tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post5265253499439484096..comments2023-10-17T12:05:26.540+01:00Comments on Razor-blade of Life: Number 9Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00822383355869390919noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-50165203986000328192011-10-10T14:08:35.397+01:002011-10-10T14:08:35.397+01:00I'm with Mike&Ann and AQ on this one.
I f...I'm with Mike&Ann and AQ on this one.<br /><br />I find that the easiest way of working out who you're working with and how to handle things/them, right from the beginning, is to ascertain what their motivation for doing the task/role concerned is. These days I usually do this by asking them. I've found that this helps ever such a lot in avoiding future pitfalls.<br /><br />I've also learnt to walk away from roles (without feeling guilty) if others don't pull their weight, or are clearly in it for PPG (Personal Praise and Glory).Blue Witchhttp://blue-witch.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-60507348354478779332011-10-10T13:22:24.044+01:002011-10-10T13:22:24.044+01:00This is fascinating. I remember the ridiculous man...This is fascinating. I remember the ridiculous maneuverings and back-stabbing when I worked in a Civil Service research department and I was lucky to be responsible to a good manager who was also a good workplace politician! At the time I just thought he was a nice guy but looking back I realise that he was very good at balancing his resources to get good work done without losing sight of the fact that requirements would change without warning as goverment appointments changed.mighttp://letouttoplay.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-12221712765990805672011-10-10T10:37:09.523+01:002011-10-10T10:37:09.523+01:00P.s. and of course there's two of us, too.P.s. and of course there's two of us, too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07558857315748815249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-31167473449709231192011-10-10T10:36:09.994+01:002011-10-10T10:36:09.994+01:00Hello A/Q. I didn't word that well (although t...Hello A/Q. I didn't word that well (although the alternatives sound awkward). Perhaps 'one couple business' is the best I can do.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07558857315748815249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-36966787699317756102011-10-10T08:32:33.173+01:002011-10-10T08:32:33.173+01:00As Mike and Ann said. (Although there's two of...As Mike and Ann said. (Although there's two of us)allotmentqueenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09436822823840965550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-14803580605175278882011-10-09T23:26:27.441+01:002011-10-09T23:26:27.441+01:00I'm late ... but like to chip in my five cents...I'm late ... but like to chip in my five cents. I always am a team player, can keep things together. A good number three or maybe two. This works to a certain extent, there is a breaking point and I saw this two or three times. It can on the other hand develop from good to great too, but also for a time, a little change can have a huge impact. And i have to confess that I can put out the axe too, realised this to my own surprise some years ago.<br />Many things can be sorted out, but ... there's a German saying <i>"Der Fisch stinkt vom Kopfe her"</i> - when the head honcho is a graduate from the Heinrich-Himmler-Schule-für-Menschenführung there is nothing left but riot. Nowadays I am free lance and starving, but I can read, write and learn what I want. The job never changed, only the salary. Vita brevis, ars longa.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-47449539014368799192011-10-09T22:58:28.485+01:002011-10-09T22:58:28.485+01:00Thank you all - as usual, the comments are a load ...Thank you all - as usual, the comments are a load better than the post!Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00822383355869390919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-23650048404927572202011-10-09T22:49:29.700+01:002011-10-09T22:49:29.700+01:00Oh boy, this has opened up a load of baggage! Whe...Oh boy, this has opened up a load of baggage! When I was enveigled into a project management role (because it was the only path to promotion and so more money), I hated it. It wasn't at all what I was good at. But, given no choice, I learnt it. I became very good at drawing up project plans and reporting variances, etc etc. <br /><br />What I never became good at was treating people as 'resources'. In that number-driven world, where if someone says '32 days', then it takes 34, this becomes an issue (which will take at least the extra 2 days to resolve). The fact that the guy had broken up/lost a close person/contracted a debilitating virus, whatever - that was my fault, because I hadn't factored it into the plan. Eeurgh!<br /><br />Sorry Z, shouldn't be ranting in your space, but ... eeurgh!!Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11201835677426254567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-68079203747049150002011-10-09T21:23:30.619+01:002011-10-09T21:23:30.619+01:00I loved the link, thank you.
