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The ChangingMinds Blog!
ChangingMinds Blog! > Blog Archive > 16-Apr-09
Thursday 16-April-09
Set up to fail
Have you ever been in a situation at work where you seem doomed to failure, whichever way you turn? The 'set-up-to-fail syndrome' is a known phenomenon whereby people get put into situations where it may appear on the face of it that they have a fair chance of success, yet the reality is that, no matter how talented they are, there is little real chance of succeeding.
An example of set-up-to-fail is where a manager is told to increase manufacturing productivity in a division where business is bad and, unbeknownst to her, there are worsening employee relations, increasing trade union militancy and an entrenched executive board who have already decided to make swingeing cuts. With so much change and chaos in the offing, tweaking manufacturing methods is going to meet with resistance at all levels.
So is it deliberate? Is it a power play to 'put you in your place' or to create reason for dismissal? The answer is 'sometimes'. More often it is caused by limited understanding in a broader context of systemic failure.
A typical situation is that a manager sees a tricky problem and, unable to understand the detail, cognitively simplifies it, leaving out crucial detail. They still realize the risk involved, however, and so pass on the hot potato to others.
An important lesson when you are offered a new job is to find out why the last person left. They may have realized they were on a losing wicket and quit before things went all pear-shaped. Ask about the detail of the work and decide whether it is do-able or whether it would be better to look elsewhere. .
Your comments
Aaahhh - but then there is the delusions of grandeur we suffer - thinking we can succeed where others have failed. It is just so tempting. (I blogged about it in the context of the Susan Boyle Youtube vid) - fascinating...
-- Dennis
Dave replies:
Well I guess we're all delusional to some extent. And isn't it grand when we
sometimes surprise even ourselves at how things turn out. For the uninitiated,
Susan Boyle is an
orgdinary-looking 40-something who blew away Simon Cowell and the other
'Britain's Got Talent' judges with a remarkable singing voice. Within a week,
she's also a star on YouTube with over 20 million hits so far.
I wonder if someone can help me...after doing a little research, I have now discovered that my manager is a transactional style manager. How do I know this? Because this website clearly laid out the characteristics of leaders versus managers, as well as transactional versus transformational management. I know what to call my enemy now. However, nowhere have I found any information about how to deal with this.
Here are the results of his style of management for me: He nick-picks my work to pieces, he watches my time reporting with an eagle eye, he questions just about everything I do and wants to know why I did this or that this way or that way. Last week, he grilled me for 20 minutes on an email that I HADN'T EVEN SENT!!! Yes, it feels like a flogging every time we meet to discuss my work. He will not listen to my suggestions, even though I am a 20-year veteran in my field, I have 3 degrees, and I teach my subject at a local community college. As a result of this, I am unmotivated, I have no hope of ever amounting to anything, I have no desire to do better, and I feel hopeless. These negative feelings have all grown as a result of his bullying management, and I can hardly bear it. I am even now looking for another position outside the company.
My work has always been exemplary, and now I feel like an uneducated, ignorant moron. Can you please help me deal with this horrid treatment??? How can I possibly stand up under what I consider oppressive treatment. On the other hand, proving this will be difficult, as he is quite the manipulator, and he is in the good graces of his manager. You might think that I'm exaggerating, but others are beginning to see him as he is. Please help me.
-- Pamela
Dave replies
Pamela, I feel for you! You're not alone and many suffer this
micromanagement. My wife has been
teaching longer than her head of department has been alive, yet her HoD still
likes to wisely go through lesson plans criticizing minor detail. There are
several strategies you can take. The easiest if you're not in a hurry and are
safe yourself is patience. Just wait and they'll eventually move on. Then of
course there's 'cover your ass' protection, creating and keeping evidence of
your performance, particularly if your manager seeks to blame you for his own
failings. A neat method is to figure out his needs and play to them -- he seems
to have strong control needs
so keep him well-informed as to what is going on. Test how he responds to
flattery -- bullies often have
identity issues and propping them up can soften them. Bullies also are often
cowards so watch for problems and opportunities here though beware of making an
enemy of him unless you're sure of your way out. And indeed planning an exit
yourself may be a valid way of handling the situation.
