Click here to monitor SSC
SQLServerCentral is supported by Red Gate Software Ltd.
 
Log in  ::  Register  ::  Not logged in
 
 


 
     
Recent Posts
   
Popular Topics
Home   
Search
    Members    Calendar    Who's On

Home » SQLServerCentral.com » Editorials » Would You Rather Work for a Strong or Weak...
Add to briefcase
26 posts, Page 1 of 3
123»»»

Would You Rather Work for a Strong or Weak Manager? Expand / Collapse
Rate Topic
Display Mode
Topic Options
Author
Message
Andy Warren
Posted Thursday, August 25, 2011 9:19 PM
SSCertifiable

SSCertifiableSSCertifiableSSCertifiableSSCertifiableSSCertifiableSSCertifiableSSCertifiableSSCertifiableSSCertifiable

Group: Moderators
Last Login: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 6:34 AM
Points: 6,463, Visits: 1,388
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Would You Rather Work for a Strong or Weak Manager?

Andy
SQLShare - Learn One New Thing Each Day
SQLAndy - My Professional Blog
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Follow me on Twitter
Post #1165833
Thomas Abraham
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 5:28 AM


Ten Centuries

Ten CenturiesTen CenturiesTen CenturiesTen CenturiesTen CenturiesTen CenturiesTen CenturiesTen Centuries

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 5:11 AM
Points: 1,168, Visits: 1,470
Strong - definitely. At least you know where you're going, and you tend to get used to better purpose.

I've said there are four kinds of managers:

1 - Technically strong, weak personal skills
2 - Technically weak, strong personal skills
3 - Technically strong, strong personal skills
4 - Technically weak, weak personal skills

I can work for any of the first three - there's always some redeeming quality that you can respect. Unfortunately, the Peter Principle tends to make many bosses fall into #4 above - getting them promoted to their level of incompetence.

Fortunately, I've had a string of good luck lately, and my past 3 bosses have not been in category #4.

<Edited for spelling>

Please don't go. The drones need you. They look up to you.
Post #1165944
hlewis
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 5:52 AM


Forum Newbie

Forum NewbieForum NewbieForum NewbieForum NewbieForum NewbieForum NewbieForum NewbieForum Newbie

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: Monday, February 11, 2013 6:10 AM
Points: 7, Visits: 43
I want a manager who is brave. Brave enough to protect the team and our work from outside pressures, and brave enough to address issues within the team. Also, I like a manager who is brave enough to understand his/her technical weaknesses and make up for it by utilizing the team or obtainig the knowledge. I have a manager who is strong technically and is a really nice fellow, however he has difficulty confronting issues or bad ideas with the people causing them. This causes a lot of frustration and wasted time/money.

IT Managers need to understand that it is their responsibility to make upper management and other departments aware of the pitfalls and realities of a decision. They are doing their organization a disservice if they are not.

Managers also need to confront issues within the team directly, not beat around the bush. For example if someone's work effort is in doubt, address that person and monitor them closely and helpfully, do not make the entire team suffer the burden of stricter controls.

Holly
Post #1165976
Ed.Watson aka SQLGator
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 6:25 AM


Mr or Mrs. 500

Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: Wednesday, May 08, 2013 7:28 AM
Points: 528, Visits: 187
We are leaving out the bully and the micro-manager, both of which can make life very difficult especially when they are technically strong.

Ed Watson aka SQLGator
MCTS SQL Server 2008

Follow me on Twitter!
Tampa Bay SQL Users Group
Go Gators!
Post #1166001
Ed.Watson aka SQLGator
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 6:27 AM


Mr or Mrs. 500

Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500Mr or Mrs. 500

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: Wednesday, May 08, 2013 7:28 AM
Points: 528, Visits: 187
hlewis (8/26/2011)
I want a manager who is brave. Brave enough to protect the team and our work from outside pressures, and brave enough to address issues within the team. Also, I like a manager who is brave enough to understand his/her technical weaknesses and make up for it by utilizing the team or obtainig the knowledge. I have a manager who is strong technically and is a really nice fellow, however he has difficulty confronting issues or bad ideas with the people causing them. This causes a lot of frustration and wasted time/money.

IT Managers need to understand that it is their responsibility to make upper management and other departments aware of the pitfalls and realities of a decision. They are doing their organization a disservice if they are not.

