Sunday, March 29, 2009
How come no one aspires to be like their boss anymore?
I have been surveying my peers in other enterprises and attempting to figure out why more and more folks wouldn't be too sad if their boss departed as part of the next reorg...
If you believe all the static, all bosses are monomaniacal, idiotic, narcissistic, moronic control freaks. It can't be true....can it? Remember the days when employee loyalty attracted a premium - from both sides of the aisle. Those were the days when climbing up the ladder in the same company was treated a matter of prestige.
In this day and age of 'traveling consultant' where employers and employees seldom value loyalty, aspiring to be like your boss is lost as a goal. In this day and age of 'follow the sun' model - where people not just follow the sun but also the moon - and keep working long hours - nobody takes pride in what they or their managers do. No wonder the managers are looked up (or down) as they are.
In large part this is due to the generational shift in organizations and an "under-management" epidemic. Most bosses don't have the skills to be good managers and most companies don't provide training to counteract this trend. Employees respect bosses who are strong managers and leaders. In addition, Generation X and Generation Y have different expectations about work and are more likely to identify their family and friends as role models rather than their bosses.
| | View blog reactionsIf you believe all the static, all bosses are monomaniacal, idiotic, narcissistic, moronic control freaks. It can't be true....can it? Remember the days when employee loyalty attracted a premium - from both sides of the aisle. Those were the days when climbing up the ladder in the same company was treated a matter of prestige.
In this day and age of 'traveling consultant' where employers and employees seldom value loyalty, aspiring to be like your boss is lost as a goal. In this day and age of 'follow the sun' model - where people not just follow the sun but also the moon - and keep working long hours - nobody takes pride in what they or their managers do. No wonder the managers are looked up (or down) as they are.
In large part this is due to the generational shift in organizations and an "under-management" epidemic. Most bosses don't have the skills to be good managers and most companies don't provide training to counteract this trend. Employees respect bosses who are strong managers and leaders. In addition, Generation X and Generation Y have different expectations about work and are more likely to identify their family and friends as role models rather than their bosses.
