Corporate life & lack of ambition

[Silence]

I don't get it.

I've recently come across two cases where a manager left a group and the subordinates were unwilling to put their hat in to the ring to take over. One said it's not worth it (they've been an individual contributor for almost a decade!) and the other cited the value of work life balance... except they're young and single. :loco

Isn't it normal to step up and fill the vacuum whenever the opportunity presents itself? Am I crazy? :wtf

 

[byke]

The corporate world *in general* has so much nonsense, that's the result they should expect. They don't realize it, but they're getting exactly what they ask for.

 

[Bay Arean]

Interesting question. My ex-wife avoided a management promotion for years, as did her father before her. Some people intuitively know what is out of their comfort zone. The newer dimension is just the hot seat execs are often in and what assholes most are. I have had direct experience with three CEOs and I can't believe how fundamentally untalented at everything but conniving they have been. The competent are at least one, or even two levels below. Who'd want to be part of that?

 

[MrIncredible]

Basically all the management at my former company was pretty much woefully overworked and unhappy/professional pinatas.

Responsibility with no authority.

Yeah-fuck that.

 

[mean dad]

I don't get it.

I've recently come across two cases where a manager left a group and the subordinates were unwilling to put their hat in to the ring to take over. One said it's not worth it (they've been an individual contributor for almost a decade!) and the other cited the value of work life balance... except they're young and single. :loco

Isn't it normal to step up and fill the vacuum whenever the opportunity presents itself? Am I crazy? :wtf

There's a lot to be said for working from 8 to 5, and no more. And while your field of employ may use brain rather than brawn, the adage of 'working from the neck down' still holds true. Managers work from the neck up, which is much more stressful and often barely more financially rewarding than being a cog in the machine.

 

[V4]

Depends who the manager has to follow...

I'm in the situation where it's better to be a lackey than management for all the stress and pressure they get from higher ups..

We grunts see what's going on but CEOs just see numbers and that's all they care about..

I would rather have a balance of enjoying my life first and then my job rather my job be my life ...

 

[Dubbington]

Many people get complacent and the risk vs reward for the new position isnt worth it. I've run into many school psychs that have been doing it for 20+ years and I think to myself, there's no way I could do that. The pay tops out quickly and there are only so many tests we can give. I have many memorized already and things are getting a little stale. I'm already looking into admin and spec ed management.

Might be their partners make more which is usually the case in education.

People get comfortable and if it's salary and a slight pay bump they probably figure the more hours would negate that.

 

[afm199]

Middle management suck donkey balls.

 

[motojen]

In the Northeast (NY and surrounding area) no question...out here, people seem to not care. They are happy to work 9-5 or do the bare minimum to collect a paycheck. In some cases people do really quality work and that's fine... it's the ones that think they should still advance or be promoted that I can't understand.

 

[V4]

Our members of the board are too stupid to figure out why nobody wants to move up and have to always look for a manager from the outside who ends up quitting often...

All chiefs ..no Indians is often mentioned here...

 

[wazzuFreddo]

I don't get it.

I've recently come across two cases where a manager left a group and the subordinates were unwilling to put their hat in to the ring to take over. One said it's not worth it (they've been an individual contributor for almost a decade!) and the other cited the value of work life balance... except they're young and single. :loco

Isn't it normal to step up and fill the vacuum whenever the opportunity presents itself? Am I crazy? :wtf

It would depend what kind of compensation was on the table.

For a big bump in benefits/pay? Sure
For status quo? No way

Wasn't worth it where I used to be.

 

[Ant]

Sometimes the politics are so riduculous no one wants to be part of moving up the ladder.

 

[sanjuro]

I could open my own bicycle shop.

Work probably 70-80 hours a week. Make about 10-30k in the first few years, maybe 50-60 in the later part.

Or I can work in computers and be out of the office by 5pm every day to ride.

Honestly, if I had a burning desire to prove myself in the bicycle retail industry, I would own a shop. But I rather work less, make more money, and ride a lot.

 

[rodr]

Middle management suck donkey balls.

Pretty much. And it's a good way to lose the competency you had that got you there, because you're no longer practicing and improving those skills.

Management is not necessarily an "advancement". It's just another job.

 

[V4]

We remember one girl with a chip on her shoulders jump on the opportunity of management even though she had no idea of how things worked in its entirety of our place..

She made it known to her comrades that she had goals and ambitions and the rest lack the drive but was often laughed at for not really know what's going on...she was still a newbie

She laid off a few members to cut costs and impress the board only to see those same people called back 2 weeks later by her manager and by the end of the week she was the one packing up...

 

[RightCoastBias]

I'd rather work to live than live to work. Sounds like these people have a similar idea and/or see the shittiness of the position they'd be filling.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

A lot of the time a step up's raise isn't commiserate with the amount of extra work they have to do, or none at all.

Some people want to be good at what they currently do, not bad at something above them.

It's not black and white, and if you think it is then you're living in the 1980s or something.

 

[mike23w]

if you're great at what you do, you can be paid more than a manager without the headache of babysitting everyone + dealing with politics while doing what you love doing.

 

[Reli]

In the Northeast (NY and surrounding area) no question...out here, people seem to not care. They are happy to work 9-5 or do the bare minimum to collect a paycheck. In some cases people do really quality work and that's fine... it's the ones that think they should still advance or be promoted that I can't understand.

That's because in the NE people are more likely to judge each other based on what school they went to, what brand of suit they wear, and what's on their business card. On the west coast we've figured out that quality of life is more important. Could be because there's actually stuff to do on the west coast, and good weather as well.

 

[kevin 714]

there's more to life than endlessly trying to climb the corporate ladder