Is it normal for your boss to delegate work to everyone else and do little work themselves?
Posted by Aggravating_Pizza592@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 140 comments
I don’t want to lose my job because I have nothing lined up but it is getting to a point where I don’t really care. The manager constantly berates me whilst holding no accountability himself. Will leaving on bad terms affect my chances of getting a new job? And do I just have to accept that this is probably a common occurrence in the UK
Shane4894@reddit
Yes.
They’re responsible and giving others a chance to do more interesting work. Unless you want to do BS recs 24/7, how else will you develop if they do anything that requires a thought and then ignore other areas.
Obvious-Water569@reddit
Manager here.
Delegating work is an important part of the job. Berating and talking down to your team is not.
A good manager should be saying "Here's your work, what do you need from me?" not "Here's your work, now do it and shut up, you worm."
Sensitive-Ad-7475@reddit
This is the answer!
tptpp@reddit
so why is there a need for you? If the people doing the actual work are experienced there is no need for middle management. I know your job is "important"..but when redundancies happen it's usually the middle management that becomes obsolete.
donalmacc@reddit
Who decides what the work is what the priority is, and what to ignore? Who decides when two directors say they want A and B and they conflict. Who is responsible if the work doesn’t get done?
I shield probably 50 “little asks” a week from my team - if they spent their time on those the actual work would never get done.if they all just met to talk about it once a week, what happens if they disagree? Who has the authority to say what’s done or who should do it?
Kelsiersdaggers@reddit
Ai in the next few years probably. Not saying it’s a good thing. Just definitely will be a thing.
Nervous_Yard7034@reddit
There normally is a need for a manager as someone has to make sure everyone is working to the same goal.
What typically happens in an organisation is that a middle manager develops a team. That team becomes experienced and no longer needs the manager. The manager is made redundant. The team starts having to take on the managers tasks, fixing things when they break. The team members get annoyed as they have to take on extra work. The team members leave. New people join but have no idea what to do because there isn't a manager. The company appoints a middle manager to lead the team.
TunedOutPlugDin@reddit
What's your favourite movie where the actors just turned up and did their bit without a director?
Brilliant_Kiwi1793@reddit
Some people have good people/leadership skills. When everything works it’s great. Even experienced people need help prioritising and translating what the senior leaderships objectives are.
zipitdirtbag@reddit
It's also about responsibility.
TheSecretIsMarmite@reddit
And being a decision maker when something is above someone's pay grade.
Elegant_Plantain1733@reddit
People need managers. CEO doesn't have the time to personally oversee the work of everyone in the organisation. Middle managers are there to take the workload off the higher ups, while getting the most off the lower downs.
Brilliant_Kiwi1793@reddit
Totally disagree on your edit, I’d look up David Marquet to see the impact a good leader can have. The experienced person who does the job 100/100 will not be kept over the person who can talk, understand and translate from a relational perspective who does the job 80/100. Soft skills are what keep people in jobs.
Cherrytree374@reddit
Managers are essentially like oil in a car. Can all the independent parts of their car do their normal job without the oil? Sure, but when things go wrong, it will go really wrong, really quick.
Can team members do their jobs without management, yeah, but when things start to go wrong, they can go really wrong without that person understands all of the departments they manage, how they interact with each other, and how a mistake by someone in department A impacts the output of people in department B and C.
However managers are also like oil, in that if you have a poor quality manager, it can cause significant damage to the engine.
tptpp@reddit
it obviously depends on a number of factors and sector but my answer was mainly about middle management
Cherrytree374@reddit
Middle managers are often the pool that managers grow from.
It's the Peter principle on display...
Some middle managers have been promoted above their ability, and will spend their time interfering with their subordinates jobs (because they know how to do that job, but don't know how to do their own).
Some will be really good middle managers, and get promoted to higher levels of management (and sometimes found out at that level instead).
Engineer__This@reddit
There’s generally a lot of process around the actual work which needs to be managed by someone.
I’m my field (Engineering) this work would form part of a wider project which is managed by a dedicated Engineering manager, who gets the project through all the necessary approvals etc.
