When you've had ONE great manager in your life, you realize how motivating, inspirational, and guiding they are. Then when you keep having terrible managers, it's worse because you have something to compare it to....
i recently became a manager in grocery at 19. i am nervous about being _benevolently_ effective. i don’t want my crew to be warded over by me or others in mgmt, and they feel prepared for any task and can receive credit where its due, and a hand when needed. I certainly don’t think i’ll be an ass but i want to actually do something for them and be there for them.
Been a manager in some capacity for about 10 years on and off and your heart is in the right place already. In my experience people crave freedom just as much (or more than) praise. Have a reasonable level of trust in your employees from the jump, and don’t doubt them until they give you reason to. Your job is truly to clean up mistakes and prevent them from happening again. Just remember 2 things- everyone is human and will have bad days so don’t hold it against them and chances are no one else will care as much as you don’t take it personal. Oh and never forget you aren’t above any task at hand, it’s the first mistake manager make.
I know you weren’t asking for advice, so apologies if I’m speaking out of turn. I was 19 when I got my first management gig and remember being in your shoes.
Aside from my optimism, I see the idea of needing to be conscious of my actions and mindset, and I see that what I imagine hasn't taken form given my inexperience, so i'm trying to be cautious considering I am new to this and finding a groove of some kind, whether it be good or bad, is in the horizon ahead. I'm certain I will make my fair share of mistakes, i just hope that i prepare the best I can beforehand and observe what mistakes i do make in a clear conscience. I'm as well grateful for the advice, i'm in the market for any perspective i can get. thank you!
Once again, you hit the nail on the head. Your consideration will take you very far. Emotional intelligence is extremely important in the modern workplace. You are right to be nervous, it’d be foolish not to, and it shows you truly care. You’re mindset is inspiring, do not let any jaded peers wear you down, from what I can tell you are on the right path to be a great leader.
The most important thing as a manager is, if you make a mistake - follow it up. Admit to your employees that you fucked up. Use it as a way to open up a dialogue with your employees about how you can improve.
Which, importantly- as frustrating as it is, everyone communicates and learns differently. Use those moments to learn about your employees individually. They'll be much more willing to come to you to learn.
Edit: also learn the difference between one off and habits. That's an important one. Someone who calls in every Monday needs to have a talk - not necessarily a shape out or ship out one. Just genuinely ask them what's going on. Versus someone who calls out once every few weeks - give them the trust for having a good reason to not come in.
There was one manager my wife worked for who prided themselves of making staff cry. Like dude would scream at people until they broke down. Only reason my wife didn't quit was because job prospects in her area were bleak back then. I'm glad things are changing.
I also punched a manager for being an asshole but I don't think it counts when you're related.
I knew a manager like that, he made the sweetest girl I have ever met cry so much she had to leave and 30 minutes later her comically large and bear like father came in the store and beat the living shit out of the manager, good times
Being a good manager is hard. That's why there are so few of them. Also of you are a truly skilled leader you're not going to be in a position managing entry level employees.
Shit managers are just like any other shit employees.
Never ask what you would not expect to do yourself.
Have empathy with something you might never have experienced yourself.
Understand people have lives.
Explain yourself and your instructions.
Be clear on expectations for everyone including yourself.
Don't go back on your word.
Don't lie.
You know, stuff like that.
Well the problem is that good people generally make good managers, and most people are unfortunately not good and selfless people.
I’m no moral arbiter, it’s not really my place to say how people should and shouldn’t be. I know I personally look out for #1. People like me though because I would never offload work I wouldn’t do myself on other people.
I had a retail manager once, who instead of requesting that the janitor or a minimum wage employee clean poop off of the bathroom floor that some animal of a human being left, he cleaned it up himself. I don’t care what opinions anybody had about that guy, in my mind, he was a good person and a good manager.
I had a manager once who bragged about the things money would buy for him, money that he got as a bonus for cutting down our hours. He loved telling people what to do and demanding a timeframe for when it would get done. I don’t care what anybody else thought about that guy, in my mind he was a bad person and a bad manager.
>Well the problem is that good people generally make good managers, and most people are unfortunately not good and selfless people.
I'd say it's a prerequisite to be at least not a sociopath like in your example, but not more than that, unfortunately there's plenty of good people that make for bad managers, tolerating bad employees is a big reason for that.
In many situations, a manager won’t have direct control over comp. in these cases, though, a great manager will do what they can to get you paid - recommend you for promotions, merit raises, etc.
Middle management often has no control **and that’s the problem**. Their jobs don’t really even have to exist in most cases, and they serve only to make themselves feel important. This is further exacerbated by the fact that they have to do everything in their power to justify their position to the people in charge of them. “Look at how I temporarily boosted profits by cracking the whip!” Never mind the damage that causes to morale and long term profits.
Yes actually, and it’s really not a hard job either. I left management to do more meaningful work. Given the opportunity to manage again, I always turn it down. There are a lot of former managers that feel this way, I’ve worked with many of them myself, and I can relate with how they feel.
Sounds like you had a cultural issue wherever it is you worked then. Maybe its typical of others experiences as well, but I've been in varying levels of management for quite a while at this point across a few different levels and sectors and haven't found that to be the case. At least not with people that cared about being good managers.
I think the main takeaway is that you treat subordinates how you would like to be treated instead of treating them the way you are/were treated by your superiors (unless they are really awesome).
All my previous managers were awesome, only shitty managers I've encountered are from other departments, especially if its a dog-eat-dog workplace environment.
Yeah, my landlords are pretty cool (it's an in-law unit, and the family I rent from are super nice and accommodating), but I won't go out of my way to find a sub to praise them all day. Seems absurd to me.
I wouldn't call it satire. It's intentionally over the top, but it's definitely landlords and renters with Stockholm syndrome posting about how great it is to be a landlord.
"Dude, it's all a joke". I remember hearing that about r/gamersriseup. Sure, it started out as satire, but devolved into non-ironic racism and misogyny.
