How important is it to know how to bullshit as a manager
Just realized my manager isn’t that technical, as in has not coded in a decade, has not contributed to design review documents in ages etc but has managed not to get fired because he knows how to bullshit his way out. Also he applies some shady tactics so folks don’t get ahead of him - doesn’t invite people he deems as competitors to key meetings - but whines when he gets skipped somehow in some meetings - praises only in 1-1s but gives negative feedback, to people he manages,in front of others, specially when his boss is present - watches slack like a hawk, thats where he gets all his info, but he never credits the original source. - and yes bullshits his way through the day
Many companies like Amazon has promoted this. Need not be technical but only good at politics to sustain. They end up on other companies slowly and ruin.
Yup. My current manager doesn’t really know anything. This is why their is a trend in the industry to flatten org charts.
1, 2, and half of 4 are not that bad, but 3 and not giving credit are a bad manager.
Read the book "Bulls**t jobs". That is literally what engineering management is. He's not there to build anything or contribute anything. His job is to make your life miserable, stẹal credit, and bulls**t his way up the corporate ladder
Lol code monkeys will build the next great company
How are such people not weeded out!
Being technical is a nice to have as a manager not a core requirement specially for manager of managers or directors. That does not mean they should bull shit, there are other skills they need to be really good at: Exec communication Planning and resourcing Project Management Identifying strong performed Coaching weak performers.
The behaviour you described is very toxic and incompetent at best. I’m an engineering manager, I have been a SWE for many years (probably longer than your average career length) and I fully stopped coding many years ago. But I know my team’s systems and services very well. Their designs and flaws. And I detect technical bullshit a mile away. My job is to help and protect my team so they can focus on their goals, collaborate with each other as well as with other teams, deliver impactful projects that aligns with business goals and produces value, promote and celebrate their success, and finally help them with career growth. Non of the above requires coding. And I fully committed to my career switch into management by investing in an MBA degree. But sometimes we have to be creative when managing upwards into senior managers who are further detached from technical details. If you call that BS, so be it 😎 but it’s all about highlighting the teams’s victories and protecting its interests
Do you think it's the inadequacy of hiring process to unable to weed out such person described by OP ?
Hiring process would definitely contribute to the issue. How many rounds, and who conducts the interviews, and what sort of hard/soft skills required to pass. In my company I had to go through many interviews: craft (leadership & management skills), technical (system design), values, and hiring manager round
I had a manager who I've learned through working with him that he is a totally BS'er. He BS to everyone. Lie about projects. Overhype things. Over promise. He finally left the company but people are still talking about how never delivered on his promises and white lies all around. He's probably BS'sing in his new role. It'll catch up to ya.
How are such people even able to progress in their career! I don't think any person could far ahead just by BSing everywhere.
Sounds like my manager. He thought localhost was an important web url link to the project being demoed.
Haha lol. How could he not be demoted after that.
I had no idea such managers existed!
Sounds like my manager. Total loser who has been with the company for 10 years and will probably never leave.