Do as I say, not as I do, BS??

[slo' mo]

Originally posted by gospeedracer
Okay, this is for all you Managers or Boss types.

How many of you operate under the "act/do as I say not as I act/do" rule?

<snipped usless whining here> :p

I guess what I'm asking is, is it common practice for bosses to behave/act one way but expect their employees to behave/act another? I really don't know because I've basically had the same boss for the past 5 or 6 years at two different jobs.

Personally I don't think so, but my Mother said "she's the boss, she can do whatever she wants". I didn't agree. I think the "boss" should set a precedent and act/behave how they would wish their employees to act/behave. Am I wrong? :think

I have the opposite problem. I got dinged on my review because I would outperform my subordinates and they reported I was trying to make them look bad. The world is waayyy to politically correct theses days. I wound up stepping away from management to being an "individual contributor" I still have mgmt. perks but nobody reporting directly to me. :confused:

 

[someday]

Sorry, but work's not a democracy. Deal with it or move on.

 

[BSWIFT]

Sorry Speedy

As much as I agree with your point of view, I have to say the in the work place, "Do as I say, Not as I do" is the rule. Not all managers work this way but a lot of them do.
At a previous job, my best riding buddies were managers. Neither was a good manager but they did alright. One guy, used outright lies to get some of his subordinates to get things done. He manipulated them time and time again. I didn't have to put up with it because he knew I could see the BS and when they weren't around I got the straight story. I kept this to myself so the rouse would get the desired effect.
My manangers at my current job give me an assignment and merely ask me if I need help, any materials, or "are you done?"
Bottom line, my job is to make the OWNER's money! If I accomplish this AND make my boss look good in the process I've done my job. What time they arrive, how long a lunch they take, who/when they talk on the phone is of no concern to me. Besides, everyone has a bad day now and again so you just have to roll with the punches.:think

 

[94ruck]

I am a plant manager in a small town outside of KC. I thought that this was an Ideal location to get a staff of worker who would careabout the business and would be eager to have opportunities to make decent money. 30% of the staff does. the other 70% refuse to understand why the business is here. Unscheduled absence is the biggest headache, followed in line with excessive phone calls nad having to leave early. We work Monday through friday the same hours every week, yet a lot of the people cannot manage to schedule their personnal issues around those hours. I believe in fairness and accept it when there is an emergency, but how come some people have 3 emergencies a month and other never have any? This is outside of the 3 weeks paid vacation that the crew get to take when ever they want as long as it is scheduled in advance! Then when review and raise time comes around, it is i who has to here about how this company is not fair with pay and some people make more than others. I have written these people up, explained in detail why attendence is important continually. When these people are here they do a GOOD job. But 4 days a week is not acceptable.
I am not judging anyone in here, just giving a different reference point. I have missed 4 days of work unschedule in 10 years(this includes 2 broken legs at 1 time, dislocated shoulder, broken foot, etc.). I don't expect everyone to work under those conditions but having a headache or being in jail is not an excuse(or is it?)

 

[Patman]

Well we just put together an employee manual and distributed it. The main reason was because a few people kept asking for it because they wanted the "perks" side of it. But it IS a double edged sword, sure now everything is spelled out but that also includes some of the previous grey areas that were intentional. When asked if we had to abide by the whole manual by the chief instigator I replyed "Until this is your company, yes." you see this person seems to have a very similar view as GSR but the cold hard fact is employment in most cases is "at will" and that means there are those that make and enforce the rules and they generally are exempt from some of them because of their position so you are free to stay and do your job or look else where. I've told a couple people that seemed to think the grass was green someplace else, "The gate is open, just remember this pasture was greener before too."

 

[motometal]

94ruck, your comment about personal calls reminds me of one of my employees. 2 kids, obviously she wears the pants and everything else in the family, and she insists on running her personal life from work. example: husband calls from menards "should I get the blue flashlight or the red one?) also many, many babysitter related calls. If I ask her to work late, it's either "I can't today" or more phone calls organizing different child care. This is frustrating to me, but it's easy for me to talk because I don't have kids, and we have a house hold where the man is licenced to make decisions, like what brand of motor oil to put in the car, without the wife's help.

then of course I hear about how she is making less than what it costs to pay child care. Yes, "at will"...she has been reminded that there are other options, like hitting the door...

 

[94ruck]

I guess maybe I am too expectant of the staff. I do have 2 kids(twelve Year old twins, boy and girl). They know that it is a BAAAD thing to call either parent at work. Again, these are good hard working folks generally. But they want more money with less responsibility and they want to conduct there personal business from the company. It hurts the moral for sure.

