Micromanagement

So, it seems that everywhere I go, there are 4 types of managers.

There's the laid-back--as long as the work gets done I don't really give a crap--manager. This one is my personal favorite for I am the self-starter. When I have the time to create a plan, I can accomplish almost anything. That is the way that I work best. If you've never had an interviewer ask you which way you work best, DON'T work there.

There's the--I want to be everyone's friend and I don't want to step on any toes 'cuz I'm such a good guy'--manager. These can be cool when you need something and you just can't pull yourself together to do it yourself. You can stretch yourself too thin and these guys will always come through in the clutch for you. It may not be the 'perfection' in the job that you had envisioned, but nonetheless the work is done and you are saved. Downsides to these managers are the inability to make decisions, spending too much time coddling employees and customers, and emotional fragileness.

There's the--I'm a big hard-ass and if it isn't in black and white then it isn't going to happen on my watch--manager. These managers get called bitches and bastards more than any other group. They are also angels when you get yourself into a predicament and you need law and order on your side. They are usually in accounting or inventory and have cobs up their respective asses. Downsides to these managers are inability to see any gray, stubborness, and an unwillingness to give up on conviction.

From the above group, I'd like to think that I fall somewhere between the "I don't care" and the "Hey, I'm a nice guy" managers... no one really is always one or the other, but they do have dominant management traits. Well, most do anyway...

Then there is the end all/be all of the shitty managers... The Micromanager. This jackass is all over the place. In one breath there are compliments and slams. Kudos and kicks to the groin... for you see, the Micromanager has no plan. They simply walk around and observe everything that "couldn't possibly work" and find the time to tell you all about it. They are only positive when there medication is working and they will never, EVER leave you alone to get any one thing done. They change their minds with the wind and never allow for true progress because they can't stick to a plan. These are the 'short-thinkers' as I like to call them. They will never be completely successful because they can never see the big picture... only the little things that they believe are keeping them from this truly non-existent, 'made up in their mind' big picture.

I guess you can tell that I have little to no respect for the Micromanager. It is unfortunate as my boss is indeed one of these creatures from hell. On any given day, I get at least 3 new 2-week projects and by the time I finish them, the path has once again changed and I get to spend at least 1-2 days reworking it. There is no time for me to make a plan... which stresses me out tremendously. Then I have to come down on the supervisors that work for me and the vicious cycle begins and continues in the same breath.

Anyway, I digress. I just thought I'd share a little bit on my Philosophy of Management. I hope you enjoyed.

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