And having workind t...I loved the link, thank you.<br /><br />And having workind the bozo explosion, it's not great. Leads to werewolf politics which are no good to man nor beast.Roseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469442580348062913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-34775042066121253982011-10-09T21:09:37.311+01:002011-10-09T21:09:37.311+01:00Powerful post and link Z.
And especially close to ...Powerful post and link Z.<br />And especially close to what's been happening at my workplace over the past six months.Macyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16117141586263456823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-19602096530566906402011-10-09T19:52:35.084+01:002011-10-09T19:52:35.084+01:00I did not like being a manager. It paid very littl...I did not like being a manager. It paid very little more than the workers' wages with lots more responsibility. The others did not have/didn't care about their quality of work or production. I'm not the kind to raise a voice and many times kindly asked them to please improve. This would be met with a vacant stare,excuses or quitting without notice. Then the big boss would get mad at me and demand new workers be found. Eventually I quit (with notice). Still have nightmares 12 years later about this job.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-61158747544589650642011-10-09T19:36:38.350+01:002011-10-09T19:36:38.350+01:00I have always said I'm not a visionary leader,...I have always said I'm not a visionary leader, but am good at admin, so ought to be a second-in-command, not a captain.<br /><br />Unfortunately I've had to work under a number of bad captains, and then I get frustrated because I can do most of the job better than them.<br /><br />When forced to be a captain I encourage other people to have the visions that I can't, and see my role as enabling and encouraging them. I've no idea what this makes me, other than idle.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08403853324345062446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-5021104777566323342011-10-09T19:08:22.284+01:002011-10-09T19:08:22.284+01:00Good managers who focus on group goals and let peo...Good managers who focus on group goals and let people shine are rarer than bantam teeth. Most are skilled politicians whose main aim is to protect their own position.Roghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09430706557035189147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-72559232073197569832011-10-09T18:28:11.001+01:002011-10-09T18:28:11.001+01:00Thanks for the link. I especially liked the bit ab...Thanks for the link. I especially liked the bit about jumping curves. So true.LẌhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06337382169476392640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-63851828797253607032011-10-09T18:24:25.517+01:002011-10-09T18:24:25.517+01:00Z (and Pixie Mum and Vagabonde) You make me realis...Z (and Pixie Mum and Vagabonde) You make me realise afresh the advantages of being a self employed one-man business. Thank you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07558857315748815249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-51191249228107081102011-10-09T18:10:29.296+01:002011-10-09T18:10:29.296+01:00This is an interesting post. In my company most ...This is an interesting post. In my company most of the managers came to their titles by having been in the company for years, not because they were good at managing people – result – they had no people skills and the department was very unhappy. They certainly could not delegate. I am pleased that I retired in 2008 – the stress was great then – getting older is not so bad…Vagabondehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10774109692564954568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21602861.post-44614808474472910102011-10-09T17:23:37.717+01:002011-10-09T17:23:37.717+01:00What an interesting post. It helps with hindsight ...What an interesting post. It helps with hindsight to know what sort of person one is. I know I am not management material, certainly not people management, learnt that early when not voted for as a patrol leader in Guides.<br /><br />However, I am more than happy to sit and work away at set tasks, such as cataloguing a pile of books or indexing an illustrations collection. In my last permanent post I endured bullying from my manager who thought, because of my wider experience, I was after her job. Certainly I didn't, I was happy with my role, wanted to walk away at the end of the day with no worries and knew I didn't have the skills to organise a bunch of local government people who had been in post for ever, like this manager who had worked there for 38 years. The people at the top of the departmental tree changed so frequently that no one noticed the bullying management style as long as the work was done.<br /><br />I quit because I could, had an exit interview with Human Resources, bully went not long after so I hope things were better for those who couldn't walk away. <br /><br />It is often a problem in business that very good professionals have to manage other professionals when in fact that is not their forte. I know a number of teachers who would not become Heads or Deputies as they would be taken from the children and the teaching they enjoyed to move paper and attend meetings.PixieMumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14717092173188052675noreply@blogger.com