 

[yarbonwick]

I say take her out back and knock a lung loose. Or have Roy D. Mercer do it for you!!

 

[BSWIFT]

Yarbonwick said:

I say take her out back and knock a lung loose. Or have Roy D. Mercer do it for you!!

Speedy, I can arrange a call from R. D. Mercer. It is a local call for me. Seriously, I can do this if you want.
"It's not like I will whoop a woman's arse, but Sharon-Jean might just have to bring a 55 gallon drum of whoopa$$ and put pop-knot on your head the size of tennis ball, bygodd!":p

 

[Battered Sav]

Had a manager refer to me as a "subordinate" once, wanted to clock him right there and then, of all the terms you could use to refer to an employee, I think this one is the most derogatory possible, without using profanity.
I'm a shift leader in a paint manufacturing facility, it's my job to run the control room, it's the lads job to load the tanks. As long as it's done right and on time, everything's hunky dory. If not, it hits the fan, sleeves are rolled up and we get into it.
I've had quite a few slackers, they dont last long, but never in a million years would I refer to a fellow employee ( or anybody for that matter ) as a subordinate. I cant believe people STILL use that term.

 

[motometal]

I know what you mean, but from a supervisor's point of view, when your subordinate refuses to recognize proper authority (insubordination), sometimes there is no choice but to remind them how the chain of command works again. Maybe there is a better term than "subordinate"...

 

[Jaybird]

Maybe there is a better term than "subordinate"...

Perhaps "Boss" is a better term. But if a person isn't boss, then they are definately a subordinate.
I think some folks need to understand who is who and what is what. When you are a subordinate and have folks in a higher position than you, you need to realise that THEY are the boss and YOU either do what is expected of you or Hit The Stinkin Door! I'd rather be called subordiante anyday as to being called "Laid Off!"
It's quite simple.

BTW....It's not one bit of business of an employee what thier supervisors do. Right, wrong, or indifferent...it's nunya business.
:D

 

[fishhead]

It's elementary!

Lead by authority and you can make elephants pole vault!

Lead by example and those baby's are going to the moon! If one passes you hitch a ride on the next one!:)

 

[motometal]

quite right Jaybird, I have seen many that rather complain, make excuses, and push work off on others rather than to work hard, take responsibility, and try to move up the ladder. Some of these same individuals try to throw in a healthy dose of butt kissing to make up for some of the negatives, and it is truly sadd when this works.

 

[DahlElama]

Maybe it's time for her to get a new boytoy 15 years her junior. Her current one must be wearing out.

That's your answer.. find her a new boytoy that motos. You will never be dinged for dirtbike days off again....

I have had good managers and bad managers. My management style takes cues from all of the past mahogany row types that I have reported to. I can recall many times that us worker bees would complain to each other that we do the work while the boss disappears into meetings and doesn't always follow his/her own rules. I know that from time to time my worker bees say the same thing about me. Sometimes it's all about perception. I'm not saying your boss doesn't suck... she probably does. Not all of us management types are bad. When my crew really jams and gets the job done, we take a day off in the middle of the week and moto. It's good to be the boss....

Gotta go.. I think a couple of my employees are screwing around on DRN or Woodsracer.com. I'm gonna make them stay late and work next weekend.:p

 

[MXN4FUN]

You know what us bosses say about employees" Wish I could buy them for what they're worth and sell them for what they think they're worth" :p I tried running a business with employees but it usually ends up more like daycare. Inter-personelle squabbles ,so and so isn't doing this, or they simply don't show up and of course the employee with the telephone constantly hanging off their ear. Hmmm I hired more people yet percentage wise my productivity is down:think Now I work for myself and all is peachy.....except for the long hours and the over abundance of work.:scream: My solution to all who think the boos is a jag.....work hard and advance so someday you get to be the pain in everyones arse.;)

 

[needa250]

if i was getting hammered by a boss who let other employes get away with the same stuff id flaten his/her car tires. just get a scoket wrench and a valve loosener cap and real quick remove the valves. ive done this to other people when they give me a hard time for absolutly nothing and most of the time they cant figure out what is wrong w/ their tires. :p

 

[Smitty]

:uh:

 

[XRpredator]

needa, I wouldn't be braggin' on that. :silly: :mad:

 

[Jaybird]

needaswiftkick

(btw...many other choice phrases were debated upon before I chose this one in the interest of the family aspect of this site. The phrases I didn't post would suit much better though.)