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Most managers climb the corporate ladder by leaving the rubble behind for others to deal with. They usually never learned to actually solve problems, and just scale the same tactics organisation-wide. This creates a culture of helplessness and shifts problems downwards. So they add processes to "manage" problems they themselves are unable to solve! The processes are just a cover for depending on local heroes and informal tribal gatekeeping, though. And so it goes on and on.

You usually hear in such orgs, that they are like family, and in most cases you don't get hired unless someone knows you.




My current manager, who is one of the best I have ever had, used to be dev and rewrote a lot of our systems so they were better organized.

I think your comment explains at least one aspect of what makes him a good manager.


Can you tell us more about what they do well? I’m a dev who has often been encouraged to consider management but I’ve scared of the Peter Principle. I’m keen to learn from good examples.


If you're being encouraged to take up management, then they've probably already identified that you're already doing some of the right things.

I hate it when I promote a team lead, and they change what they've been doing. I promoted because they were already doing the job.


That’s good advice, thank you.


Very underrated comment. The more nepotisitic/tribal an org is, the worse this gets. Everyone's just pushing the problems below.

The only way around this for devs is to say No to solving their problems and letting management deal with the fallout (loss of customers/revenue)


Yes, very good comment; pity to those of who have lived it. I am living it now! It's kind of fascinating really, to see the coping mechanisms in a dying company. The people on the lower rungs seeming to go along with the same charade over and over, going through the motions. Waiting for another storm to pass, to get home to their families at the end of the day.




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