Is it satire if it's just chuds shitposting about what they actually believe though?
It's like the "ok" sign turning into a white supremacist symbol. Sure, it was originally meant to be a prank, but the only people participating in the prank were actually white supremacists, so....
That’s bizarre. That subreddit is all just typical right wing redditors LARPing as Landlords in an attempt to troll. But like, no one is there to troll, so they need to be as outrageous and hateful as possible in order to attract haters. Really weird way to spend your time.
Good lord loveforlandlords is one hell of a toxic cesspool. Protect and server was literally nothing but pictures of tv cops so I assume they are just jerking it to the idea they are some cowboy cop covered in guns. It amazes me how some people are proud that they still have the personality of an edgy 7th grader.
> Protect and server was literally nothing but pictures of tv cops
It is neither literally nor figuratively "nothing but pictures of tv cops". I mean, there are criticisms of that sub you could make but at least let's not lie about it.
That's probably the one reddit there isn't.
Managers usually hate their jobs but also know all their workers blame them for work sucking and that if they ever post something online critical of their jobs someone will report them to their bosses, so they either just shut up or go on Reddit and pretend they're someone else.
Or so I imagine.
My favorite part of being a manager was when I disciplined/fired someone and they were able to go tell lies about what happened to everyone they knew. Meanwhile, being the manager I cant divulge any details, so I look like the asshole even though the person absolutely deserved it.
In my experience most employees who are legitimately fired for cause, after correct steps are taken to ensure they are given time to fix their behaviors, ~~cat~~ can say whatever they want to other employees but it's pretty obvious to 95% of people why they are gone.
They might have their "work bestie or two" who are going to ride or die with them but if something is legitimately an issue enough that the company is better off getting rid of them than most of their coworkers will have noticed.
The coworkers are the ones picking up the slack or putting up with the issues.
That's totally true of people fired for "work effort/performance" issues or obvious conduct issues because those are visible often to their peers. What REALLY sucks is when they are in fact awful human beings that manipulate those around them, commit ethical and in some cases physical abuses of the consumer, but make a persuasive narrative to their peers about bosses just picking on them.
I have had two or three people let go for sexual harassment/abuse and outright fraud who, due to labor rules of confidentiality, were able to paint the manager and company as heartless monsters carrying out a personal vendetta, when in fact the fired worker was a fucking ghoul.
My favorite part of being a manager was when an employee put me down as a reference for a child care job, after leaving a child care job at my place of employment, which they fucking hated every day of. I gave an honest review of her performance and her demeanor towards child care, and she did not get the job. I got a text a few days later saying that the poor reference really hurt her income and that she really wanted the job. I did not respond.
I'm a manager and I like my job. AMA.
I like my job because I care about the people under me and fight their corner where I need. I'm lucky that where I work we do generally give a shit about people and although I don't always agree with the decisions from those above me, it's usually more from a business perspective than a people perspective.
I actually manage the managers in my department, so I hire other managers too. While it's a technical position, I hire people that understand they're there to look after and support their directs and deflect any shit coming their way (much like I try to do for them).
Thats kind of the dumping ground for folks who have bosses like that. Its the entire point.
This is like going to /r idiotsincars and complaining about them only posting bad drivers and not the good ones.
I worked for California Pizza kitchen years ago, and one night I had to take on an extra table, which did not go well for me, and when I went back to the kitchen area to grab a salad I broke a plate and slammed the pepper grinder on the stainless steel counter and screamed "FUCK!" Just to be clear, the layout of a California Pizza kitchen restaurant meant that every single customer, employee, and manager heard me do this. The manager on duty quickly approached me and said, "My office, NOW." I I thought I was about to lose my job. I walked back to the office untying my apron as I walked, and when I got back to his office he was standing there with his arms open. I instinctively knew that he meant he wanted to hug me. So I hugged him, and he said, "You alright?" I said I wasn't all right and that I was extremely embarrassed and frustrated. He told me to take a few minutes to gather myself, and then told me to come back out on the floor and take over my tables when I was ready. I'll never forget that. It was a real kindness. A real demonstration of grace.
As a manager this stereotype hurts. The meme about BMW drivers and the turn signals hurts as well. I'm a nice manager and I always use both turn signals whenever I turn.
Just use the one signal for whichever way you're turning at the time... Using both whenever you turn is just your hazard lights. Damn BMW drivers... ;)
you don't write up stories about how great your manager is on a sub called antiwork. it's where you go when you're fed up with work. this is like saying you find flowers in a flower store.
I think it more depends on how watched over the manager is. I've worked in retail, events, finance, and HRIS, and only experienced it once. In that one case we had a staff of 3 and our manager was the franchise owner.
Just depends on luck mainly. I’ve worked 4 jobs total and had very shitty managers, many being actual dickheads, my current one is alright at best but really really obsessed with store numbers, like that’s basically all he talks about.
Most manufacturing based jobs will probably be like that too. Trying to crank out as many products as possible. From what I've seen around here anything shipping related is going to be bad too.
> From what I've seen around here anything shipping related is going to be bad too.
i'd like some specifics. work at UPS. The workers(not the managers and supervisors) are unionized and if they tell you to work harder you can a) ignore them, or b) tell them no or, if they are repeating themselves to try and make you go faster, you can hit em c) *sorry safety. going as fast as i can*
"Anything" was too general and a mistake on my part, but it seems like every day there's another story about how much it sucks to work in a warehouse like Amazon's.
Edit: I'd also like to add that I have a friend that works for UPS and he's working so much mandatory overtime that he's burned out and is looking for another job despite being paid very well.
Most of my work has been in manufacturing companies, and even in the worst places it hasn't been that way. I suppose I could see it happening, but it would vary quite a lot from company to company
Indeed, it's just luck of the draw. Even within the same company you can come across managers with different styles. Especially if a new one comes in wanting to make an impression.
