Everything That is Wrong With Management Hierarchies in a Nutshell
The following video appeared in my Twitter timeline three months ago. Upon watching it, I was annoyed on multiple levels and it takes quite a lot to get me agitated these days. I felt disposed towards writing a blog post about what I had seen. However, other stuff came up, as it always does and I ended up writing something else and this post ended up consigned to the “phantom zone” that is “draft posts”. However, I had a conversation today with someone online, that started a train of thought that led me back to this Tweet and my draft post. Someone used the word “literally” when they clearly meant something figuratively and it made me think about how so many people use words incorrectly. Not being able to express yourself clearly and accurately is a major problem. With regard to the anecdote featured in the video it is a clear demonstration of this. It also raises a lot of other issues, all of which are the bane of management.
Essentially, the guy referenced in the story didn’t understand what “random” means. Furthermore, he couldn’t adequately articulate what it was that he actually wanted the developer to do. On several occasions he reacted retrospectively to the results presented, requesting changes that he had not previously expressed. So not only was he ignorant of a word’s definition he was incapable of stating what he ultimately desired, in this case the parameters of the sequence he wanted the songs played in. The results were ultimately achieved but the manager's communication and handling of the situation were inefficient and potentially had a cost impact upon the process. Rather than enhancing workflow and production through management of staff, this individual directly but probably unbeknown to themselves, hampered and held up development.
There are many problems that blight management culture and vertical hierarchies. Cronyism, direct entrants into a grade who are overqualified but under experienced and those who are just bereft of empathy and social skills. Management often have a degree of power which sadly attracts the socially dysfunctional, the sociopathic and those who just like to fuck with people. Managers should be able to do everyone else’s job, have both authority and “soft” people skills. They should lead by example. Sadly most fail these criteria. It seems to me that the only qualification required nowadays to manage staff is having a pulse. However, putting aside a wider critique of the role, I consider communications to be the biggest issue and possibly the most common failing. I have never worked in the video game industry but I have certainly encountered comparable examples of this anecdote. You’ve probably done the same.
If you’re looking for this post to come up with a solution to this malady then I must disappoint you. Getting the right people into the right positions is a difficult and complex problem and takes a lot of time, money and effort. Something a lot of businesses just don’t want to do. Hence you get square pegs in round holes or managers who are patently out of their depth without any idea that they are so. Again I will advocate the merits of self employment, where possible. If you work for yourself and have a shit manager then you only have yourself to blame. Beyond that, all I can advise is to document everything and ensure that you have a backup copy of your paper trail. Where possible, if someone is being vague, seek clarity. “What do you mean by that” is a useful phrase. But in a business world where the Dunning–Kruger effect is rife, what can’t be cured must be endured. I’m not a religious person myself but God obviously loves crap middle management because he certainly makes a lot of them.
