Middle Management Blues

There are two people at work who drive me absolutely nutty.   Neither has seen the inside of a gym in years ; both are loud know-it-alls (who don’t know half what they think they know) and both play the power game and crap all over the poor people who work for them (while at the same time telling those same people that everyone else did the crapping but them).   I think you can guess that they are both ass-kissing lackeys.   They both have abilities, and it’s a shame that they have gone to the dark side. What is it about human nature that makes me think they are in it solely for themselves and not for the team?   I would swear on a stack of Business Weeks that every move they make is designed and preplanned to bring glory to themselves and work and drudgery to others.   However, I would bet a paycheck that they believe in their tiny, puny little hearts that they are uber-team players. I’m writing this in the aftermath of the rancor in DC about the ...

Ah, sweet summertime, allowing me to hang outside until bedtime.  Unfortunately I haven't been writing, but you already knew that.  So, some catching up... In a recent post that seemed to be about the band Phish but really had some lessons it in (trust me), I forgot to mention one thing about younger workers that I should have made clear: they screw up.  All the time.  In my org this is the opportunity for the manager to pull the poor quivering kid into his office, close the door, and make like a dickhead for five or ten minutes.  There really are few better ways to stifle creativity than yelling and screaming.  However, if you can stomach a mistake now and then, and if you're patient, and if you can keep the kid out from under the bus people will send for him, the bright light of new stuff will guide you into obscene bonuses and thoughtless promotions.  Or not.  Just go easy on them - they were you, once.  You can tolerate a...