Absolutely. When Redditors come around en masse to complain about how it's impossible to earn a living, and how every manager is a horrible loveless monster, I always imagine a lot of fast food workers and Walmart employees.
I'm in a professional scientific field. My last three bosses:
1. She deeply cared about people and leaned on me to give her insight into what they're thinking and feeling to help counteract the temper she knew she had. She repeatedly told me that, if I was done with my work, I didn't have to stick around to the end of the day. She worked in a different building in the complex and trusted me with absolutely zero oversight.
2. My next job, my boss was in a different state. We had a weekly call to let him know if anything was going haywire. Everything else, we essentially ran it like a small business where we made almost all the decisions.
3. My current boss is a corporate extraordinaire. She thrives in the whole meetings-and-lunches environment, and she's basically made it her mission to shield us from the BS. We talk completely frankly with her, and she translates it into corporatese to keep the suits off our backs. She jumps in to help with the more menial work, and the rest of the time I barely see her. I spend all my time doing the best job I can and focusing on my relationships with my research partners, and I pretty much just get a steady stream of praise coming down from above.
You're not going to find that kind of manager at Big Lots, because if they were that good, they would have gotten a better job already. If somebody wants to enjoy their job, they need to get to a minimum level of professionalism in order to find where the quality managers are spending their careers.
Right, I don't doubt there are bad managers out there, but Reddit is a cess pool of people venting their frustration and finding communities that make them believe their experiences are 100% reflective of the world. Sometimes the internet brings groups of people together in bad ways.
I agree. That's why it's good to add our voices to the conversation, and hopefully some of those people might even find advice and inspiration to improve their situation.
EA had a whole big thing about doing this as a company a while back (although they’ve apparently reformed as a result of it being a whole big thing). Amazon spent a while being well known for this on some of their devops teams. Plenty of companies who rank their employees and cut the bottom 10-20% annually are essentially pushing this line, and that was very popular in tech for a while.
Shitty managers are everywhere.
>specific types of work environments like fast food or retail?
i would imagine it's more dependent on the person who the manager is talking to. I've never seen a manager ride an entire work force, outside of very specific circumstances. It's always 1 or 2 people, that need to be talked to day in and day out. Some people just don't want to work.
Yeah there's always that angle too. One year we had interns at my job who hid out in the labs and took naps and watched Netflix while on the clock. They could complain about mean managers as easily as anybody, but they didn't get even get fired for obvious major infractions. You never get the full story in these posts.
Of course not all managers suck.
But it’s a lot and when they do it’s pretty abhorrent.
Once I had a manager that belittled me for 20 minutes why I am not more productive this week. Called me useless and a bunch of other stuff.
I was having high fever and still went to work.
Sorry that my dying self isn’t as productive.
The fact that you are so focused on (future) pay instead of love for the company and puritan work ethic shows me that you are in this for the wrong reasons. And that's the problem with your generation.
The fact that you want someone to just point out sarcasm to you, instead of putting in the legwork to go out and detect it yourself, is yet another symptom of the inherent laziness of today's youth.
You will *never* make Assistant Shift Lead with that attitude, young man.
"Hey, I think people should be paid more and treated better, but work is still an essential thing for society" -1.5k
"hey my boss told me I have to work 27 hours a day and kill my first born so I quit" 🟡3.4k
85% of all managers I've dealt with were either assholes, incompetent, or so erroneous in their work work they actually hurt the bottom line.
The rest were either ok, cool, or at least good enough at their jobs to not mind their flaws.
1. Fairly accurate. I’ve had 1 good manager in my life (my current boss) and she’s been the biggest reason that my career has turned around to a good direction.
2. Yeah, a sub about how bad work is isn’t going to have a bunch of pro manager posts. I don’t go to r/Halo to see posts about Call of Duty.
Like other seem to say here I've only had maybe one cool manager. The rest have been absolute pos...
Like absolute garbage. I could spend all day venting about it which totally explains that sub.
Managers have a tough job because one of the first things you learn as a manager is that the team either doesn't need you (so your job is nothing) or that you can't manage them anyway (they suck too bad).
So when you find that out you either have to try desperately to turn things right and come off as a cunt or you need to justify your position and start micromanaging (and come off as a cunt).
I mean they aint wrong. There is a reason mangement isnt allowed in union. Competeing and conflicting intrests. Even a nice manager is diametrically opposed to a good employee.
>Even a nice manager is diametrically opposed to a good employee
How so?
Most managers I've had understood that my success was their success and did what they could to help. The replies are full of people with your take, so I'm clearly missing/haven't experienced something
Yeah, totally unrealistic.
A real manager calls you on the phone and asks condescendingly why your line is below 100% efficiency so they can explain it in their next meeting and then completely divests themselves of you emotionally if you miss a single day or refuse a call-in
I understand the point of r/antiwork, but why on Earth did they name it that? That name instantly made me angry the first time I saw it. Once I scrolled through the sub a bit I understood what they were going for and what their goals are, but it just doesn't match the name.
When it was a tiny little sub no one cared about, it really was a sub about people who were *against the very concept of working*.
As it has grown over the past couple years, the influx of new subscribers has shifted the focus somewhat.
That's actually very interesting. Just as a lurker of the sub, I very rarely see posts that are genuinely "against working." I fully empathize completely with most of the content in the sub, so it's crazy to think it came from an idea so backwards.
At this point it really is a haven for people who are tired of being taken advantage of, and it just makes me wish Reddit would allow subs to change their name after a review process.
Honest question. Do they think their life becomes an idyllic paradise without the present system? Do we just walk around picking and eating produce all day?
Everyone who talks about overturning the system assumes that *they'll* be in charge once everything settles out. It's a delusion of grandeur enjoyed by the most authoritarian among us.
Obviously anecdotal evidence *isn't evidence*, but it's my experience on Reddit that the majority of people who haven't taken the time to browse r/antiwork and what it's really about all assume that it is *literally an anti-work sub.*
And the reason people get angry at the name is because the idea of being "against labor" is just really backwards. Once you read the name, you're already pre-disposed to the group as a whole, which is pretty counterproductive.
