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> The reason these people get into positions of power and can force their
> pettiness on people is because nobody ever challenges their
> authority.
What I've seen far more often is that the person who becomes a petty manager
obtained their position through their exceptional skill at brown-nosing.
This is the lowest order of manager, and they are wholly unfamiliar with the
rules of leadership that Andrew posted.
I wish I could also say that they were an endangered species. Unfortunately,
there are enough bosses who can have the wool pulled over their eyes to
allow scum such as this to rise to the top, just like swamp gas.
> They have no concept of what it is to actually LEAD
> people.
They're not concerned with _leading_ people, they're too busy _using_
people.
> Challenge
> their pettiness when appropriate.
Of course. What you have to remember is that their may well be a price to
pay, and very often that may be your job. You have to pick your fights, and
set them according to your time-table as often as possible.
> Last
> I checked, it was still legal to question authority if you judge it to be
> unreasonable.
Legal and practical are altogether different beasts. Yeah, I have my limits,
but sometimes I have to bend them (within bounds) a little to keep food on
the table. Remember, it's also legal to fire you without warning (and, in
most states at least, without cause), and try to cast you in the worst light
when someone checks references. Of course if they really don't like you,
they'll keep you on and work to make your life a living hell. Too many of
the petty bosses moonlight as sadists.
IPCC 01, the IEEE International Professional Communication Conference,
October 24-27, 2001 at historic La Fonda in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
CALL FOR PAPERS OPEN UNTIL MARCH 15. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
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