WhalingSmithers00@reddit
People will eventually start not doing their share of work, turning up late or not at all. It leaves some people picking up others slack and conflict between colleagues increases without that lightning rod of a manager to aim at.
It's nice for about a week and then the novelty wears off and it becomes a nightmare.
Numerous-Painter6179@reddit
Or handing out work and then saying “haha don’t ask me, I don’t have a clue!” which has unfortunately been my civil service experience. It’s shocking how little is understood about management.
Objective-Bad-4051@reddit
Absolutely, as an old boss said to me. "Why have a dog and bark yourself."
In fairness, I now lead a team and would never say the above. But I need to pick up work which is non-critical or can be handed over at the drop off a hat.
I also have responsibilities that the team doesn't know about due to confidentiality.
DigitalStefan@reddit
I had a company owner say this to me as I was in the middle of clearing up at their booth after a trade show and he was wandering around like King Dick trying to seem important. I was there on optional overtime, so as soon as he said it I picked up my jacket and said "see you tomorrow!".
Jollyfroggy@reddit
As an old boss said to me, when I asked him why I should work until ten for a week just because he specced the project wrong.
"Because I'm paid too much to get my hands dirty"
I quit that job and my exit interview got him fired lol.
Welshbuilder67@reddit
Seriously, I did a management course years ago and the recommendation was managers strategise for 90% of the time so only work 10% of the time as strategising is how you take the company forward
mata_dan@reddit
Yeah that's literally their job.
shak_0508@reddit
Once you get to a higher enough level with an organisation, yes that’s basically your manager’s role
Laxly@reddit
Yeah, a manager should be managing people to do operational tasks, not managing operational tasks themselves
bright_sorbet1@reddit
Ooof tell that to manager. I have the opposite problem. I love her, she's a wonderful person but she doesn't share any of the work, I'm bored out of my mind constantly asking for development, and she works during her annual leave because she can't switch off.
It's got to the point where I'm looking for a new job because I want more work.
Ultimate_os@reddit
I have that issue. After a while I just stopped asking if I could help. 🤷
bright_sorbet1@reddit
I've stopped asking too.
I just make my own work now. I find something I think could do with improving and just get on with it. I realised after months of asking I might as well be talking to a brick wall.
sossighead@reddit
The single biggest thing I struggled with in my transition from ‘doer’ to ‘manager’ was letting go of the work.
It’s not automatic and a switch doesn’t just flip for everyone. Takes work.
bright_sorbet1@reddit
my manager has been in the role for years though, at this point she's had plenty of time to adjust.
rebelallianxe@reddit
My husband is in the same boat. Plus his micromanager is simultaneously an a-hole. Great all round.
Nervous_Yard7034@reddit
She's failing as a manager and should be passing the work on.
Might be worth talking to her boss as the failure to delegate could cause problems down the line, especially if she's off and nobody knows how to do their job.
Gauntlets28@reddit
Managers are mediocre, but nobody dicks around like a director.
stank58@reddit
How dare you call me out.
Although truthfully I'm either fucking around on reddit or I'm putting out the most extreme corporate fire, no in-between.
TunedOutPlugDin@reddit
Their job is to direct, the clue is in their title.
Some are much better at it than others, plenty of dicks and some brilliant ones out there.
Have worked with and learnt from both.
Dr-Moth@reddit
I mean... look, I needed a Reddit break. I'm on standby for the next unexpected thing someone needs, while clearing my head before my next task. Ooh, is that the time... lunch!
JamOverCream@reddit
100%.
Most of day is spent helping my team prioritise work and removing roadblocks for them.
Once a team gets over a certain size, it’s also about managing life events and navigating conflicts that individuals in my teams are experiencing.
That’s why leaders are mostly measured on outcomes rather than tasks.
Vampirero@reddit
I'm just curious, but isn't this the definition of the Peter principle?