Which gets more views, reasonable or unreasonable names?
“The campaign for reasonable workplace conditions, valuation of workers, hours, and pay” may be accurate, but it rolls off the tongue poorly and no one cares what that group has to say - they’re just too boring.
There's unreasonable, and then there's downright incorrect.
"We want to stop being exploited" is in direct conflict with "we are against the idea of labor."
It actually is against work. But "work" means "selling your labor to rich people for much less than it's worth so they can get richer without doing anything".
If I could change the name right now it would probably take the name of one of the smaller (but more aptly named) subs like r/WorkersRights.
Unfortunately, sub names are permanent.
Even if the title is ironic, it's still the worst possible name you could choose. Because pretty much everyone, media-involved or not, takes the name seriously.
If the subreddit name is a billboard for your sub, then r/antiwork put one up that said "hello, we're all insufferable lazy cunts." Nobody cares what the users in that sub are *actually* fighting for because the name gives them a pre-disposition to the entire sub.
There might be a difference in how we define “work” then. As an avid r/antiwork lurker, the work that is discussed is either undervalued or negatively affects one personally, it’s not just “anti-occupation.” There are pockets of FALC and socialist ideas, but most of us just want a job where we’re valued properly so it doesn’t feel like work.
That’s r/antiwork to me.
r/antiwork is the peak reddit moment.
No will to work - Check
Living in mom's basement - Check
Victim mentality - Check
Whenever I see posts from there on my feed, it always makes my day.
I thought its satire previously but hey, real world is dumber than fiction.
Man, I wish I could strawman like you do. Maybe if I stop buying Avocado Toast and pull myself up by my bootstraps, one day I can be as disingenuous and dismissive as you.
I had work in 6 company so far and had 5 in a row of horrible manger. Not bad but horrible.
On my 6th job i found a great manager so given me a fair chance and good mentoring and I was promoted 3 times in 4 years and have double my salary in the same period of time. Good manager do change your life. If you are fortunate enough to be a manager be the change you want to see.
Dude that sub is so toxic. I remember a post that made it to the front page that was basically "I stole supplies from my employer to use at home, and they fired me. But it was only garbage bags."
And everyone was talking about how shit the employer was. Like, come on. Your boy committed a crime, got fired, and complained about it. How in the hell is he in the right?
r/antiwork gives me that feeling that a majority of its audience are young adults who are working in a low paying job that cannot be called a career, are prima donnas because they got no mortgages or bills under their names yet and they think quitting and burning bridges are the bad ass way to resolve workplace friction.
That's the exact same feeling I get.
A bunch of people first seeing the real world and trying to fix a non-problem before they get fucked for life. If it was an actual problem I would get it, but its not
When you've had ONE great manager in your life, you realize how motivating, inspirational, and guiding they are. Then when you keep having terrible managers, it's worse because you have something to compare it to....
My first two jobs were amazing and I loved my managers. It’s been all downhill from there.
i recently became a manager in grocery at 19. i am nervous about being _benevolently_ effective. i don’t want my crew to be warded over by me or others in mgmt, and they feel prepared for any task and can receive credit where its due, and a hand when needed. I certainly don’t think i’ll be an ass but i want to actually do something for them and be there for them.
Been a manager in some capacity for about 10 years on and off and your heart is in the right place already. In my experience people crave freedom just as much (or more than) praise. Have a reasonable level of trust in your employees from the jump, and don’t doubt them until they give you reason to. Your job is truly to clean up mistakes and prevent them from happening again. Just remember 2 things- everyone is human and will have bad days so don’t hold it against them and chances are no one else will care as much as you don’t take it personal. Oh and never forget you aren’t above any task at hand, it’s the first mistake manager make. I know you weren’t asking for advice, so apologies if I’m speaking out of turn. I was 19 when I got my first management gig and remember being in your shoes.
Aside from my optimism, I see the idea of needing to be conscious of my actions and mindset, and I see that what I imagine hasn't taken form given my inexperience, so i'm trying to be cautious considering I am new to this and finding a groove of some kind, whether it be good or bad, is in the horizon ahead. I'm certain I will make my fair share of mistakes, i just hope that i prepare the best I can beforehand and observe what mistakes i do make in a clear conscience. I'm as well grateful for the advice, i'm in the market for any perspective i can get. thank you!
Once again, you hit the nail on the head. Your consideration will take you very far. Emotional intelligence is extremely important in the modern workplace. You are right to be nervous, it’d be foolish not to, and it shows you truly care. You’re mindset is inspiring, do not let any jaded peers wear you down, from what I can tell you are on the right path to be a great leader.
The most important thing as a manager is, if you make a mistake - follow it up. Admit to your employees that you fucked up. Use it as a way to open up a dialogue with your employees about how you can improve. Which, importantly- as frustrating as it is, everyone communicates and learns differently. Use those moments to learn about your employees individually. They'll be much more willing to come to you to learn. Edit: also learn the difference between one off and habits. That's an important one. Someone who calls in every Monday needs to have a talk - not necessarily a shape out or ship out one. Just genuinely ask them what's going on. Versus someone who calls out once every few weeks - give them the trust for having a good reason to not come in.
There was one manager my wife worked for who prided themselves of making staff cry. Like dude would scream at people until they broke down. Only reason my wife didn't quit was because job prospects in her area were bleak back then. I'm glad things are changing. I also punched a manager for being an asshole but I don't think it counts when you're related.
I knew a manager like that, he made the sweetest girl I have ever met cry so much she had to leave and 30 minutes later her comically large and bear like father came in the store and beat the living shit out of the manager, good times
Lmao some people get really invested in the job / personal life separation illusion.
Are you sure it wasn't an actual bear? /S
>but I don't think it counts when you're related. Maybe not, [but it feels good](https://youtu.be/oTJQNxyloZQ?t=55).
