I’ve often wondered how companies succeed when so much inside seems to be broken. 

If we’re lucky, work only consumes 10 or so hours a day, 5 days a week – but if you work in technology, frequently it consumes a lot more time, even if it’s only mental bandwidth and not in the office face time.

That’s a big chunk of my life/all of our lives. 

My friend Tim! had a saying while at one of his former companies: “Hey, we put the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional.”

I think that is a brilliant way to sum up the good and the bad -  often what makes a company good or bad, or a job good or bad, are the people you have to work with every day. (and – if you/your company need or want an amazing customer/solution sales focused Solution Manager or Senior/Principal Sales Engineer – Tim! is your man, I promise; email me for his contact info).

I appreciate Scott Berkun’s weblog essay on “How to Survive a Bad Manager,” including his “short list” of characteristics to identify a bad manager:

• Inconsistent: Says one thing, does something else.
• Arrogant. Always believes they are right, and makes sure you know it.
• Egocentric. Makes every issue and decision about them.
• Doesn’t listen: is offered advice but ignores it before even considering it.
• Self-centered: Doesn’t support, encourage or look out for their team.
• Mean/Abusive: Makes people feel bad for no reason.
• Micro-manager: Refuses to delegate anything, despite what they say.
• Coward: Backs down when challenged; or my addition: tries to bully others into backing down.
• Isolated: doesn’t involve others in decisions, and rarely looks for ways to support/encourage the work of their team.
• Incompetent: Lacks basic communication, intellectual, or emotional skills needed to for their role.
• Checked out: Isn’t committed to their work or their team.

I also include the following additions:

• Reproduces by cloning: Great managers hire great talent; similarly, bad managers hire themselves.
• Lacks self awareness: bad managers won’t acknowledge, and frequently don’t believe they have any skill areas which need improvement.

Does this bring to mind one or more of your current or former managers?  Several of my past managers are almost an exact match. 

I believe bad managers who survive more than 9 months in the job are problems in their own right, but more importantly are symptoms of bigger problems the next level up.

Keeping in mind Randy Pausch‘s excellent life rules, particularly “Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out,” I can usually think of a good trait of each person’s – but often not enough to mitigate the other issues.   

I’m working on a new blog entry which expands upon these ideas – “how work teams go bad…;” so check back soon for that one.

My friend Susan believes the real answer is companies succeed despite themselves; I think she may have something there.

“It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.”  – Lewis Carroll