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> 1. Bad managers are the cause of a lot of employee unhappiness. > 2. Bad managers are the cause of a lot of workplace failure, i.e., late projects, subpar pr

> 1. Bad managers are the cause of a lot of employee unhappiness. > 2. Bad managers are the cause of a lot of workplace failure, i.e., late projects, subpar products, and unmet goals. > 3. Managers are one of the most under-supported cohorts of employees on the planet. Agree on the first two, but for #3: managers are perhaps the most OVER-supported cohorts of employees on the planet. Much of the time, simply by being a manager, you're qualified to be a manager somewhere else. The single most important aspect of hiring a manager is ensuring that they're not an asshole and that they've demonstrated an ability to deliver. In terms of actually delivering after being hired, depending on level, a manager gets a ton of slack in terms of demonstrating their skills compared to an IC. I've seen devs fired on their start date for not being able to hire, but bad managers can weasel their way around for more than a year before they're shown the door. It gets even worse at the director, VP, SVP level, and they're usually never outright fired — it's usually framed as they "decided to prioritize time with their family" or similar. Like any set of skills — if you want to develop management skills, the onus is on you to make sure it happens. Most of the time, nobody is going to hold your hand into becoming a staff+ engineer, and the same goes for management.

gabereiser 3y ago
Oh how I wish I could upvote this more. You called it. Managers get support that ICs only dream about. They can fail time and time again and get promoted. They can screw up deadlines and project priorities and continue to do what they do. I’ve had some great managers, I’ve had some bad ones too. I strive the be a great one myself by practicing what I preach. Servant leadership. What are some red flags to look for in a manager that would indicate to the IC they have one before it’s too late?
- tyre 3y ago
  Lack of accountability is not the same as support. It actually much closer to the opposite of what the author seems to mean, which is help improving. I see what you’re saying and deeply feel where you’re coming from, but I think you’re identifying a different malignancy.
  - gabereiser 3y ago
    Lack of accountability is one. Supporting each other at the management level is another. Just like you support your team members, they support each other. The level of support the company affords managers and up is measurably more than the support they give an IC.
- commandlinefan 3y ago
  It's not even just that. I've worked for great bosses, but they're never the kind of bosses that get promoted, they stay exactly where they are. It's the massive egomaniacal "going to need you to come in on Sunday, too" types that get actually get promoted and survive every round of layoffs. Every "good manager" opinion piece is invariably somebody's take on how they wish _their_ boss would treat them, not how to be the soulless sycophant that actually makes for a successful manager in corporate America.
  - gabereiser 3y ago
    Optics. The person who says “yeah, about those TPS reports” is the same person providing upper leadership with reports where they are showing detailed progress towards initiatives. Regardless of how they get there. They see resources, not people, because they themselves are a resource for upper leadership. Empathy flows downhill. Maybe all those opinion pieces about how to be a good manager are from folks needing an outlet to vent about their bad one. That’s ok. The point is, results are what the business wants to see. Bad managers often deliver those “good results” at the expense of those “resources” beneath them. Constantly hiring empty chairs to fulfill the requirements to getting results. It’s a tough game.
danparsonson 3y ago
Granting someone excessive leeway is not the same as supporting their personal development - it's pretty much antithetical to that. I mostly agree with what you're saying but I don't think it contradicts the original article.

gabereiser 3y ago

Oh how I wish I could upvote this more. You called it. Managers get support that ICs only dream about. They can fail time and time again and get promoted. They can screw up deadlines and project priorities and continue to do what they do. I’ve had some great managers, I’ve had some bad ones too. I strive the be a great one myself by practicing what I preach. Servant leadership. What are some red flags to look for in a manager that would indicate to the IC they have one before it’s too late?

tyre 3y ago
Lack of accountability is not the same as support. It actually much closer to the opposite of what the author seems to mean, which is help improving. I see what you’re saying and deeply feel where you’re coming from, but I think you’re identifying a different malignancy.
- gabereiser 3y ago
  Lack of accountability is one. Supporting each other at the management level is another. Just like you support your team members, they support each other. The level of support the company affords managers and up is measurably more than the support they give an IC.
commandlinefan 3y ago
It's not even just that. I've worked for great bosses, but they're never the kind of bosses that get promoted, they stay exactly where they are. It's the massive egomaniacal "going to need you to come in on Sunday, too" types that get actually get promoted and survive every round of layoffs. Every "good manager" opinion piece is invariably somebody's take on how they wish _their_ boss would treat them, not how to be the soulless sycophant that actually makes for a successful manager in corporate America.
- gabereiser 3y ago
  Optics. The person who says “yeah, about those TPS reports” is the same person providing upper leadership with reports where they are showing detailed progress towards initiatives. Regardless of how they get there. They see resources, not people, because they themselves are a resource for upper leadership. Empathy flows downhill. Maybe all those opinion pieces about how to be a good manager are from folks needing an outlet to vent about their bad one. That’s ok. The point is, results are what the business wants to see. Bad managers often deliver those “good results” at the expense of those “resources” beneath them. Constantly hiring empty chairs to fulfill the requirements to getting results. It’s a tough game.

danparsonson 3y ago

Granting someone excessive leeway is not the same as supporting their personal development - it's pretty much antithetical to that. I mostly agree with what you're saying but I don't think it contradicts the original article.