FantasticWeasel@reddit
Yes, I found it an odd experience moving up, it took me a while to feel like I was achieving something when I wasn't doing any of the day to day work anymore but was busy with admin and hr and managing and planning.
zipitdirtbag@reddit
That's why it's called achieving through others.
roxieh@reddit
I was offered a management position when I was looking for work last year and this was one of the reasons I declined it. Maybe I'm stupid, the role I accepted was significantly less money, but it's more hands on and actually doing work rather than being a go between the people doing the work and the people who want the work done. I don't think I'd enjoy being a manager much unless I was also getting to do the actual work I enjoy. I sometimes lament not having the 42k, but 36k is still a decent enough wage to get by doing something I actually enjoy.
Aggravating_Pizza592@reddit (OP)
I wouldn’t have an issue if they had other work. They are infuriatingly on their personal phone most of the working day. I suppose I should be grateful I am only go into the office 4-5 times a month. I don’t think I could handle any more than that
Whulad@reddit
That’s what bosses are meant to do
tjblue123@reddit
Lets test two scenarios:
1) Manager has a 1:1 with someone in their team and they take away half of the actions each
2) Manager has a 1:1 with someone in their team and delegates everything
A manager is typically very roughly managing 2-10 people. Lets assume an average of 5. If you have five 1:1s with each team member on a weekly/monthly basis, and you are applying scenario (1), the manager is completely swamped and is flat out with "delivery" as they are picking up more activity than the team are delivering in scenario (2). When the manager is working this way, they cannot quality assure, support, and "risk manage" the teams delivery. That means sometimes things go wrong, they are not caught early enough, and cannot be rectified, and leads to reactive working / fire fighting. The other issue is, scenario (1) holds delivery activity "higher" up the team structure, limiting the pipeline of more junior people in the team to learn how to deliver new tasks / learn new skills / progress in their career.
Now clearly there is a middle ground, and all good managers will jump in to add capacity on high risk, high profile, or under resourced activities, but as a starting point, a good manager should delegate as much as they can to the most junior grade, to ensure they have the capacity to do just that when required.
Assuming you have good, experienced managers in post, who understand the delivery that their team is doing, are supportive, and actively manage work, then delegation is key to the success of the team and the individuals. So I guess my question back to OP is delegating doesn't make you a bad boss, but being a bad boss does.
eques_99@reddit
your title refers to a different problem than the one expressed in the main text.
anyway, if you have a toxic boss then any time you leave it will be on bad terms....because that's what it means to be toxic.
also, in my experience, it can damage your career more to stay with a toxic boss than to walk out on them. also can damage your self-confidence and mental health.
these days I'll walk as soon as I get a sniff of toxicity. it's just not worth putting up with.
do not reward toxic bosses with your labour.
FootballUpset2529@reddit
I was in a management role for a while and I discovered that my role wasn't to do all the work, it was to hire great people who could do the work better than me and then spend my day making sure they had everything they needed to do that work and no bullshit was put in their path to stop them from completing that work. I had real imposter syndrome for a while until my manager said to me something like "If you're hiring people better than you and getting the best out of them then you are doing great at your job." Still didn't feel right if I'm honest and I left the role to go back into the trenches after three years but that's my experience.
Bitter_Excitement242@reddit
A good manager works for you. They find you suitable work to do. They sit in meetings and communicate across teams so you don't have to. They deal with anything that's blocking you from carrying out your work. They help you to be as productive as possible.
A bad manager does none of that. If you're expected to 'find stuff to do', that's a red flag. If you find yourself in excessive meetings all day, that's a red flag. If they're not actively quickly dealing with anything blocking you, that's a red flag.
If you ever find yourself idling to long periods and they're not taking notice, that's a massive red flag. If they don't notice when you're doing nothing, they certainly aren't interested when you're working hard.
LethargicOnslaught@reddit
I still lead from the front, but my team is only 5 people deep. I've have managers delegate for the sake of delegating before, and stand next to a ringing phone waiting for me to finish with my current customer to tell me the phone is ringing. I once witnessed a manager spend a full 7.5 hour shift work out a weeks worth of rota, for 6 members of staff and get it wrong.
