non productive managers

[likeitorlumpit]

Just something I picked up from others comments and from 30 years in the trade.

What is your opinion of the boss/ manager you have

Do they contribute to the firms financial wellbeing or are they a drain on resources only meaning you work harder for less.

Would you as a group be able to cope without their input

That sort of thing

I appreciate some of you won't be able to comment and please don't contribute in a licky anal way 'cos you know they are reading this.

[Billy]

When I am working with/for s company who has someone in this role usually they are just a drain on resources and the crew would get the days work done in a more efficient way without them more often than not.

 

 

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.374174,0.481317

[Paul Barton]

Depends how wide the job spec of the manager is. If it includes finding and quoting for the work that can often pay for itself.

[Blackbriarwoods]

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Edited October 6, 2011 by Steve Bullman
language

[Andy Collins]

We used to joke about the effect of the boss turning up on site, he would grab a saw rush about looking frantically busy for about an hour, fell everything in site into a tangled mess, then say "I'm off pricing". Another favourite was when he turned up, he'd insist on a Team Talk, we'd all have to stop and......talk....about guff all. Or he'd turn up, stop the foreman from working and have a chat about Really Important Managerial Matters... that werent important, managerial and didnt matter.

The polite term we gave this was the Law of Diminishing Managerial Return.

[Dave Martin]

Whenever I employ tradesmen I always use companies where the boss is on the tools and I make sure that there is not a Head Office and secretaries that are being costed into the price.

[Taupotreeman]

I've had bosses in the past (in big outfits I worked for and the current council one) that have no idea whatsoever what is involved with the job. No idea about saws, pruning, basicaly anything. When it comes to trying to explain why you can't do a particular job because you don't have a pull rope, ladder, big enough saw, rigging kit, experienced groundy, rescue worker etc that's when it gets frustrating. The boss says; "just take down that 80 foot Gum, you can do that with one saw and this trainee can't you?" then wonders why he gets an earful. At least with the guys that have been on the tools you know they understand the day to day difficulties you encounter and may be able to help with their input and a fresh perspective. The very worst are those managers that think they know all there is to know but in reality know nothing. Fortunately I've only had one of those and that's the current one. I don't mind telling him that either and frequently do so there's no rectum kissing from this quarter.

[MattyF]

Last manager I met from a tree company... All the crew ignored his calls , he asked for and would do the most stupid things,like turning up on site and saying I'll fo the stump grinding, us turning around 15 mins later and he's hopping around like a fool with a rolled grinder with out the sense to turn it off so it runs dry of oil, a few months later then walking in to a grinder wheel!!! he was supposed to be a loler inspector but I don't think any one would trust him less.. There was severe contempt and unrest untill he was sacked for being completely useless, big boss said he wished we had told him are doubts and what we thought three years before!

[PhilBeech]

When I am working with/for s company who has someone in this role usually they are just a drain on resources and the crew would get the days work done in a more efficient way without them more often than not.

 

 

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I am here: Google Maps

 

 

Do you know this for sure? do you understand his / her role fully?

 

IMO its usual in larger companies for hands on workers and managers to not fully understand each others roles, thus the importance of regular and open discussion.

[PhilBeech]

As a caveat to that, there are a lot of numpties out there as well lol