and overseeing production. However, he does spend a lot of time in the production area doing manual labor, he does not have an attitude of being better than anybody else. Unfortunately for me, an ignorant co-worker of mine was recently appointed as my supervisor. He is proof of the quote by Abraham Lincoln mentioned by swiftjohn below. I am more knowledgeable in many aspects of my job than my supervisor, he was promoted due to his many years of service with the company. The promotion really inflated his ego, many of my co-workers have asked me how I can put up with him. Several times when we have disagreed about how a job should be done, he ends the discussion by saying "WHATEVER" and walking away. I guess that is his childish way of admitting that he is wrong. I've heard through the grapevine that the plant manager is sorry that he promoted my supervisor, now we are waiting for him to retire.

I am a retired scientist - the best (and nicest) managers that I had could do my job as well as me; the worst didn't understand what I was doing and substituted their ignorance by giving irrelevant instructions. Good managers generate respect as well as affection.

We all have to do our little monkey tricks. In return we are given genuine coin of the realm with which we put a roof over our heads, food on our tables, clothes on our backs and anal lube by our beds. And managers are there to ensure that we do our monkey tricks in such a way to create a specific outcome. And if that outcome is not achieved, it is the manager's head on the chopping block. Quite often, a manager is viewed by one of the monkeys as an asshole without considering that the manager is an asshole only because the monkey won't do his trick for which he is paid the way he's supposed to in order to achieve the desired outcome. But being a manager requires more than just technical skills. Being a manager also requires people skills. A good manager possesses both. For a bad manager, the monkeys do their tricks because they have to. For a good manager, the monkeys do their tricks because they want to. That is called leadership. I've had bad managers. I've had good managers. The good ones last. The bad ones don't. And unless you win the lottery, accept the fact that you will always have a manager. So do your little monkey trick the way you're supposed to and chances are your manager won't be an asshole. "If you ever want to know the character of a man - give him power" - Abraham Lincoln

Not all of them are assholes I had a few nice ones back in the days but i seem to move on from the job or worst laid off. One boss didnt want to lay me off since I was harder working the more of the senior guys and I get payed less then them too but the downfall was there package they would get for letting them go. I was only half a years pay when some of them had to get 5 to 6 years pay or something like that.

Not all managers are assholes. Like Mike said, there are nice managers. Keep in mind. Managers have bosses also. If you feel you are being mistreated at work and you cannot resolve the problem with your boss. Then by all means go above his/her head.

never a truer word Mike, I must attract them