It's been about a year since my 30+ year career in corporate America ended with the Walk of Shame out to the parking garage after a layoff at age 59. One thing that continues to amaze me: the many similar stories about corporate malfeasance that keep coming up to the surface like rocks in a New England farm field.
We've pretty much given up on the possibility of finding true "leaders" in the corporate world. Anyone with real brains, entrepreneurial skills, interpersonal acumen, and moxie soon finds that the Borg Collective is not the place for them, and they pursue other options, including launching their own businesses. From the remaining chaff, we draw the dreaded "managers".
One day, business majors will refer to these people as The Managed, as they spend most of their life-cycle doing the bidding of other managers and executives who occupy higher ranks on the corporate food chain. These folks hand down the lists of Who Is To Be Whacked, and the dutiful manager carries out the deed. Well, they used to carry out the deed. My former colleagues at the dysfunctional place I worked ("DysCo") report that the layoffs are now done by someone in "Human Resources" (HR) so that it's more... sanitary, I guess.
Lots of people find themselves "elevated" to management roles. Since these are not always the best and brightest people to begin with, such a promotion can reveal some stunning character flaws and operational shortcomings. Fear not, dear readers; the managers won't lose their jobs. In the best-case scenario, they'll be coached not to be so sexist/dishonest/intimidating. Mostly though, they just keep on keepin' on. As long as they can produce the required financial metrics, they can conduct themselves as they wish.
People working for such managers soon realize that they're doomed, and many of them leave the company. You'd think that the folks in HR would connect the dots and say, "Hmmm... two more people just resigned from [insert name of deadbeat manager here]'s group. What's that make? Seven? Wonder what's going on." Yeah... no. The folks in HR process the paperwork, and take a victory lap knowing that they won't have to pay out severance to those who left on their own.
Among the departing person's colleagues, though, everyone knows what happened. It's said that "people join companies but they quit bosses". From what I've experienced, that's absolutely true.
For those who dare to go to HR or to their boss' boss to take issue with what's transpiring (a common step before quitting), they might hear something quite surprising. I've heard it. Mr. Carolina as heard it, and maybe you have too. In a moment of candor, the manager or HR person will tell you,
"We do realize that [insert heinous boss' name here] has some 'rough edges'. They're not the easiest person to work for."
Wow. So they
know. They just don't
care.
It's hard to know how to feel. Relief that it wasn't all in your mind? That's a common fear when your boss is a terrorizing bully with borderline personality disorder. Despair that nothing will change, and that your boss' behavior is fine with the company, confirming that your only solution is to self-deport to another employer? Anger or disappointment that your boss will be there no matter how many more good people leave the company?
So you shuffle back to your grimy cubicle and decide whether you're willing to work for someone whose continued existence violates your sense of propriety and professionalism. Will you leave the security of working for a soul-crushing manager? Try to transfer elsewhere in the company? Go out and launch your own business? Retire? Or wait for the axe to fall?
Sadly, for many people, waiting for the axe to fall is the chosen method, since they'd be entitled to severance pay (although severance agreements have been summarily revised by many employers: my 23 weeks earned were knocked down to the new maximum of 10 weeks. Loyalty is just so old-school).
Some wonder whether America's best days are behind us. Incompetent and uncaring managers may be just what the corporate executives want in their quest to strip workers of any remaining vestiges of dignity and fair compensation. Between the people already in the United States and those who yearn to come here, there's no shortage of bright, innovative, hardworking people. There is, however, an excess of horrible managers who are willing to grind them down, pass them over, ignore their ideas, then kick them to the curb. If they do all that like good little managers, they'll get their bonus.
We can only imagine what brilliant innovations, achievements, discoveries, and designs might remain forever locked in the minds, hearts, and imaginations of workers whose spirits were crushed by uncaring or incompetent managers. Sadly, as long as Wall Street likes the quarterly numbers, a company needn't provide a product or service or break any new ground. Everything grinds on, but somehow, all that grinding never fixes those rough edges...