How was the best manager you ever had? What specifically made them exceptional in their role? How did their management style impact your performance and job satisfaction?
On the flip side, how was the worst manager you ever had? What actions or behaviors contributed to this negative experience?
How did it impact your professional growth, pay and entitlements and work environment? Kindly refrain from mentioning specific names or identifiable information about individuals.
Worked in a department that had no customer contact and so had fairly informal dress rules. Heard that someone up high had decided that everyone was going to be required to wear the uniform of mindless corporate conformity. Suit and tie and shiny shoes. I had a reputation for being "hard to manage" because things somehow usually ended up being done my way. I made it clear that I wasn't going to wear a suit and tie, and heard nothing more about it being enforced in our area.
Then one day I was called into the department manager's office and suspended for not dressing as the new rule required. My immediate manager admitted that he resented the fact that things usually ended up being done my way, that I could persuade people it was the best way, so he'd waited for a day I wasn't there to tell his staff the rule would apply in our area because he was afraid that if I was given the opportunity to argue my view on the matter I would win, and he'd look like a weak manager. I resigned. Soon after so did the department manager. His successor returned to the informal dress rules.
Worst I ever had received a copy of every email sent and received by anyone in the company to his inbox.
Not he had access to it….. a copy was forwarded to his inbox… which was a hotmail account (everyone else had a normal outlook/exchange setup). If you were emailing the company's 10 or so staff, he would get that email about 13 times.
I think it all comes down to moral + ethics.
Best = good work ethics + down to earth
Meaning that, you dont have to be the best in your field
You just need to know when to step in (ie a struggling employee)
Or when to acknowledge your direct reports are in the detail so just make sure high level outcomes make sense + dont micromanage
Worst = bad work ethics + live in lala land
Meaning all your calculated moves are just to ensure your benefit is maximised at the expense of others
More often than not, putting your personal agenda above the team / group's objectives
Damm I can go on and on but have learned to just suck it up…
good ones are hard to come by, in my 15 yrs of experience have met fair bit of bad/worse managers :)
worst ones:
- micro managing, not trustworthy, mostly cares about saving their job and polishing their egos with other's hard work or so
- pedantic, not open for new ideas and very opinionated/ kind of a know it all
Best was working as a government contractor and got promoted from an AO3 to an AO5 because I'm good at I.T support and found issues with the facilities security server and the building, 36 hour weeks fully 100% trusted by the principal facilities manager and can essentially do what I want and even do 1 day WFH or go out and visit the other depots.
Worst was working at JB and the store manager was just crazy, didn't hit targets you were in trouble, would take sales off you as he was child and couldn't comprehend to run a decent team of salesmen forced to start 15 mins early unpaid to turn everything on. He ended up taking money out of lost wallets stored in the safe and bought a couple managers lunch and eventually was fired.
decent team of salesmen
lol
best manager is probably equal to my current manager, they get out of the way and let me do what I get paid to do and on top of that they ran cover for me to keep sales guys and others from consuming my time as I was delivering real value, he also has an open door policy that if I need him to do anything just yell and he will be on it (which he consistently lives up to).
years ago at same company I had the opposite, if that woman hadn't quit I would have. She expected to be kept in the loop of every little thing and wanted to have her say and input despite not being an expert in the field and would constantly question my approach despite making the customer happy and the company money. basically a complete waste of space that compounded her lack of skills by getting in the way of people doing real work.
being self-managed is best
being managed is no good for me
Best: pushes you to learn new skills needed for the role thus getting you promoted/pay rise
Worst: forgetting the above/opposite of above
The best one is my current one. He hired me based on my expertise. He asks me whatg I need and he ensures I get it. He doesn't question what I do because he knows I do it well. His methology is "It'll sort itself out" as he is confident in the people he has employed and I feel we have all done right by him
My worst boss was this (profanity) of a (profanity) that never had anything nice to say about you. He was the worst suck up to his managers and he clearly lied his way into the role with zero management experience. He would run group sessions to help solve problems and then he got busted taking these ideas to management and claiming them as his own. In the end he ended up groping a few of the girls after drinking too much on a drinks night and he had to take the walk of shame, openly crying, while being escorted by security.
You should pitch this to Netflix.
Best manager: one who treated me like a human
Worst manager: one who treated me like a slave
Best manager was very diplomatic and put a lot of trust in us. She only needed to ask us to do something once, and she asked in a way that was very easy to accept that didn't generate any type of resentment.
Worst manager was a micro-manager who looked over our shoulders at every opportunity, and she counted every penny. Basically a real slave driver and would give you a certain look if you did something she didn't like.
….. she counted every penny
American managers are the worst !
Worst Manager
Just 5 mins before end of day - make sure you do this report today. On anotjer occassion, I sent email to various stakeholders to put temporary suspension due to their failure to provide neceasary documents. I was reprimanded for sending this email without checking with them and how they would need to explain to these people. I am 1 million % sure that no explanation was required. My confidence was shattered for good while this person continued to be my manager.
It is a common tactic to approach employees 5 minutes before finishing work. I just made sure that other people hear me when I politely reason with purposefully unreasonable behavioural patterns. I had managers approach me and I look at my watch, state the time he approached me, and then say this is not the kind of work that can be completed if brought 5 minutes before the end of the workday. Keep an objectively written record of this incident on your phone notes and if occurs too many times, report it to his manager. Managers manager love to shit on them if they have very good evidence against them (not every time, sometimes they will still shit on you).
If you are following the policy and they want to make exceptions on policies, they need to inform you prior to you making decisions. Sounds like a regular crapfest and a toxic workplace.
My confidence was shattered for good while this person continued to be my manager.
I would leave without any notice or communication for the sake of mental health.
Had a manager several years ago who I gave 3 months notice that I need a certain Saturday off for my sister wedding. I reminded him several times leading up to it.
All was good until the week of the wedding i reminded him again.
He said no I can’t have it as someone else had requested the day off for golf and if my sister could change her wedding date.
I said you’re kidding, she can’t change her wedding a few days beforehand and I’ve given you three months notice.
He said sorry I can’t do anything about it.
I told him I don’t care, I will be not here on Saturday, you can give me the day off, a sickie or sack me.
I’m going upstairs to see the manager.
In the end he said I will have to get someone in on overtime to cover you and I will get into trouble.
I said no you are covering someone to cover someone to play golf.