Management Question

[georgewe4]

I am a field service manager at work. I have a great group of guys that I work with. I have a general manager that is over me. We were riding together today and he informed me that I needed to change the way that I talked to guys when they did something wrong.
When there is a problem and I have to meet with either one of them or the whole group I try not to be a jerk. I have been doing my type of work for over 20 years and have made plenty of mistakes along the way. Ususally I have done at one time or another the same thing they have done. I try to keep that in mind as I help manage the department. I will generally tell them what the problem is, and tell them what we need to do to correct it. I will usually say somewhere in there that I have been where they are, and I understand where the mistake was made, but I also have learned from the mistake to keep it from happening again. I have gained a lot of respect by doing so.
I was told that I should just attack the problem and not tell them that I have made the same mistakes in the past. If they find out that I have done the same thing in the past, or even if I make the same mistake or cause the same problem and they ask me about it, I am to respond with " two wrongs don't make a right". I told my manager that I did not ever want to be a " holier than thou person" and that response sounded that way.
Any thoughts?

 

[Joe 1320]

I was told that I should just attack the problem and not tell them that I have made the same mistakes in the past. If they find out that I have done the same thing in the past, or even if I make the same mistake or cause the same problem and they ask me about it, I am to respond with " two wrongs don't make a right".

Any thoughts?

Sounds like your GM doesn't know as much about management as he thinks. Employees usually feel more reassured that others have made the same mistakes, the fact that you are taking time to help them by putting yourself on their level and encourage the solution makes me think you're right on the mark. Oh yeah, 20+ years of management here too. :wink:

But..... he's the boss, right or wrong.

 

[Warp6]

I have had a mangaer that acted that way toward me. He never made mistakes (yeah...right) he knew how to do anything better than anyone (yeah... right) he never ever once apologized for anything, including directing me in the wrong direction then me bailing his a$$ out. He was fired for imbezzlement and now I have his job. I run a factory and have around 100 employees and 6 supervisors. I get way more results from your type of management than the "holier than thou" attitude we were used to. People actually WANT to help me and the company rather than dodge me. Watch out, you may end up running the show!

 

[dsa87gn]

Sounds like your GM doesn't know as much about management as he thinks. Employees usually feel more reassured that others have made the same mistakes, the fact that you are taking time to help them by putting yourself on their level and encourage the solution makes me think you're right on the mark. Oh yeah, 20+ years of management here too. :wink:

But..... he's the boss, right or wrong.

I totally agree with the above.

sounds like one of those bully bosses,or he may be just be jealous of your relationship with your group.

I bet he is one of the "work is my life" type of guys and makes promises that are usually unrealistic.

but as joe said....hes the boss!

Im kind of curious as to what your response to him was.

 

[georgewe4]

My response was a long drawn out "OOOOOO KKKKKK". Then I listened to the rest of it and followed it up with the holier than thou comment. I had made up my mind last night that I was going to meet with him and tell him that I would not do as he suggested and continue on with the way that I was handling it. I was just "promoted" to this position about a year ago. I don't call it much of a promotion when there was no pay increase. To say promotion is laughable. I am dealing with a man that can't handle a confrontation without dropping the F bomb.
My wife agrees that he probably doesn't like the relationship that I have with the guys. I don't understand that thinking if that is true. I guess from what she understands that management should distance themselves from the "little people". I understand it that we are all a TEAM.

 

[TexasT]

The guy(MGR) obviously doesn't know his a$$ from a hole in the ground. He might have been at the top of his class but out in the real world not everyone is a 'college boy'. Tell him to quit micro managing and concentrate on his duties and you'll continue to produce yours.

On second though maybe you want to continue to work there and should just be a 'yes man' and do as you're told.

 

[klrv6]

The most important thing is to build a team. Treat them with respect and always commend them when they go above and beyond. I used to get in arguments with my boss all the time. He realized I only argue when I know I am right about something. Then, he would watch as people would argue with me about something and he would kindly let them know that I am right or I wouldn't be arguing with them. That always shut them up.

 

[Black Power]

Your boss is a f%&#ing idiot. I am no expert on this, but management is what I got my degree in and what I do, so I should have an idea of what works and what doesn't. If you want to alienate your guys, do what he said. If you want to have them cooperate with you, do what you have been doing.

One thing though, if they do find out that you have done something wrong and they call you on it, saying "2 wrongs don't make a right" is about the gayest cliche you could possibly use. You just explain to them that you have made mistakes before and that you have learned from them and grown, and that you are trying to help them avoid the same pitfalls.

Good luck, sounds like you are going to need it.

