The dummy ladder...

[Victor3]

 I recently got a new boss (9th one I've had in 6 years with the company). He's one step below the top position over manufacturing operations at our facility. He came into his position from the bottom up, working lower level jobs while going to school.
 
 Other day he said something I've never heard someone in his position admit:
 
 "The higher a person climbs the ladder away from where the rubber meets the road (in our case, above a machinist on the factory floor), the dumber he becomes about real-world problems and the ability to solve them."
 
 That rang true with me, being one who's come up a few steps from the bottom rung over my career. Even with decades of experience, I know that I'm no longer qualified to come up with workable solutions to problems on the factory floor. I have to let the folks who get their hands dirty tell me what I need to do to to help them solve the problems they deal with.
 
 Imagine how out of touch a POTUS who's never handled a financial "wrench" must be, all the while proclaiming he has "a plan to rebuild the middle class economy."
 
 Impossible. He's got less than nothing. Wish people could see that.

[blind ear]

AMEN! Not just potus. look at how many congressmen are career poiticians rather than people that come from the real world with a working knowledge of what is happening in the real working, tax paying citizens world. They arn't sweating physically OR mentally over the decisions that they deliver to us. ear

[KIMBER45]

It's called " rising to a level of incompetence".

[Conan The Librarian]

I disagree.  Lot of it is attitude. And the incompetence is just a symptom in people who think they are too good to be involved with the details of the business. Any good businessman will be very curious about the details, and will know a lot of them very well, even the ones that work entirely at a strategic level.


It's the ones that think "oooh I'm a hoopty poopty manager with an MBA and I know more than these guys" that are a problem.


Risingmto a level of incompetence does happen a lot, and it happens when you promote someone outside of where his strengths lie, and into a job where his weaknesses lie. In this example, a great machinist may be a lousy manager.

[Shu]

A machinist or someone working the floor will have some great ideas about problem solving and an increase in production. A smart manager will listen to the these people before trying to fix a problem.
 
The POTUS is to arrogant to listen to economists and people who have studied the problem. He already knows how to fix the problem he has been failing at for 4 years. To continue to do the same things and expect a different outcome is insanity.

[blind ear]

listening works a lot more in business than in politics. Wonder if it has anything to do with having to PRODUCE something or go broke? ear

[mechanic]

Some people are educated beyond their level of intelligence.
 
Ben

[kennyd]

The boss listens to my stories from Dad about hoboeing during the 30"s and can't relate as his family bought more properties and businesses at the same time.  Most of these guys were "born in" at least partly.


I lead a really small machine shop,and the boss is always asking for 2 or 3 jobs to be done "first"; 2 CNC lathes, neither run bar stock, and one won't chuck anything smaller than 1.75, and one well CNC 4 axis that needs a spindle rework.  And a few of the jobs really need a 50 taper machine.  But the money controller shut off any OT, we are out of purchased components, and I shut the whole shop down yesterday to assemble a hurry shipment made from reworked and salvaged components, nothing that will hurt the customer; things like bushing a bad thread, removing a broken tap, but that all took my time.  At least everyone pitches in and gets along.



As for politicians, I don't think you can find any that have ever had dirt on their hands from working.

[Empty Quiver]

At my job, the bosses are primarily salesmen who have risen to the top.
 
It certainly shows when there is a problem in need of a solution. The solution typically is several minutes of convincing you there is no problem. Followed by some sort of "there are no problems only opportunities" horsecrap. If that won't work you are presented with tools wholy unsuited to the task, but since they are new tools they must be the solution.
 
I confronted one of these wonks with the idea I should start providing them with office supplies, as I knew as much about their needs as they new of mine. The fact I have been using the equipment they provided and found it unsatisfactory means nothing to these folks. They will argue with me as to its usefulness having never touched it themselves.
 
I feel better now.

[Shu]

The crews at work call me to help with any problems that arise. Namely "hey sign off on this we need money". I have great people working for me and have confidence they can fix the problem without me. I generally sign off without too much fuss. Hopefully they don't realize 1 rubber stamp and they don't need me. I go into the field just to keep a finger on the heart beat. I know everyone that works for me by name and enough to stay out of there way when they are working.
 
You have to listen to the folks at the ground level, if you don't you waste time and money fixing nothing. Budgets and economics... well there are people who study that and you have to listen to what they say or just be another dumby who thinks he knows everything.