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These theories are taught in an MBA program. Most managers never go through such a program. Ironically, MBAs are often mocked on HN, but now I find it ironic th

These theories are taught in an MBA program. Most managers never go through such a program. Ironically, MBAs are often mocked on HN, but now I find it ironic that you find it shocking that managers (who don't complete an MBA) don't know what the prominent theories are.

feoren 4y ago
> Ironically, MBAs are often mocked on HN It's possible to have strongly negative opinions of both MBAs and middle managers, even if they don't perfectly overlap. > now I find it ironic that you find it shocking that managers (who don't complete an MBA) don't know what the prominent theories are Hard to be "shocked" anymore, since it's so normalized, but if we break it down: - Management theory is mostly bereft of useful information - Most managers don't learn the theory anyway - Most managers don't bother to try to get better at their jobs, and if they do, it's by reading vapid articles like this one or going to the expensive training version of the same - Higher-level managers earn multiple times what ACs ("actual contributors") earn - Bad managers can, and do, sink entire teams, and may represent some of the biggest risk to most companies, and yet virtually no effort is ever made to hold any managers accountable for anything, because the only people who could do that are other, higher-level managers, whose jobs are even more worthless, and they know it, so bad managers are kept around because otherwise the entire House of Feudalism could collapse - Good managers are frequently praised for their ability to protect their reports from the torrent of stupid bullshit coming from above them in the chain, and yet nobody ever asks why the fuck there's a torrent of stupid bullshit coming from higher-level managers, who, again, make much more than the people being protected from their wanton disregard for effective management. Are you not shocked?

feoren 4y ago

> Ironically, MBAs are often mocked on HN It's possible to have strongly negative opinions of both MBAs and middle managers, even if they don't perfectly overlap. > now I find it ironic that you find it shocking that managers (who don't complete an MBA) don't know what the prominent theories are Hard to be "shocked" anymore, since it's so normalized, but if we break it down: - Management theory is mostly bereft of useful information - Most managers don't learn the theory anyway - Most managers don't bother to try to get better at their jobs, and if they do, it's by reading vapid articles like this one or going to the expensive training version of the same - Higher-level managers earn multiple times what ACs ("actual contributors") earn - Bad managers can, and do, sink entire teams, and may represent some of the biggest risk to most companies, and yet virtually no effort is ever made to hold any managers accountable for anything, because the only people who could do that are other, higher-level managers, whose jobs are even more worthless, and they know it, so bad managers are kept around because otherwise the entire House of Feudalism could collapse - Good managers are frequently praised for their ability to protect their reports from the torrent of stupid bullshit coming from above them in the chain, and yet nobody ever asks why the fuck there's a torrent of stupid bullshit coming from higher-level managers, who, again, make much more than the people being protected from their wanton disregard for effective management. Are you not shocked?