 

[roboteq-1]

Best boss I ever had sounds like you. He was "one of the guys" and we all WANTED to be better to help him. Upper management was scared of his success and relationship with his crew. He was eventually demoted back to a mechanic- this follows him to this day. He got screwed for no good reason. Depending on how much pull this DWad has, tread lightly- you could end up back on the floor.
Robert-18 years in the corporate world. ( Dilbert has it right )

 

[DailyDrifter]

Attacking the problem and walking away isnt the answer. If you explain to them why it happened, share some info about it will help them out in the future. If someone tells me i'm not doing it right, but never tells me the right way to do it, how are you supposed to know? Keep in mind, its up to the "old guys" have to teach someone how keep the ball rolling, there's no sense in hoarding(sp) everything to yourself, because it helps NO ONE when your dead and gone. Even if you do get crap for helping these guys I would rather be demoted for giving people information than promoted for being a a$$hole know it all.

 

[datant69]

alot of good responses

i've managed a retail store for over 10 yrs and helped people run retail stores for 3. i've always been the nice guy but the one thing you have to understand is if your the boss you cannot be everyone's freind. there is a line and you don't need to cross it. sure a friday night after work drink stuff is ok but sometimes it bite's you in the arse. there are alot of good ways to manage people but the best managers are the ones that have alot of people skills and care more about their employee's then most. it's up to you but seriously you don't want to be that manager that everyone hates when you turn your back but smile and shake your hand when your face to face. you seem like your a cool boss but it's hard to not be a hard arse and get stuff done. seems like your doing it right from your post and who knows maybe you'll have your bosses position within a short time. don't try and be everyone ones freind, don't be unbiased and handle your business you'll do fine. just be careful alot of the time when your too nice people take advantage of you and it reflects on you when it comes to your bosses doing a revue.

 

[Blown&Injected]

Sounds like you are attacking the problem in a proper manor. Focus on the problem and how the problem can be corrected. It is about the business, not about attacking people. When the employees see that mgt is not about power trip but about making things right for the business, they will fall into line. Make it a personal problem and it will become a personnel problem and none of that is good for business - 5 years ago and I would have remembered some good mgt books that might be good for your manager.

 

[SS_Sean]

It's been my experience that management will often times speak with the line supervisors about an 'issue' in a gut reaction to an incident where a complaint was recieved, or it was percieved by management that the party line wasn't being towed.

Quite frankly I wouldn't 'fvck you' the management over such a trivial issue as how you speak with your troops. I would most certainly agree with the manager that he is correct, and that there is always a better way to conduct business, listen to his suggestions and reassure him that he will incorporate those suggestions into your day-to-day relationship with the troops.....and then get back to work doing what you were doing before.

The long and short of it is that you are placating the boss, when you know what you are doing is right. Keep doing it.

 

[Blown&Injected]

^that was very well put!

 

[georgewe4]

I thought about just not saying anything and just doing it the way I have been doing it. I know that once again he will probably ask me why I am still doing it the "improper" way. I will then ask him what management course he took that taught him to force his views and feelings with th "F" word. If you want total respect add the "F" word to your statement.
I have made up my mind that I will go home the next time he uses such language with me.

 

[chopped39]

I tell my boss's off all the time.They want stuff done their way. I tell them to do it. I am in a shop with ten guys that are a bunch of sissys.So they vent through me and I go right to the boss's and vent on them. I love the look on their faces when I tell them that corporate put a boy in a mans job. Do what you have been doing .Let him micromanage himself out the door.

 

[Junior Samples]

I thought about just not saying anything and just doing it the way I have been doing it. I know that once again he will probably ask me why I am still doing it the "improper" way. I will then ask him what management course he took that taught him to force his views and feelings with th "F" word. If you want total respect add the "F" word to your statement.
I have made up my mind that I will go home the next time he uses such language with me.

Sean and the one post were right on target.

1. its been established that the guy resents the relationship that you have with the team.
2. He is the boss So if you handled a situation the way you have always done and at the end of a converstaion maybe tossed in something such as
"But dont mistake my kindness for weakness" and wink it may placate him a little but he needs to do his job and stop telling you how to do yours unless you mess up but convincing him of that is another story.

dunno tough call

But possibly the most overlooked thing I have read is that there are laws on the books regarding Hostile Work Enviornment and the F-bomb and other vulgarity I beleive falls into that catagory.

May want to research that.

Gluck

 

[salvageV6]

I'd tell him it's time for that management RAISE if I was gonna do it "his" way. :biggrin:

As a matter of fact you can say you thought about it all last night and you agree his way is the best way, and that's gonna cost the company a few K to implement you being an azzhole like him.

 

[georgewe4]

Ha! Ha!

 

[wile87]

your manager has made you out to be the d*ck and it sounds as if he succeded. he was never a bud of yours, and you did it to yourself trying to make him happy you were kissing ass with this guy trying to get ahead and you screwed yourself. if i were you, you should start trying to find another job. been there did that