The layers of management are very necessary since they are the perfect mechanism to hide from the actual work, build a comfortable place for oneself while pushing the real work down. I notice that many, especially the less technical people and more bureocracy oriented ones, try to become and stay as managers at all cost. They even call themselves leaders, they believe they are leading, just because they are the ones who talk the most. Depressing.
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I think Peter Senge pin it down clearly when he described it as the system of management:
8 basic elements of the system of management (corp bs)
- Management by measurement
- Focusing on short-term metrics
- Devaluing intangibles
("You can only measure 3 percent of what matters" - W.E. Deming)
- Compliance-based cultures
- Getting ahead by pleasing the boss
- Management by fear
- Managing outcomes
- Management sets targets
- People are held accountable for meeting management targets (regardless of whether they are possible within existing system and processes)
- "Right answers" vs. "wrong answers"
- Technical problem solving is emphasized
- Diverging (systemic) problems are discounted
- Uniformity
- Diversity is a problem to be solved
- Conflict is suppressed in favor for superficial agreement
- Predictability and controllability
- To manage is to control
- The "holy trinity of management" is planning, organizing, controlling
- Excessive competitiveness and distrust
- Competition between people is essential to achieve desired performance
- Without competition among people there is no innovation
("We've been sold down the river by competition" - W.E. Deming)
- Loss of the whole
- Fragmentation
- Local innovations do not spread
A more concise expression is: "Sh-t flows down, money flows up"
Obviously, we're gonna need a bunch of people to manage all those managers!
It is depressing... Had enough with IBM.
family members should be part of the same reporting structure. It is highly encouraged and sought after.