Filed under: Comment
Following on from yesterday’s post, my wife has a simple way to see if the person she is dealing with is good or not.
If they always have a reason for why something didn’t happen, they’re not.
Sure, there may be occasions where what they are saying is true, but if this is their standard response to every failure – especially if they place the blame on others rather than taking any responsibility themselves [even though they’re ‘senior person’ involved] – then you can be pretty sure their inadequecy or laziness is going to cause you untold hours, weeks, months & years of pain and suffering.
If this happens, you really only have two courses of action:
1. Help them learn through the error of their ways.
2. Leave.
Of course it’s important to be sure you’re judging them fairly. We have a nasty habit of evaluating others by our own personal criteria – even when we don’t have the experience or credibility to really make an informed judgement.
But that aside, this simple test will help you work out whether you’re in a place of learning and challenge [which you should know anyway by the quality of work you help produce] or a home for bad management.
Use it carefully.
Thank you Jill.
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guess she learnt that trick being married to you campbell.
Comment by andy@cynic August 16, 2012 @ 6:27 amSo does that mean she’s trying to teach Rob to learn from his mistakes? Doesn’t seem to be working.
Comment by DH August 16, 2012 @ 6:48 amthe words rob and working never fucking go together.
Comment by andy@cynic August 16, 2012 @ 7:40 amHow can you say that?? I’ll have you know that I’m away all next week in South Korea [the ‘Miami’ of South Korea no less] at a conference I’m speaking and judging at.
This is very hard work I’ll have you know.
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 9:28 amfuck me. you must be a time and motion study experts worst fucking nightmare. more importantly, does this mean we are blog fucking free for a week?
Comment by andy@cynic August 16, 2012 @ 9:43 amand what the fuck is south koreas version of miami? will the shit that happened when we were both in the real fucking thing happen again? of course not, without me nothing interesting happens in your life.
Comment by andy@cynic August 16, 2012 @ 9:43 amI have no idea what South Korean ‘Miami’ looks like, but I am pretty sure it won’t involve having a guy go up to gangsters wives and tell them I’m a member of the royal family in the hope I’ll be kidnapped.
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 4:29 pmif some fucker keeps saying that for things they did wrong then some other fucker needs to tap them on the shoulder and tell them to fuck off.
that was my mature doddsy/hill impression. bored me too.
Comment by andy@cynic August 16, 2012 @ 6:32 amIt might be your impression of John and Lee but it’s a very good point.
The length of time senior management seem to be given to “get away” with making costly mistakes seems out of proportion with how long more junior staff are given. When you add in that their decisions will have much more direct impact on the financial health of the company they’re working for, I wonder why this still happens with companies across every sector.
Comment by Pete August 16, 2012 @ 7:05 amWell, if a manager is allowing that sort of shit to go on for too long, then they too are failing at their basic responsibilities which means they let it go on as they’re both co-dependents and neither wants to call the other out because of what the other ‘has’ on them.
It’s paralysis by inadequacy.
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 9:31 amyou forgot option 3 campbell.
shit in their desk.
Comment by andy@cynic August 16, 2012 @ 6:33 amThis is the sort of management advice that inspires me.
Yours is good Jill, this is better.
Comment by DH August 16, 2012 @ 6:46 amOr make colleagues pick up dog shit because you have got them used to seeing fake dog shit in the office for a few weeks.
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 9:29 amits not hr violation when its fucking funny.
Comment by andy@cynic August 16, 2012 @ 9:44 amI have another. They have an inability to answer any question in a simple sentence. In fact, they have a tendency to make even seem really hard and complex.
Comment by northern August 16, 2012 @ 4:20 pmI agree totally with the ‘take responsibilty’ thing. If you do it every day, then of course you’re fucked, but it’s amazing how clients are gobsmacked when you say, “Sorry, we fucked up, no excuses, we’ll put it right”. They’re expecting the usual mealy mouthed bullshit and it totally throws them.
Only twats blame other people, because, as you mentioned, they’re admitting they either couldn’t be arsed to step in, didn’t have the power to, or didn’t know what to do.
MediaArts?
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 4:28 pmMedia Arts is the Dark Empire of Sophistry rules by Emperor Tom and his henchman, Darth Clow
Comment by northern August 16, 2012 @ 5:03 pmAs for the blame game, 98% of agencies in the universe.
Somewhere on the planet Tharg, there are account diretors working for Klaatu and Dengar Ltd blaming some poor one eyed snaggle toothed exomorph for their fuck up on on the 3D holocast.
l love how combining the words ‘Media’ and ‘Arts’ causes a brain combustion that makes you go mental. I’d love to be in a client meeting with you and let those words slip out in conversation and see what happens …
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 5:08 pmYou wouldn’t if you were my boss, you’d probably have to fire me
Comment by northern August 16, 2012 @ 5:34 pmBased on what I’ve just accidentally done, I don’t think I would ever be in a position to question someone’s professionalism.
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 6:35 pmExcellent, do share
Comment by northern August 16, 2012 @ 6:45 pmJust opened my gob too loudly to the wrong person.
You know, the usual thing …
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 6:59 pmAnyway, balls to this, it’s A level results day – cue lots of gratuitous shots of nubile, coltish young girls jumping up and down
Comment by northern August 16, 2012 @ 5:06 pmhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/08/16/is-the-medias-obsession-jumping-a-level-girls-waning_n_1787440.html
Already? It only seems a few weeks ago since you talked about this. Mental.
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 5:10 pmInteresting alternative view on that: http://www.fleetstreetfox.com/2011/08/more-pictures-like-this-please.html
Comment by Rob Mortimer (Not a fake Andy) August 16, 2012 @ 5:15 pmActually, fuck that too. Read this.
Comment by northern August 16, 2012 @ 5:07 pmhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/08/15/rick-van-beek-father-competes-in-triathlons-with-daughter-maddy-who-has-cerebral-palsy-pictures_n_1777929.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
And I love how you did this to look sophisticated. Or less sleazy!
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 5:12 pmOh I never bother trying to look sophisticated, see above comment
Comment by northern August 16, 2012 @ 6:09 pmhttp://sexyalevels.tumblr.com/
Comment by John August 16, 2012 @ 5:44 pmCome on then Dodds, you were the author, admit it.
Comment by northern August 16, 2012 @ 6:09 pmThat has Dodds written all over it.
Comment by Rob August 16, 2012 @ 6:36 pmso do all the cease and fucking desist letters young chicks have sent to the fucking poilice.
Comment by andy@cynic August 17, 2012 @ 12:42 amThat’s better than the olympics amateur dramatics opening ceremony.
Comment by DH August 17, 2012 @ 1:37 am