Let’s begin with the basics. Most managers in the United States are really awful. They care much more about themselves than do about trying to do a good job, or treat their employees with dignity and respect.
You can find truly dreadful managers at all levels in nearly all organizations, from the inexperienced newbie assistant manager at your local burger doodle on up to the greed-and-sex crazed board room executives that run (and ruin) the most humongous corporations. Those senior level managers that are rewarded so handsomely for their purported managerial skills are in fact the most incompetent managers on the face of the earth.
These terrible managers suck regardless of their age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, political affiliation, hair color, educational level, criminal history, reading preferences, shoe size, or response to the “paper or plastic?” question.
Vast numbers of hideous managers exist today because of the basic and flawed tenants of organizational dynamics that are prevalent throughout the United States. In short, managers are not held accountable for their faults or their failures. Legions of managers spend their days dodging work so they have more time to jockey for promotions. Dishonesty and fraud are not only tolerated, but are encouraged. Juicy bonuses and stock options are doled out to managers even when organizational profits are in the tank. Discrimination based on gender, age, race, sexual orientation, and other factors runs rampant. It’s nearly impossible to find a female in the workplace that hasn’t suffered the humiliation of sexual harassment or sexual assault from a male manager.
This culture of crap is so deeply ingrained in our society that it will take years to change, if indeed it ever will. No purported new way of thinking or clever catch phrase suggesting a paradigm shift will do the trick. A complete and total revamping of the management processes in our country is necessary if we are to rid ourselves of the current plague of hideous management that is dragging this country down.
The good news is that there actually are a few decent managers left in the United States. Most of them will die at an early age from the heart attacks and strokes brought on by the enormous stress of trying to do the nearly impossible job of being a good manager. Many others will ultimately give up on the management game altogether, and will take demotions and pay cuts for the chance to once again do honest work, be productive, and feel good about themselves. A few stalwart and well-intentioned managers will continue to persevere despite the overwhelming odds, fighting the good fight and giving 100% every day to do the very best job they can do. Those few brave souls are this country’s only true hope for the future.
Hundreds if not thousands of books have been written about management. Nearly all of them are useless, even though on a conceptual level some might contain reasonably decent advice. The problem with the management books on the market today is that they don’t take into consideration the simple fact that most of the managers in business today are truly abysmal, and have no intention of ever trying doing their jobs any better.
You’ve probably already figured out that this book is different from the others. It doesn’t lay out any trite, overly-simplistic, thirty-second-per-day processes that managers can follow to magically become better. And it doesn’t direct the reader to a web site where worthless motivational videos are on sale for $39.95 apiece with a money back guarantee that will never be honored. What this book does do is explain why so many managers in this country suck so badly and, sadly, why you shouldn’t hold out much hope for things to change anytime soon.