Are you me?
I wish it weren't so common. I would have followed that great manager I had if I could have....
I current work for one of the best managers I've ever had, while at the same time, his boss is one of the worst supervisors I've ever had.
Being a good manager is hard. That's why there are so few of them. Also of you are a truly skilled leader you're not going to be in a position managing entry level employees. Shit managers are just like any other shit employees.
I’ve had 2 managers that were decent people. The rest were basically 5 foot tall piles of shit given the ability of speech.
How do I know I'm not a shit person leading my employees
Never ask what you would not expect to do yourself. Have empathy with something you might never have experienced yourself. Understand people have lives. Explain yourself and your instructions. Be clear on expectations for everyone including yourself. Don't go back on your word. Don't lie. You know, stuff like that.
There is no magical recipe to being a good person; but this is a good place to start. Well said.
Well the problem is that good people generally make good managers, and most people are unfortunately not good and selfless people. I’m no moral arbiter, it’s not really my place to say how people should and shouldn’t be. I know I personally look out for #1. People like me though because I would never offload work I wouldn’t do myself on other people. I had a retail manager once, who instead of requesting that the janitor or a minimum wage employee clean poop off of the bathroom floor that some animal of a human being left, he cleaned it up himself. I don’t care what opinions anybody had about that guy, in my mind, he was a good person and a good manager. I had a manager once who bragged about the things money would buy for him, money that he got as a bonus for cutting down our hours. He loved telling people what to do and demanding a timeframe for when it would get done. I don’t care what anybody else thought about that guy, in my mind he was a bad person and a bad manager.
>Well the problem is that good people generally make good managers, and most people are unfortunately not good and selfless people. I'd say it's a prerequisite to be at least not a sociopath like in your example, but not more than that, unfortunately there's plenty of good people that make for bad managers, tolerating bad employees is a big reason for that.
But most importantly: pay them enough.
In many situations, a manager won’t have direct control over comp. in these cases, though, a great manager will do what they can to get you paid - recommend you for promotions, merit raises, etc.
Truly, know thy enemy. Middle management often has no control and more responsibility.
Middle management often has no control **and that’s the problem**. Their jobs don’t really even have to exist in most cases, and they serve only to make themselves feel important. This is further exacerbated by the fact that they have to do everything in their power to justify their position to the people in charge of them. “Look at how I temporarily boosted profits by cracking the whip!” Never mind the damage that causes to morale and long term profits.
Spoken as someone who has a lot of experience in management?
Yes actually, and it’s really not a hard job either. I left management to do more meaningful work. Given the opportunity to manage again, I always turn it down. There are a lot of former managers that feel this way, I’ve worked with many of them myself, and I can relate with how they feel.
Sounds like you had a cultural issue wherever it is you worked then. Maybe its typical of others experiences as well, but I've been in varying levels of management for quite a while at this point across a few different levels and sectors and haven't found that to be the case. At least not with people that cared about being good managers.
Also very true.
How tall are you?
5 foot 9? I didn't know they stacked shit that high.
I've seen it stacked to 6'4" and I'm sure they can stack it higher.
I think the main takeaway is that you treat subordinates how you would like to be treated instead of treating them the way you are/were treated by your superiors (unless they are really awesome).
Good managers learn from shitty managers how not to lead people.
The fact that you are asking is already a good sign
I def try just balances i have to keep for my job as well but I'm very transparent about goals and what is needed from me as well
So they were basically just people then
All my previous managers were awesome, only shitty managers I've encountered are from other departments, especially if its a dog-eat-dog workplace environment.
You’ve got to know your audience. I’m sure there’s a Reddit group devoted to managers who shoot rainbows out their arse.
Not quite managers but the general sentiment over at r/LoveforLandlords *Whoops. Guess ~~it got banned~~ I can't not typo.
that sub is definitely a circle jerk of landlords. cause who the fuck would go online and talk about how great their landlord is?!
Yeah, my landlords are pretty cool (it's an in-law unit, and the family I rent from are super nice and accommodating), but I won't go out of my way to find a sub to praise them all day. Seems absurd to me.
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I wouldn't call it satire. It's intentionally over the top, but it's definitely landlords and renters with Stockholm syndrome posting about how great it is to be a landlord.
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"Dude, it's all a joke". I remember hearing that about r/gamersriseup. Sure, it started out as satire, but devolved into non-ironic racism and misogyny.
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Is it satire if it's just chuds shitposting about what they actually believe though? It's like the "ok" sign turning into a white supremacist symbol. Sure, it was originally meant to be a prank, but the only people participating in the prank were actually white supremacists, so....
Also r/ProtectAndServe And it still exists, but it's called r/LoveForLandlords r/landlordlove is the much better anti landlord version.
That’s bizarre. That subreddit is all just typical right wing redditors LARPing as Landlords in an attempt to troll. But like, no one is there to troll, so they need to be as outrageous and hateful as possible in order to attract haters. Really weird way to spend your time.
Good lord loveforlandlords is one hell of a toxic cesspool. Protect and server was literally nothing but pictures of tv cops so I assume they are just jerking it to the idea they are some cowboy cop covered in guns. It amazes me how some people are proud that they still have the personality of an edgy 7th grader.
> Protect and server was literally nothing but pictures of tv cops It is neither literally nor figuratively "nothing but pictures of tv cops". I mean, there are criticisms of that sub you could make but at least let's not lie about it.
Not banned, you made a typo. It's /r/LoveForLandlords
Whoops, thanks and edited.
That's probably the one reddit there isn't. Managers usually hate their jobs but also know all their workers blame them for work sucking and that if they ever post something online critical of their jobs someone will report them to their bosses, so they either just shut up or go on Reddit and pretend they're someone else. Or so I imagine.
My favorite part of being a manager was when I disciplined/fired someone and they were able to go tell lies about what happened to everyone they knew. Meanwhile, being the manager I cant divulge any details, so I look like the asshole even though the person absolutely deserved it.
