Organics and Mechanics

Abstract

Stop. Grab a pencil and write down the first and last names of your past three managers. Stare at those names for a bit and relive those months or years of reporting to this person. I want your off-the-cuff opinion about each one. My guess is your opinion falls into one of three buckets:

I love this guy. Best manager ever. I still talk to him on a monthly basis because this guy taught me everything I know about what I do. He is my mentor.

Mostly harmless. This guy doesn’t really challenge me, but then again, he’s not really slowing me down. I’m not learning much, but I don’t have to put up with much bullshit. Also, I’m not sure what he actually does, but he leaves me alone … so … whatever.

Worst. Manager. Ever. This guy makes my life a living hell. I dread our weekly one-on-one. I prepare for an hour and we still end up talking about random useless crap. It’s like we’re speaking a different language. I don’t know what he wants, and even if I did, I wouldn’t want to give it to him because I’m so annoyed. I mostly want to give him a poke in the nose.