Managers also need to confront issues within the team directly, not beat around the bush. For example if someone's work effort is in doubt, address that person and monitor them closely and helpfully, do not make the entire team suffer the burden of stricter controls.

Holly


Very well said and I strongly agree.

Ed Watson aka SQLGator
MCTS SQL Server 2008

Follow me on Twitter!
Tampa Bay SQL Users Group
Go Gators!
Post #1166003
WolforthJ
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 6:38 AM
Valued Member

Valued MemberValued MemberValued MemberValued MemberValued MemberValued MemberValued MemberValued Member

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 3:26 PM
Points: 61, Visits: 246
I'd like a strong manager, and I'd like to commute to work with a jet pack. I've given up on hoping a strong manager will come along some day. I'm not giving up on the jet pack though.
Post #1166008
Jeff Moden
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 6:40 AM


SSC-Dedicated

SSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-DedicatedSSC-Dedicated

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 7:18 AM
Points: 33,112, Visits: 27,038
hlewis (8/26/2011)
I want a manager who is brave. Brave enough to protect the team and our work from outside pressures, and brave enough to address issues within the team. Also, I like a manager who is brave enough to understand his/her technical weaknesses and make up for it by utilizing the team or obtainig the knowledge. I have a manager who is strong technically and is a really nice fellow, however he has difficulty confronting issues or bad ideas with the people causing them. This causes a lot of frustration and wasted time/money.

IT Managers need to understand that it is their responsibility to make upper management and other departments aware of the pitfalls and realities of a decision. They are doing their organization a disservice if they are not.

Managers also need to confront issues within the team directly, not beat around the bush. For example if someone's work effort is in doubt, address that person and monitor them closely and helpfully, do not make the entire team suffer the burden of stricter controls.

Holly


Absolutely spot on, IMHO. To summarize, I believe a manager should be an "enabler" rather than an "obstacle", a "mentor" rather than a "mouse", and a "guiding light" rather than than "blinding beacon" of a train getting ready to run someone over.

--Jeff Moden
"RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for "Row-By-Agonizing-Row".

First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
Stop thinking about what you want to do to a row... think, instead, of what you want to do to a column."

For better, quicker answers on T-SQL questions, click on the following...
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/

For better answers on performance questions, click on the following...
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/SQLServerCentral/66909/
Post #1166012
skanker
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 7:13 AM
Say Hey Kid

Say Hey KidSay Hey KidSay Hey KidSay Hey KidSay Hey KidSay Hey KidSay Hey KidSay Hey Kid

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 8:40 AM
Points: 703, Visits: 1,032
Definitely working for a strong manager any day.

My biggest grumble is when my own manager seems less competent in defending the interests of the team against outside influences. There is nothing worse than watching a pending mini-disaster approach due to the inadequacies of the manager and being powerless to stop it due to organisational structures / politics.

While a good manager does not need to be techinally aware of everything they do need to have a enough knowledge to spot when other managers are speaking technical bullshit (ie exagerating the brilliant benefits of XY approach with fanastic cost savings, etc).
Post #1166040
jcrawf02
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 7:47 AM


SSCrazy

SSCrazySSCrazySSCrazySSCrazySSCrazySSCrazySSCrazySSCrazy

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 2:46 PM
Points: 2,561, Visits: 18,910
I'd rather work for Andy Warren.

---------------------------------------------------------
How best to post your question
How to post performance problems
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop

"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
Post #1166061
Craigmeister
Posted Friday, August 26, 2011 7:48 AM
SSC Rookie

SSC RookieSSC RookieSSC RookieSSC RookieSSC RookieSSC RookieSSC RookieSSC Rookie

Group: General Forum Members
Last Login: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 10:20 AM
Points: 42, Visits: 312
As with everything else - It Depends.

Sometimes with weak managers, I find myself becoming the defacto manager of myself. I make the priorities, defend myself and teammates, and, if necessary, go around the manager to get those priorities needed to make the project successful. Would I prefer a strong manager? Absolutely. But, I would guess for most of us, the job/project at hand is most important and career comes next. We adapt to make the project successful, which helps our careers, of course. And as much as that may mean learning new technology and stepping out in areas we are not 100% comfortable with, it may also mean learning to navigate an odd political landscape.

Thoughts?
Post #1166063
« Prev Topic | Next Topic »

Add to briefcase
26 posts, Page 1 of 3
123»»»

Permissions Expand / Collapse

 
 
Copyright © 2002-2013 Simple Talk Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Use. Report Abuse.