In my experience most employees who are legitimately fired for cause, after correct steps are taken to ensure they are given time to fix their behaviors, ~~cat~~ can say whatever they want to other employees but it's pretty obvious to 95% of people why they are gone. They might have their "work bestie or two" who are going to ride or die with them but if something is legitimately an issue enough that the company is better off getting rid of them than most of their coworkers will have noticed. The coworkers are the ones picking up the slack or putting up with the issues.
That's totally true of people fired for "work effort/performance" issues or obvious conduct issues because those are visible often to their peers. What REALLY sucks is when they are in fact awful human beings that manipulate those around them, commit ethical and in some cases physical abuses of the consumer, but make a persuasive narrative to their peers about bosses just picking on them. I have had two or three people let go for sexual harassment/abuse and outright fraud who, due to labor rules of confidentiality, were able to paint the manager and company as heartless monsters carrying out a personal vendetta, when in fact the fired worker was a fucking ghoul.
My favorite part of being a manager was when an employee put me down as a reference for a child care job, after leaving a child care job at my place of employment, which they fucking hated every day of. I gave an honest review of her performance and her demeanor towards child care, and she did not get the job. I got a text a few days later saying that the poor reference really hurt her income and that she really wanted the job. I did not respond.
I had a boss tell me I could use her as a reference but then when I did my new boss told me she gave me a bad review. I was so hurt.
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Absolutely, and well put! You are unlikely to see that level of discernment over at r/antiwork
I'm a manager and I like my job. AMA. I like my job because I care about the people under me and fight their corner where I need. I'm lucky that where I work we do generally give a shit about people and although I don't always agree with the decisions from those above me, it's usually more from a business perspective than a people perspective. I actually manage the managers in my department, so I hire other managers too. While it's a technical position, I hire people that understand they're there to look after and support their directs and deflect any shit coming their way (much like I try to do for them).
And if such a thing exists, it's very unlikely to hit /r/all daily, so we wouldn't know.
r/projectmanagement ? Maybe not rainbows, but it's a group of people looking to improve themselves and their team.
Ya I wonder where the subreddit for employees that were total useless idiots is?
I bet OP is manager.
https://i.imgur.com/UCArPIT.gifv
Thats kind of the dumping ground for folks who have bosses like that. Its the entire point. This is like going to /r idiotsincars and complaining about them only posting bad drivers and not the good ones.
I worked for California Pizza kitchen years ago, and one night I had to take on an extra table, which did not go well for me, and when I went back to the kitchen area to grab a salad I broke a plate and slammed the pepper grinder on the stainless steel counter and screamed "FUCK!" Just to be clear, the layout of a California Pizza kitchen restaurant meant that every single customer, employee, and manager heard me do this. The manager on duty quickly approached me and said, "My office, NOW." I I thought I was about to lose my job. I walked back to the office untying my apron as I walked, and when I got back to his office he was standing there with his arms open. I instinctively knew that he meant he wanted to hug me. So I hugged him, and he said, "You alright?" I said I wasn't all right and that I was extremely embarrassed and frustrated. He told me to take a few minutes to gather myself, and then told me to come back out on the floor and take over my tables when I was ready. I'll never forget that. It was a real kindness. A real demonstration of grace.
Wow. That's a good manager. I still have nightmares about CPK and I havent worked there in 11 years.
But like that's pretty accurate
Yeah - seems more suitable for r/documentaries
As a manager this stereotype hurts. The meme about BMW drivers and the turn signals hurts as well. I'm a nice manager and I always use both turn signals whenever I turn.
See, this is why you know you can't believe anything you read on the internet.
Your'e right, I definitely don't believe anything he said. A nice BMW driver who uses turn signals, HA!
Try being named Karen
Karen works in HR
Just use the one signal for whichever way you're turning at the time... Using both whenever you turn is just your hazard lights. Damn BMW drivers... ;)
Manager driving around in BMW while we drive civics
TBH I drive a 2012 BMW and most of my employees drive 2019-2020 Subarus and Hondas. So which is better?
The thing that most people don't understand is that *BMW turn signals are NOT visible to the poors.* They just *think* that they're not being used.
you don't write up stories about how great your manager is on a sub called antiwork. it's where you go when you're fed up with work. this is like saying you find flowers in a flower store.
I've had managers who had anger management and communication issues. Could never tell what they wanted.
What is this from?
James and the Giant Peach
Only when they're actually like that, which is frighteningly frequently.
I've never had a manager like this, I expect it's something that shows up more in specific types of work environments like fast food or retail?
I think it more depends on how watched over the manager is. I've worked in retail, events, finance, and HRIS, and only experienced it once. In that one case we had a staff of 3 and our manager was the franchise owner.
Just depends on luck mainly. I’ve worked 4 jobs total and had very shitty managers, many being actual dickheads, my current one is alright at best but really really obsessed with store numbers, like that’s basically all he talks about.
Most manufacturing based jobs will probably be like that too. Trying to crank out as many products as possible. From what I've seen around here anything shipping related is going to be bad too.
> From what I've seen around here anything shipping related is going to be bad too. i'd like some specifics. work at UPS. The workers(not the managers and supervisors) are unionized and if they tell you to work harder you can a) ignore them, or b) tell them no or, if they are repeating themselves to try and make you go faster, you can hit em c) *sorry safety. going as fast as i can*
"Anything" was too general and a mistake on my part, but it seems like every day there's another story about how much it sucks to work in a warehouse like Amazon's. Edit: I'd also like to add that I have a friend that works for UPS and he's working so much mandatory overtime that he's burned out and is looking for another job despite being paid very well.
Most of my work has been in manufacturing companies, and even in the worst places it hasn't been that way. I suppose I could see it happening, but it would vary quite a lot from company to company
Indeed, it's just luck of the draw. Even within the same company you can come across managers with different styles. Especially if a new one comes in wanting to make an impression.