New_Line4049@reddit
A manager is not there to do the work, they are there to manage. A good manage will provide significantly more value by spending their time doing management tasks than contributing directly to the work they are managing. Their job is to clear the road so that those doing the work can spend their time actually doing the work, rather than dealing with all the corporate bullshit and burrecratic red tape. Of course, not all managers ARE good managers, which is where it gets a tad difficult, especially given that if they are a good manager the workforce will never see all the shit the manager is protecting them from.
KarmaComaRoma@reddit
I'm a manager and it'd be crazy for me to do work like the people under me in the sense of spending entire days doing tasks. Managers are basically people who assess the current situation in the workplace, recognise what jobs need doing and then delegating the jobs to their team. Whilst overseeing the work and making sure its being done efficiently and effectively. If I was just working, doing tasks all day everything would fall apart. Most people just can't be left to themselves. I've tried to be hands off with my management style and the reality is if you do that, things simply don't get done, people will just chat and procrastinate and try and get away with doing the Bare minimum.
MrPogoUK@reddit
I’ve had three different types of manager in my career:
One spends most of their day doing them regular work alongside everyone else, but they’re the expert in every single aspect of the job and anything too difficult or needs an executive decision is passed to them.
The second spends all their day doing other managerial stuff, but is also the expert on everything and can assist directly with anything you need, including filling in with the work if necessary.
The third is a “pure manager”; they can’t do the actual job of their workers. They can’t help beyond a “should I do A or B?” level as they don’t know how, it requires a skill or technical knowledge they don’t have. Their job is all about policy and politics and telling who to do what. Sounds like OP has this type; the one I had also specialised in berating people despite not really understanding what was being done or why it wasn’t being achieved as fast or accurately as they demanded.
Calm-Homework3161@reddit
A subset of the third type is the manager who used to do the work 10 years ago when he/she was part of the team, but can't understand that things have moved on since and still insists you do things the way they were done 20 years ago
northyj0e@reddit
Yes, it's the same reason Pep Guardiola isn't playing himself in midfield every week. He's a manager, not a player, his job is to arrange the training (possibly but not necessarily running the training himself), allocate tasks between the team, identify staffing gaps, motivate the team and, ultimately, be responsible for the outcome of the team.
Managing any work team isn't much different except the mix of those things, the public exposure and the pay
Aggravating_Pizza592@reddit (OP)
Of course. Though Pep Guardiola is being held accountable for losing games and is clearly a major reason for any success. In my scenario the squad is last seasons Liverpool and my manager is Arne Slot
dr2501@reddit
But he is doing something, he's managing the people he's delegated to. That's his job, your job is to do the work and follow what your manager tells you.
myeuphor@reddit
A good manager delegates tasks but should also be your biggest supporter, not your biggest critic.
Silver_West_4950@reddit
If it’s a large company, HR will probably send out a standard reference. There are rules about what they can and cannot say and generally they err on the side of caution because they don’t want to get sued.
TheActOfDoing@reddit
It's not great managerial practice, but for a lot of people, gaining (eg) a Head of title comes with these types of perks.
In essence, swapping out day to day practices of 'doing work' for meta responsibilities. From my experience, it's rare to find a senior member of a department still doing 'work', unless we're talking about a start up environment.
gerty88@reddit
Ok how old are you pal and how many jobs have you had?
YouCantArgueWithThis@reddit
Their work is to manage, lead, and supervise.
SirGranular@reddit
"Manage, don't do".... but depending how you become a manager and your mentoring/training etc it's a difficult skill to delegate.
Going from 'one of the team' to 'manager of the team' is tough. My experience anyway.
Been getting better at delegating out work I'd have done myself before. If my inbox starts to grow I know I'm falling behind on sharing the fun so have to give that a bit of focus.
Ricky_Martins_Vagina@reddit
Literally the whole point of being a boss.
You do my job while I scroll memes and work through my YouTube playlists 👌🏻
srig8@reddit
First rule of management… delegation!
