Just this morning, I was proactive and asked a question before I started on a project. My boss chastised me for taking the time necessary (a minute or two to send an e-mail) to ask the question. He said all these delays will impact the schedule.

When I got an answer back, the answer save me probably half a day.

I got chastised for being proactive and saving half a day.

I’m still pissed. I went over his head to his boss to complain. We’ll see what happens.

That's one issue with corporate America, though. My previous management job was for a smaller company, and if someone didn't get the job done, I let them go. The company I work for now lives in terror of being sued (they were successfully sued for discrimination 20 years ago) and it is almost impossible to fire someone. I had an employee that had 14 absences and was consistently late. He'd be written up, put on probation, and still kep missing work. At the meeting where he was to have been fired because he finally met the company criteria for termination, he told the HR rep that no one had ever clearly explained the attendance policy in the 10 years he'd worked for the company - despite the fact he'd signed paperwork saying he did numerous times, including the entire discplinary process.

The HR rep made us keep him, claiming that if he sued, he might convince a jury that he didn't understand the policy. :rolleyes: I later learned from one of my employees that she'd worked with him at two other companies, until he'd be fired for attendance problems.

My boss is smart (mech eng from GT) and a good guy. The problem is he's been with a large company for too long. He's too used to being shot down by HR when an employee is a problem. He also tries to please everyone. Another problem, and really the big problem, is that he likes to tell stories. A lot of stories. He can, and usually does, spend a whole day bothering other employees that are trying to work.

He's gotten better at disciplining employees that need it and we've now got an HR dept that's not affraid to fire someone. I've talked to him about the story telling and he admits it's a problem and that his dad did the same thing, but he still does it.

With that said, I don't know if I want someone else especially sense the someone else would be me. I'm know I'm not a good people person. Don't get me wrong, I like almost everyone I work with and I can deal with the one's I don't, but I'm very blunt when it comes to criticism and I guess that comes off a arrogant or condesending.

I must have asked at least a hundred people this question over the past month as well as posting this thread. It seems like managers can fall into a few general catagories:
1) Strong Arm with company vision and supports upper management
2) Strong Arm but forces personal agenda
3) Tries to get on the same side as the employee, sets up an us against them pitch to get things done
4) Just weak - no spine
5) Clueless - on people, company, business

You forgot "idiot" and "clueless". There must be a private managerial school churning out these *********s and Corporate America pays dearly for them.....I just do not get it. I am a pretty good manager, but I'll never succeed in a large Corporate environment, it's not who I am or who I want to be.