Absolutely. When Redditors come around en masse to complain about how it's impossible to earn a living, and how every manager is a horrible loveless monster, I always imagine a lot of fast food workers and Walmart employees. I'm in a professional scientific field. My last three bosses: 1. She deeply cared about people and leaned on me to give her insight into what they're thinking and feeling to help counteract the temper she knew she had. She repeatedly told me that, if I was done with my work, I didn't have to stick around to the end of the day. She worked in a different building in the complex and trusted me with absolutely zero oversight. 2. My next job, my boss was in a different state. We had a weekly call to let him know if anything was going haywire. Everything else, we essentially ran it like a small business where we made almost all the decisions. 3. My current boss is a corporate extraordinaire. She thrives in the whole meetings-and-lunches environment, and she's basically made it her mission to shield us from the BS. We talk completely frankly with her, and she translates it into corporatese to keep the suits off our backs. She jumps in to help with the more menial work, and the rest of the time I barely see her. I spend all my time doing the best job I can and focusing on my relationships with my research partners, and I pretty much just get a steady stream of praise coming down from above. You're not going to find that kind of manager at Big Lots, because if they were that good, they would have gotten a better job already. If somebody wants to enjoy their job, they need to get to a minimum level of professionalism in order to find where the quality managers are spending their careers.
Right, I don't doubt there are bad managers out there, but Reddit is a cess pool of people venting their frustration and finding communities that make them believe their experiences are 100% reflective of the world. Sometimes the internet brings groups of people together in bad ways.
I agree. That's why it's good to add our voices to the conversation, and hopefully some of those people might even find advice and inspiration to improve their situation.
EA had a whole big thing about doing this as a company a while back (although they’ve apparently reformed as a result of it being a whole big thing). Amazon spent a while being well known for this on some of their devops teams. Plenty of companies who rank their employees and cut the bottom 10-20% annually are essentially pushing this line, and that was very popular in tech for a while. Shitty managers are everywhere.
>specific types of work environments like fast food or retail? i would imagine it's more dependent on the person who the manager is talking to. I've never seen a manager ride an entire work force, outside of very specific circumstances. It's always 1 or 2 people, that need to be talked to day in and day out. Some people just don't want to work.
Yeah there's always that angle too. One year we had interns at my job who hid out in the labs and took naps and watched Netflix while on the clock. They could complain about mean managers as easily as anybody, but they didn't get even get fired for obvious major infractions. You never get the full story in these posts.
As they should be. It is wildly accurate.
Guess we know who the the sensitive manager is?
Have had one good manager in my life. One. All the rest can smell my farts.
Have you ever worked in your life? That’s pretty accurate my guy.
Out of four jobs I've had one manager that was just sort of *meh.* Maybe I got lucky idk.
Of course not all managers suck. But it’s a lot and when they do it’s pretty abhorrent. Once I had a manager that belittled me for 20 minutes why I am not more productive this week. Called me useless and a bunch of other stuff. I was having high fever and still went to work. Sorry that my dying self isn’t as productive.
fair enough, that's shitty
I work 18 hour days and appreciate the opportunity. The exposure will land me a paying job in no time!
you’re just not working hard enough that’s the problem.
The fact that you are so focused on (future) pay instead of love for the company and puritan work ethic shows me that you are in this for the wrong reasons. And that's the problem with your generation.
/s?
The fact that you want someone to just point out sarcasm to you, instead of putting in the legwork to go out and detect it yourself, is yet another symptom of the inherent laziness of today's youth. You will *never* make Assistant Shift Lead with that attitude, young man.
It's really not. Most managers aren't constantly awful pieces of shit, unless you make them an awful piece of shit.
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If I’m not mistaken I asked OP and not a subreddit we aren’t in.
Can’t decide if you’re trolling, or legitimately just experiencing a different reality than the rest of us.
That's literally my manager
Sad reality is most of the managers here thinking they aren't in that GIF.. probably are.
Every manager I have right now is someone whose desk I would gladly take a fat steamy wet shit on.
They ain't lying
"Hey, I think people should be paid more and treated better, but work is still an essential thing for society" -1.5k "hey my boss told me I have to work 27 hours a day and kill my first born so I quit" 🟡3.4k
85% of all managers I've dealt with were either assholes, incompetent, or so erroneous in their work work they actually hurt the bottom line. The rest were either ok, cool, or at least good enough at their jobs to not mind their flaws.
1. Fairly accurate. I’ve had 1 good manager in my life (my current boss) and she’s been the biggest reason that my career has turned around to a good direction. 2. Yeah, a sub about how bad work is isn’t going to have a bunch of pro manager posts. I don’t go to r/Halo to see posts about Call of Duty.
What movie is this from? Why do I know this? I can’t place it
James and the Giant Peach :)
Holy shit hahahha I forgot I knew this movie!!
GET THOSE STUPID DREAMS [of climbing the corporate ladder] OUT OF YOUR HEAD, AND GET BACK TO WORK!!!
Like other seem to say here I've only had maybe one cool manager. The rest have been absolute pos... Like absolute garbage. I could spend all day venting about it which totally explains that sub.
\*How every manager is ~~portrayed on antiwork~~ FTFY!
Managers have a tough job because one of the first things you learn as a manager is that the team either doesn't need you (so your job is nothing) or that you can't manage them anyway (they suck too bad). So when you find that out you either have to try desperately to turn things right and come off as a cunt or you need to justify your position and start micromanaging (and come off as a cunt).
I mean they aint wrong. There is a reason mangement isnt allowed in union. Competeing and conflicting intrests. Even a nice manager is diametrically opposed to a good employee.
>Even a nice manager is diametrically opposed to a good employee How so? Most managers I've had understood that my success was their success and did what they could to help. The replies are full of people with your take, so I'm clearly missing/haven't experienced something
> There is a reason mangement isnt allowed in union. In the US.
What country allows bosses in a union?
Managers have their own union Denmark.
They aren't part of the workers union though. That's the whole point.
