Examples of Management idiocy, part 1

[Mich the Tester]

I agree, moving to the NATO phonetic alphabet will actually make communication clearer, that is the whole point of it.

Except that it's doing exactly the opposite.

[proggy]

Except that it's doing exactly the opposite.

Takes some time to transition. Got me thinking I wonder what communication method Scotrail use, going by their success I would guess telepathy.

[malvolio]

Perhaps they could. Are you crediting the management for the colosseum? It was architecture, craftsmanship and sweat that built it, not some fancy poncy managerman with a glossary of acronyms and a spreadsheet. Amazingly enough, real craftsmen are often able to lead.

That's the point - good managers are people that have done the job on the ground but who can see the wide picture and understand the often hidden constraints on how the job has to be done. There are plenty of middle managers (the real menace) who have only ever done management, progressing from low level BA to PMO to PM to line manager or start from an MBA or, worst of all, sales.

Also, of course, many technical staff who get moved up the tree to management in the interests of "career progression" are equally rubbish since they don't want to be there and don't understand the difference between leadership and direction.

It's not management that's the problem, it's an excess of poor managers who rely on tools rather than understanding and process rather than pragmatism.

[sasguru]

Perhaps they could. Are you crediting the management for the colosseum? It was architecture, craftsmanship and sweat that built it, not some fancy poncy managerman with a glossary of acronyms and a spreadsheet. Amazingly enough, real craftsmen are often able to lead.

You claim to have management experience but you don't sound like it.
The craftspeople would probably not be able to deal with the politics of appeasing the Senate and the Caesars, the budgeting of pilfered treasure from the Brittani tribes, the bringing together of diverse talents to create a cohesive whole.

It's not management that's the problem, it's poor management.
Good management can be inspirational and provide leadership. And sometimes all a manager has to do is to let people get on with it while protecting them from crap from above. That was my main role as a manager.

[mos]

I'm sure the slaves building the colosseum thought they could do better job if they were in charge.

1. I am not sure if any of us can understand what its like to be a slave, especially used and abused for backbreaking manual labor.
2. Can we equate Colosseum to failed IT projects of today ?

(I really hope that all great projects require 'usage' of slaves sine qua non is not the right conclusion)

[Mich the Tester]

You claim to have management experience but you don't sound like it.
The craftspeople would probably not be able to deal with the politics of appeasing the Senate and the Caesars, the budgeting of pilfered treasure from the Brittani tribes, the bringing together of diverse talents to create a cohesive whole.

It's not management that's the problem, it's poor management.
Good management can be inspirational and provide leadership. And sometimes all a manager has to do is to let people get on with it while protecting them from crap from above. That was my main role as a manager.

What you're describing is leadership; I think we've all seen so many piss poor managers that we shoud actually look at the concepts of 'leadership' and 'management' as two seperate concepts, one of which is highly valuable.

[mos]

What you're describing is leadership; I think we've all seen so many piss poor managers that we should actually look at the concepts of 'leadership' and 'management' as two separate concepts, one of which is highly valuable.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Mich the Tester again.

[Mich the Tester]

Takes some time to transition. Got me thinking I wonder what communication method Scotrail use, going by their success I would guess telepathy.

I don't know, but here in the Netherlands there is an approach to communication that works very very well indeed. It's called 'Dutch' and when you speak it, you notice that quite remarkably, people understand you. Of course, the railways employ some really clever people who can speak to the German and French drivers, using the languages known as 'German' or 'French' as appropriate, and as they are trained to do.

Don't fix what isn't broken.

[Ticktock]

Don't fix what isn't broken.

Yes, all people need is a faster horse.

[Mich the Tester]

Yes, all people need is a faster horse.

In many cases, that's right. In this case however, they already have trains, built for them by engineers and driven by highly trained drivers.