I know EXACTLY how you feel. Take it from me: If your manager is going to be there for a while...GET OUT! You owe it to yourself to NOT put yourself through that every day.
I was one of many in a few years to hold my position. My manager preferred a stressful work environment, (I think because it made him feel more important.) It was like he would go out of his way to make things more stressful for everyone...pushing things to the last minute, throwing unnecessary curve balls at you, etc. Same behavior: nit-picking, questioning everything I did, manipulating things I did to seem wrong when ultimately they weren't...it sounds like you know what I'm talking about.
Ultimately, my confidence diminished and the stress got to me. I was a rock star at all past jobs, so I was trying extra hard to swing everything back in my favor. But, there wasn't much that could be done no matter how hard I tried. It's like he was determined, and I was just set up to fail.
I tried the "cover your ass" routine where I got everything I could in
writing, etc. That just seemed to frustrate him when I showed I was right or he
was contradicting himself, thus making him try harder.
Work became a living hell. I was working 30+ hours overtime (not paid because it
was salary), waking up with nightmares about work, gaining weight, started
smoking, got temperamental toward my supportive fiance, and inches away from
depression. I couldn't eat breakfast or lunch during the week. I got to where
all I felt I could do was sit on a rock. I felt like my whole career and all my
life choices were a mistake. I think I actually had a nervous breakdown.
It felt like he smelled fresh blood, and pounced like a wolf, making life at
work a real living hell. Finally, I realized it wasn't a choice to stay
anymore...I had to leave because it was causing serious damage to my life. Even
during the highest unemployment period in the last 40 years, with no job to go
to. I worked out the departure to be on good terms.
Needless to say, I ended up leaving. I still have nightmares about that job and
I am still struggling with my lack of confidence.
There's no way you'll be able to change your manager. Do you really think he
will change for you? He has way more leverage on the decision makers / paycheck
writers than you ever will. It's a loosing battle - why not work somewhere where
your boss is open to your ideas, appreciates your hard work and wants to work
with you to make sure you, them and the company are heading in a positive
direction?
I suggest you carefully screen your next manager before accepting a new job, I
accepted mine without enough information. Huge mistake to learn from.
I recently started out somewhere making 1/2 as much money than I was, but I like
it. Pretty soon, I'll be making more money then I EVER would have at the last
place.I work with truly good people and I have an awesome manager who
appreciates and respects me. I have time to eat, sleep and exercise, not worry
about work when I'm trying to sleep...I just can't tell you how glad I am to be
away from that guy. I wanted to confront him, but I've decided to pray for him
and his family instead, because they really need it.
Pardon my rant, but I hope this advice helps people avoid the pitfall I fell
into. I'm still recovering from the stress, worry, exhaustion, etc. that my last
manager put on me to make him feel important.
Nobody deserves that kind of torture. Quit, find a better job, and watch as that
guy's position -- or the company -- crumbles to the ground. Do it on the best of
terms you can so nothing's suspicious when you apply elsewhere.
LIFE IS TO SHORT to bust your butt over a prick when you could do it somewhere
wayyyy better. :)
-- Waynegro
Dave replies:
The main reason people quit jobs, other than career progression, is because of
bad management. And indeed it's often the easiest option, especially when the
manager in question seems unable to listen or accept any criticism and when
there's no way around them.
My wife, a teacher, recently had a tricky case of an inexperienced head of department who broke many of the rules of good management (and a few employment-law ones too). She also was beginning to doubt her ability, but fortunately, she had support, went to the head teacher and things are looking better now (fingers crossed). One of the things that helped her case is that she kept a log of all that was said and done, and took legal advice. It also helped that she was financially able to leave, making this a real option and giving her greater power. I've also seen another person in different organisation quit and send a highly damning email to everyone on the way out (not always a good idea, but it pretty much sunk the manager in question, who left soon after).
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