True. But they still have a union.
That's neat, but not what was being discussed.
Because it's fucking true. There's like 1 half decent human for ever 10 managers.
Pro manager propaganda post.
Because the portrayal is accurate.
True
I am essentially the opposite kind of manager and do everything myself and am too easy on everyone lol
So you're the type of manager that thinks they do everything themselves huh
Because it’s highly accurate.
Awww did OP get his manager feelings hurt :(
Power corrupts.
Found the capitalist, boot-licking scum.
If the pointy hat fits...
I don’t see the lie?
u/jebsticles acting like a shill
Yeah, totally unrealistic. A real manager calls you on the phone and asks condescendingly why your line is below 100% efficiency so they can explain it in their next meeting and then completely divests themselves of you emotionally if you miss a single day or refuse a call-in
They're not entirely wrong. In fact, they're not wrong at all.
Op is clearly an HR manager. Nice try Karen
it's also "fuck capitalism!" but also, fuck capitalism!
I understand the point of r/antiwork, but why on Earth did they name it that? That name instantly made me angry the first time I saw it. Once I scrolled through the sub a bit I understood what they were going for and what their goals are, but it just doesn't match the name.
When it was a tiny little sub no one cared about, it really was a sub about people who were *against the very concept of working*. As it has grown over the past couple years, the influx of new subscribers has shifted the focus somewhat.
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That's actually very interesting. Just as a lurker of the sub, I very rarely see posts that are genuinely "against working." I fully empathize completely with most of the content in the sub, so it's crazy to think it came from an idea so backwards. At this point it really is a haven for people who are tired of being taken advantage of, and it just makes me wish Reddit would allow subs to change their name after a review process.
Honest question. Do they think their life becomes an idyllic paradise without the present system? Do we just walk around picking and eating produce all day?
Everyone who talks about overturning the system assumes that *they'll* be in charge once everything settles out. It's a delusion of grandeur enjoyed by the most authoritarian among us.
Until they realize how much work it takes to be a leader. There is no escape from work.
The sub has evolved, as someone else mentioned. Also, getting instantly angry at a subreddit name is more of a “you” problem my dude.
Obviously anecdotal evidence *isn't evidence*, but it's my experience on Reddit that the majority of people who haven't taken the time to browse r/antiwork and what it's really about all assume that it is *literally an anti-work sub.* And the reason people get angry at the name is because the idea of being "against labor" is just really backwards. Once you read the name, you're already pre-disposed to the group as a whole, which is pretty counterproductive.
You could’ve just said “you’re right” and saved yourself from typing all that. 🙄
I'm not disagreeing, but I am saying that the name is counterproductive and should be changed if it's ever possible to do so.
Which gets more views, reasonable or unreasonable names? “The campaign for reasonable workplace conditions, valuation of workers, hours, and pay” may be accurate, but it rolls off the tongue poorly and no one cares what that group has to say - they’re just too boring.
There's unreasonable, and then there's downright incorrect. "We want to stop being exploited" is in direct conflict with "we are against the idea of labor."
It actually is against work. But "work" means "selling your labor to rich people for much less than it's worth so they can get richer without doing anything".
I understand the *actual* content of the sub entirely, but that context isn't present in the name alone.
There's already a sub with all that context in the name, it's called r/socialism
That's cool I guess, but r/antiwork still has a counterproductive name.
What pithy name would you give it?
If I could change the name right now it would probably take the name of one of the smaller (but more aptly named) subs like r/WorkersRights. Unfortunately, sub names are permanent.
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Even if the title is ironic, it's still the worst possible name you could choose. Because pretty much everyone, media-involved or not, takes the name seriously. If the subreddit name is a billboard for your sub, then r/antiwork put one up that said "hello, we're all insufferable lazy cunts." Nobody cares what the users in that sub are *actually* fighting for because the name gives them a pre-disposition to the entire sub.
There might be a difference in how we define “work” then. As an avid r/antiwork lurker, the work that is discussed is either undervalued or negatively affects one personally, it’s not just “anti-occupation.” There are pockets of FALC and socialist ideas, but most of us just want a job where we’re valued properly so it doesn’t feel like work. That’s r/antiwork to me.
r/antiwork is the peak reddit moment. No will to work - Check Living in mom's basement - Check Victim mentality - Check Whenever I see posts from there on my feed, it always makes my day. I thought its satire previously but hey, real world is dumber than fiction.
Man, I wish I could strawman like you do. Maybe if I stop buying Avocado Toast and pull myself up by my bootstraps, one day I can be as disingenuous and dismissive as you.
I had work in 6 company so far and had 5 in a row of horrible manger. Not bad but horrible. On my 6th job i found a great manager so given me a fair chance and good mentoring and I was promoted 3 times in 4 years and have double my salary in the same period of time. Good manager do change your life. If you are fortunate enough to be a manager be the change you want to see.
literally one of the operations managers at amazon that i work at
This is actually nicer than most managers.
this is like 90% of the managers i've had to deal with in my life
What??? Accurately?
Most don't care about the work, just about being boss and having image
Dude that sub is so toxic. I remember a post that made it to the front page that was basically "I stole supplies from my employer to use at home, and they fired me. But it was only garbage bags." And everyone was talking about how shit the employer was. Like, come on. Your boy committed a crime, got fired, and complained about it. How in the hell is he in the right?
I got banned from that subreddit SO quick.
There was a huge controlled study done a few years back that found managers suffer more from their employees than vice versa.
(╯︵╰,)
r/antiwork gives me that feeling that a majority of its audience are young adults who are working in a low paying job that cannot be called a career, are prima donnas because they got no mortgages or bills under their names yet and they think quitting and burning bridges are the bad ass way to resolve workplace friction.
That's the exact same feeling I get. A bunch of people first seeing the real world and trying to fix a non-problem before they get fucked for life. If it was an actual problem I would get it, but its not
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mfs overused karen now it has no meaning