When you get a note from the boss that he needs to "talk" for a few minutes, it usually means one of two things: (1) He's not happy with your work, and wants you to do more; or (2) he's not happy with your work, and wants you to leave.
Today, it was choice number 1. I'm not sure if that's good or not
Admittedly, I'm not happy with my work, either, but knowing that and being told that, are two different things. I am a perfectionist. I'm never happy with my work. There's never enough time to do a good job, and "good enough" is not a term in my dictionary.
He opened the discussion with a question. "What do you do all day?" This is not a good way to begin a conversation, at least not from the boss. It implies that you aren't doing enough of the things that he thinks you should be doing. In fact, I'm doing all the peripheral things that need to be done in order for my team to do their work, but those are not things that show up on my task list. There's a lot of impromptu data gathering, conversations over the wall, document-writing on the spur of the moment, metrics put together to support last-minute meetings - and then there are meetings, lots and lots of meetings.
Including the one I'm sitting in.
I didn't try to justify my existence with the boss. I just listened. And when it came my turn to talk, I explained the way things are. The team is tired, overworked, frustrated by the constantly changing schedules and milestones. They are timid about approaching management because management believes in Progress Through Yelling. I told him that I don't believe in yelling at employees because it is unprofessional and counter-productive.
And then he told me the most amazing thing, a thing that nearly knocked me out of my chair with astonishment. He said that Managers Have To Yell. In fact, he believes that it is necessary in order to motivate people. And he claims that it works.
I was aghast. It's no wonder the situation has deterioriated so much, if that's the methodology they espouse.
So then he tells me, It's OK. Sometimes the managers get a little emotional, so they yell at people. Don't take it personally.
Then I told him that if he or any of the other managers ever raised their voice at me in a meeting again, I would be walking out. There is absolutely no excuse for treating anyone like that.
Several hours later, sitting comfortably at home, I'm still angry about it.
2 comments:
so can you afford to walk away from that job? Sounds like that would be a wonderful alternative for you.
The place here would be a bit crowded but you'al come and we will have a great time.
Believe me, I've thought about how nice it would be to just come on down and hang with you guys, just to get away from it all. Which is kinda the plan, anyway, after the California trip.
But I only have six or seven weeks left of this project, and then I'll be moving on to something else - hopefully in the same company. If things get too bad, I'll find something else. Cheryl mentioned how comparitively warm North Carolina is -- there's a big software development community out there.
But after five years out here, I'd hate to pull up and move when the Cheryl and the kids have made some good friendships. And it's nice to be just down the road from the Indiana folks. And GR is such a nice-sized town, not too big and not too small.
If only we could come up with a really good industry around here, something other than cars, that people could build a serious economic future around.
Cheryl did mention the other day that we've got enough money for me to just walk away from it. But they're going to have to kick me out, 'cause if they're going to get rid of me, they're going to pay for the privilege!
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