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Very often people get and hold jobs they seem unqualified for, or perform poorly in. When they get senior management jobs they can cause or allow dysfunction. Y

Very often people get and hold jobs they seem unqualified for, or perform poorly in. When they get senior management jobs they can cause or allow dysfunction. You may not know how they got the job. It could be through a personal relationship or nepotism. Their own managers and peers may prefer keeping them in their role. However the organization management got to where it is, trying to get a senior manager/director removed by rational argument presents a high probability of blowing up in your face. The facts may not matter nearly as much as the perception you got out of line and threatened the hierarchy. You might get fired for rocking the boat. In other words, think very carefully before you act, and make sure you can die on that hill. In my career experience less than competent managers survive and punish those who challenge them. I don’t know enough about your situation, but the incompetent CTO may present an opportunity for you to step up and take charge, without directly challenging their authority. Have you thought about offering to take on some of the responsibility?

notechthrowaway 2y ago
I know how she got her job and it's strictly title inflation from being an early employee. I feel very comfortable addressing this and have already had initial conversations with an individual decision maker who is frustraed with how several recent incidents were handled. The larger management group is not aware of how pervasive these issues are because our company culture has traditionally been one of putting your head down and working around issues. Traditional approaches such as users supporting other users have been disastrous with growth in headcount and are completely unsustainable. I have taken on additional responsibility directly (ex: coming up with start to end incident support plans that should be in place already) and indirectly (ex: spinning up infrastructure that should be handled there). This has taken up more and more of my time recently and prevents me from meeting deadlines. I have enough on my plate and taking on more is not an option.
- gregjor 2y ago
  So longevity and loyalty account for the CTO getting that role. In other contexts we would appreciate management caring about those things. I get what you mean about title inflation, but in a field where people with a year of experience can call themselves “engineers” that’s a pretty weak charge to level. I once faced a similar situation, loyal early hire promoted to CTO beyond their competence. Lots of dysfunction. A couple of us tried to get senior management to deal with him. We got fired. The world doesn’t work fairly or rationally.
  - notechthrowaway 2y ago
    I fully hear what you are saying about being cautious and the only reason why I brought up title inflation was to emphasize that this person is not cut out for the job. I'm not worried about any blowback (I'm confident that our company would continue running if she were gone and I am in a key person role) and even if I were, I am extremely employable. I just wanted to know if anyone had experience with this dynamic between non-technical leadership and communication on tech issues.
    - gregjor 2y ago
      Organizations can usually tolerate a considerable amount of mediocrity and incompetence, even at the upper management levels. Organizations usually don't want to allow insubordination or threats to the hierarchy. You see the same thing with cops protecting their own, even corrupt and dangerous cops. Managers and executives work like that too, because if they allow challenges to their authority and competence from the lower ranks that threatens the whole structure. I don't necessarily like how organizations work in that respect. Maybe you have good reason to challenge the CTO and can accept the risk. I just want to describe the reality of organization dynamics. You can read all kinds of books on management that get into how power structures and hierarchies maintain their authority, putting that before more rational priorities such as competence and job performance.

notechthrowaway 2y ago

I know how she got her job and it's strictly title inflation from being an early employee. I feel very comfortable addressing this and have already had initial conversations with an individual decision maker who is frustraed with how several recent incidents were handled. The larger management group is not aware of how pervasive these issues are because our company culture has traditionally been one of putting your head down and working around issues. Traditional approaches such as users supporting other users have been disastrous with growth in headcount and are completely unsustainable. I have taken on additional responsibility directly (ex: coming up with start to end incident support plans that should be in place already) and indirectly (ex: spinning up infrastructure that should be handled there). This has taken up more and more of my time recently and prevents me from meeting deadlines. I have enough on my plate and taking on more is not an option.

gregjor 2y ago
So longevity and loyalty account for the CTO getting that role. In other contexts we would appreciate management caring about those things. I get what you mean about title inflation, but in a field where people with a year of experience can call themselves “engineers” that’s a pretty weak charge to level. I once faced a similar situation, loyal early hire promoted to CTO beyond their competence. Lots of dysfunction. A couple of us tried to get senior management to deal with him. We got fired. The world doesn’t work fairly or rationally.
- notechthrowaway 2y ago
  I fully hear what you are saying about being cautious and the only reason why I brought up title inflation was to emphasize that this person is not cut out for the job. I'm not worried about any blowback (I'm confident that our company would continue running if she were gone and I am in a key person role) and even if I were, I am extremely employable. I just wanted to know if anyone had experience with this dynamic between non-technical leadership and communication on tech issues.
  - gregjor 2y ago
    Organizations can usually tolerate a considerable amount of mediocrity and incompetence, even at the upper management levels. Organizations usually don't want to allow insubordination or threats to the hierarchy. You see the same thing with cops protecting their own, even corrupt and dangerous cops. Managers and executives work like that too, because if they allow challenges to their authority and competence from the lower ranks that threatens the whole structure. I don't necessarily like how organizations work in that respect. Maybe you have good reason to challenge the CTO and can accept the risk. I just want to describe the reality of organization dynamics. You can read all kinds of books on management that get into how power structures and hierarchies maintain their authority, putting that before more rational priorities such as competence and job performance.