ServerLost@reddit
Don't leave, the job market is horrendous at the mo. If you feel discriminated against approach your company HR, ideally with some concrete proof you're being treated unfairly.
smackdealer1@reddit
Lol this is a common occurrence with humanity. Nothing a human loves doing more than pretending they work alot but actually do fuck all.
There is no such thing as a good manager tbh.
Alert_Ad_5750@reddit
There absolutely is good managers wtf lol.
PigHillJimster@reddit
This is supposed to be the sign of good management!
I have just been a grunt for employment but I have organised several major sporting events and, basically I picked team leaders, wrote out a spec of what I wanted their team to do, and let them get on with it and help them with any problems beforehand and on the day.
To some, it may have looked like I wasn't doing much, especially on the day as I just walked around speaking to everyone and making sure everything was running smoothly.
Behind the scenes though there was a lot I was doing that was hidden.
trypnosis@reddit
But different industries my operate differently.
Managers job is to delegate work.
A bad manger will pass it off as their own.
A good manger will credit the do-er of the work.
Some industries are made of of more good than bad mangers.
Others have more bad than good.
Moving jobs may or may not have a positive impact on your work quality of life.
I don’t know all industries but I do know some
So what industry are you in?
Aggravating-Menu466@reddit
Good management is about stepping back and coordinating others - you are a conductor not a musician.
Alert_Ad_5750@reddit
Yes, that is what a manager does… manage people and delegate work.
Being rude and berating staff is not part of the role. He’s just rude.
Employers technically can give a bad reference but it must be factually accurate. In reality, most employers won’t give one as it’s not worth the legal risk. Most bypass that by saying ‘no opinion’ if they have had negative experiences with said employee.
JuneauEu@reddit
Yup. It's pretty common for higher-ups to not do the work itself.
Depending on what it is, it can be a lot of mental effort keeping track of where everyone is, what everyone is up to. Who needs to do what by when and ensuring no one has misunderstood what's needed.
I do a seniors role, and a lot of my job is talking to people, planning, and then working with the team to deliver.
I don't get to do a lot of the actual work anymore.
My wife has the same role, but on the other side, she does the work and does not do the planning.
She genuinely believes she has the easier of the jobs. Paraphrasing here.. "I dont want to talk to that many people and juggle that much stuff. I'd rather just get on with my work."
Veenkoira00@reddit
Bad boss. Leave.
chuchoterai@reddit
Yes. It’s actually quite a tricky thing to understand as you progress.
The difference is in not doing the task well yourself but leading your team to do it well.
intenseskill@reddit
Idk but i recently started working at iceland and first off let me say i really like it and everyone is great but in my 7 months working there i see so many lazy people including some management. One manager complains on a certain day she does not have enough staff when really there is enough and she is just lazy and expects to have to do a lot less. What is worse i she got employee of the month not long back. Me i am a driver and so i do not and should not have to work in store but if i have time to spare i will always just get on with helping in store. I do plenty of other things that help them that i do not have to do and none of it gets recognised
Bigtallanddopey@reddit
A manager is there to delegate work out to their team, that’s their job. A good manager will hand out the work, monitor your progress, provide constructive feedback, help when needed and provide guidance and final decision making.
I do think there is a huge issue in the U.K. with managers who just do the delegating part of the job. Mine at the moment as an example, is useless at making decision. They’re a professional fence sitter. Which is very frustrating when you have an issue that needs resolving as they just disappear. I think a lot of this, is a lot of managers have just never received any training in how to be a manager. They often just get promoted and put into the roll and expected to just get in with it.
Nielips@reddit
I disagree with a lot of the comments here. A managers job is not to delegate all work, a managers job is to ensure a team can and does do the work by supporting them. This does not mean they delegate all tasks, they should be doing higher level tasks and taking decision accountability. If all they are doing is delegation and not producing any work themselves they are likely shit at their job.
Aggravating_Pizza592@reddit (OP)
There is a general acceptance amongst my colleagues that my manager is clueless. But nobody wants to lose their job
Nielips@reddit
I think the only solution is usually to find a new job unfortunately.
