Wednesday, October 08, 2014

A guide to modern management

Have an issue at work?  Understand that the modern manager is like a guitar-player that only knows a few riffs.  Here's two of the most common:

a) "We hear what you're saying but instead of the issue you raise, let's focus on your failure to observe the approved bureaucratic protocol".  This means in practice that you probably didn't inform the correct people in the hierarchy in the officially-sanctioned order.  This is always and everywhere a more serious matter than the one you originally raised.

b) "We hear what you're saying.  Let's work out why any problems you're having with this are actually all your fault".

Translation: "We have power and you don't - what are you going to do about it?"  This is why trades unions are on balance a jolly good thing.

5 comments:

sloppy said...
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Shuggy said...

Hi Neil,

Thanks for your comment. The pub? Heh! It's okay, it's not a secret. Cooper's? That's me alright.

The 1930s Germany analogy is too strong but I entirely agree it was a deeply unpleasant experience. I'd say those who think it was a jolly debate are almost always Yes voters who were largely talking to like-minded people. I guess that's okay since I think that's one of the reasons they lost but I certainly don't want to go through that experience again. You might be interested to know this vaguely bullying peer pressure was felt by some of your former teachers as well. One of them, who I won't name, was buckling under the pressure but I persuaded them to vote No by the power of text. Isn't technology wonderful thing?

P.S. You're 22 and I taught your older brothers? I do actually remember but don't I feel old?

Best,
DG

sloppy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shuggy said...

No, that's okay. 1930s Germany a little strong but somehow the whole thing had a faint interwar whiff about it nevertheless. I'm actually glad when I find I'm not the only one who thinks so.

You're right about the lack of scrutiny for the Scottish government's handling of the powers it already has and I also agree that 'devo-max' will be the latest distraction. The Smith Commission won't recommend it because it's a terrible idea that's unworkable. The SNP will do the whole 'we woz robbed' all over again but I'm optimistic that they won't get as much traction for this as they think they will.

Sorry to hear of your travails. I've been relatively fortunate in that the only people who have fallen out with me over this are people I didn't really like that much in the first place but I know this hasn't been everyone's experience, to put it mildly. I'm getting the impression it's those who were engaged in politics for the first time during indyref that are coping with defeat particularly badly.

sloppy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.

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