3 ms·

"I feel that we have no leverage over her at all." What a horrible approach to management.

by mv4 5y ago

znpy 5y ago
The advice is even worse. Edit: see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737
- samename 5y ago
  How so?
  - znpy 5y ago
    See my other reply to the post itself -- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737
- hodgesrm 5y ago
  Could you be more specific? Having a non-confrontational conversation to get what you need and figuring out how to reduce the dependency on a key employee are pretty obvious tactics. If there's anything "bad" about this advice, it's that adopting the detached attitude necessary for such conversations is hard when you are stressed about the situation yourself. My coping mechanism is to be relentlessly positive that things will work out but that clearly does not work for everyone. (Including me, sometimes.)
  - znpy 5y ago
    See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737
    - hodgesrm 5y ago
      The useful advice is in the second half of the answer. Your comment seems to be fixating on just one part of the response.
- MyHypatia 5y ago
  How is the advice worse? The advice is acknowledging the reality that employees can always leave whether for other job opportunities or family reasons or just because. As a business owner, you need to plan for that reality. Having the expectation that your employees will never leave you for other things is unrealistic and unhealthy. The employer makes it clear that the employee does a great job. The only complaint the business owner seems to have is that the employee isn't in a desperate financial situation and thus has control over her life decisions.
  - fzzzy 5y ago
    "The only complaint the business owner seems to have is that the employee isn't in a desperate financial situation and thus has control over her life decisions." This is the sad situation we are in presently.
Spivak 5y ago
Good lord. I hope this person either reevaluates their whole approach to management or stops being a manager. If the club you swing around as a manger is “or you’re fired” then you got into management for very very wrong reasons.
- nonameiguess 5y ago
  It's likely they don't want to be a manager at all. It says they started their own business and have two employees. Probably just didn't want to work for someone else, but realized they can't do it alone, but don't have the means to hire an actual manager to hand the reigns to. You can have the greatest idea for a product or a business, but it doesn't mean you know jack about leadership or human motivation.

"I feel that we have no leverage over her at all." What a horrible approach to management.

by mv4 5y ago

"I feel that we have no leverage over her at all." What a horrible approach to management.

znpy 5y ago

The advice is even worse. Edit: see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737

samename 5y ago
How so?
- znpy 5y ago
  See my other reply to the post itself -- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737
hodgesrm 5y ago
Could you be more specific? Having a non-confrontational conversation to get what you need and figuring out how to reduce the dependency on a key employee are pretty obvious tactics. If there's anything "bad" about this advice, it's that adopting the detached attitude necessary for such conversations is hard when you are stressed about the situation yourself. My coping mechanism is to be relentlessly positive that things will work out but that clearly does not work for everyone. (Including me, sometimes.)
- znpy 5y ago
  See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28215737
  - hodgesrm 5y ago
    The useful advice is in the second half of the answer. Your comment seems to be fixating on just one part of the response.
MyHypatia 5y ago
How is the advice worse? The advice is acknowledging the reality that employees can always leave whether for other job opportunities or family reasons or just because. As a business owner, you need to plan for that reality. Having the expectation that your employees will never leave you for other things is unrealistic and unhealthy. The employer makes it clear that the employee does a great job. The only complaint the business owner seems to have is that the employee isn't in a desperate financial situation and thus has control over her life decisions.
- fzzzy 5y ago
  "The only complaint the business owner seems to have is that the employee isn't in a desperate financial situation and thus has control over her life decisions." This is the sad situation we are in presently.

Spivak 5y ago

Good lord. I hope this person either reevaluates their whole approach to management or stops being a manager. If the club you swing around as a manger is “or you’re fired” then you got into management for very very wrong reasons.

nonameiguess 5y ago
It's likely they don't want to be a manager at all. It says they started their own business and have two employees. Probably just didn't want to work for someone else, but realized they can't do it alone, but don't have the means to hire an actual manager to hand the reigns to. You can have the greatest idea for a product or a business, but it doesn't mean you know jack about leadership or human motivation.