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> Is this actually the expectation at the places you work? Can you imagine a manager saying, "I don't agree with these decisions, but you need to do A, B, C."

> Is this actually the expectation at the places you work? Can you imagine a manager saying, "I don't agree with these decisions, but you need to do A, B, C." This might be being frank and open with your reports, but at the same time you reduce their motivation. And if top management learns about this, they won't be happy. So yes, there is such unspoken pressure to at least not to distance oneself from the things you ask others to do, whether they come from you or from your boss.

joxel 4y ago
Yes, it happens all the time. Each time we get a new form we have to fill out to do something or some extra hoop to jump through. If the manager I worked for didn’t act like a normal person that thought that shit was stupid I would absolutely hate working with/for that liar/crazy person.
rodgerd 4y ago
> Can you imagine a manager saying, "I don't agree with these decisions, but you need to do A, B, C." Some of my best managers, on well-regarded teams, have done exactly that. Those managers are doing me a favour by flagging that it's a waste of my time, emotional energy, and political capital to argue with decisions that neither they nor I can affect, and that it will be better if we just get on with it.
snowwrestler 4y ago
I’ve been a manager for decades and this is the way to handle it sometimes. Life is full of things that suck but you have to do them anyway, like paying taxes or cleaning your bathroom. Why should we try to pretend that work, of all places, is exempt from that? Wrapping it in pink wrapping paper fools no one but kills personal credibility, which is the most important asset a manager has. Top management often does not give a shit if people are happy about the thing (who is happy about layoffs?), just that it gets done satisfactorily. So yeah, sometimes I tell my team “this sucks but just get it done and then we can get back to the interesting work.”
flashgordon 4y ago
This is how I operate when I have a close trust with my team and boss. But I have also been in very transactional environments where I was "ratted out" for my frankness!

joxel 4y ago

Yes, it happens all the time. Each time we get a new form we have to fill out to do something or some extra hoop to jump through. If the manager I worked for didn’t act like a normal person that thought that shit was stupid I would absolutely hate working with/for that liar/crazy person.

rodgerd 4y ago

> Can you imagine a manager saying, "I don't agree with these decisions, but you need to do A, B, C." Some of my best managers, on well-regarded teams, have done exactly that. Those managers are doing me a favour by flagging that it's a waste of my time, emotional energy, and political capital to argue with decisions that neither they nor I can affect, and that it will be better if we just get on with it.

snowwrestler 4y ago

I’ve been a manager for decades and this is the way to handle it sometimes. Life is full of things that suck but you have to do them anyway, like paying taxes or cleaning your bathroom. Why should we try to pretend that work, of all places, is exempt from that? Wrapping it in pink wrapping paper fools no one but kills personal credibility, which is the most important asset a manager has. Top management often does not give a shit if people are happy about the thing (who is happy about layoffs?), just that it gets done satisfactorily. So yeah, sometimes I tell my team “this sucks but just get it done and then we can get back to the interesting work.”

flashgordon 4y ago

This is how I operate when I have a close trust with my team and boss. But I have also been in very transactional environments where I was "ratted out" for my frankness!