Miserablist@reddit
What are you gonna do, try and mutiny? Nothing you can do here, accept it while looking for a new job
Intelligent-Mine-868@reddit
I think it’s important to remember that you don’t have insight into everything your manager is doing, I wouldn’t just write them off as doing no work. Whether it’s valuable work is another question.
justsomebo2@reddit
It sounds like your manager has confused delegating with just dumping work and being a jerk. A good leader clears roadblocks for the team, they don't just add to them. Start looking for a new role quietly, because that environment isn't normal or acceptable.
DrunkenTypist@reddit
Our office operational hours are 08:00-18:00.
Operations managers have a daily call at 21:00 M-F when all the relevant reports are in for review so depends what role they have.
Are some managers idle shitbags? Yes because some people are. They get found out.
Farscape_rocked@reddit
Why have a dog and bark yourself?
Gnome_Father@reddit
"I don't want to lose my job because I have nothing lined up". Thats the problem. Get your CV updated mate, you'll find a new job in no time.
Its never worth staying at a job you hate. It's also better to look for a job while you still have one. Start looking right now and i reccon you'll be out in a month.
ProfessionalDig3908@reddit
The job market sucks right now
Gauntlets28@reddit
Standard practice a lot of the time, same as how a fuck-up for management doesn't lead to accountability in the same way it does for those on the bottom rungs.
Sarrebas89@reddit
I remember my first boss saying that a lot of managing people is just delegating tasks you don't want to do, lol.
-Rhymenocerous-@reddit
Been a supervisor at a compliance firm for 10yrs and 2yrs at a rival firm.
I can manage my managerial duties whilst pitching in and helping the team. I find I get more out of them when I get stuck in alongside them.
Im not always there and sometimes I have to slip off and make calls or do paperwork but I always ensurr people are setup for whatever theyre doing that day.
Overall less lost time on sick days, better morale, people approach you more often with problems rather than getting stuck on them and losing time on a single task. You get more respect from your team and they dont mind going the extra mile every so often when you ask because they know I would never ask them to do something I wouldnt be ready to do with them / on my own.
Everyone has different styles of management though and different jobd require different styles of management.
MissionSpecialist866@reddit
This is a good manager....
mohawkal@reddit
As the sayin goes, management is 99% delegation and 1% perspiration.
MissionSpecialist866@reddit
A lot of bosses are hands off as they believe that their not responsible for the day to day workings of a company....they are, as they see it, the foreman of the floor. Of course, managers who act like this will get little or no respect, and in general, leading from the from (working with the team), will get the staff to move in the right direction. As far as leaving with no notice or bad terms means nothing....unless your a brain surgeon or an architect. Just don't use them on your C.V....
Agitated_Ad_6774@reddit
Does your manager berate you, or do you just not like being told what to do? A managers job is to tell people what to do. They aren't your work chum.
If its that bad, sort out a new CV and approach some recruiters. They are like vampires, constantly looking for some fresh blood. Move elsewhere and try a different place.
firefly232@reddit
Depends on the work, you don't leave enough detail here. Are they managing people to get results, rather than doing the work themselves? Or is the expectation that they should do some work, and they are not doing that work.
In any case, start looking for another job ASAP.
Aggravating_Pizza592@reddit (OP)
The distribution of work is disproportional. I find myself having to do an increasing amount of work - naturally I will make more mistakes . As a boss , the logical answer is to reduce their workload- not berate that person and say they need to work harder. The longer I stay silent the more work I will end up with and the more my reputation suffers as a result of these mistakes
Affectionate_Yak6138@reddit
I’d say yes. You’re there to do the job, they are there to make sure it gets done and makes sure things are passed down the chain without you having to sit through the ridiculous amount of meetings they probably are (depending on role).
Every job I’ve had the manager is just there to support me, and make sure the work is completed. I’ve never had a manager who has talked down to me though, definitely look for something else if you can. It’s not good for your mental health to be constantly berated.
MountainMuffin1980@reddit
Delegating, managing, overseeing, approving and ultimately holding reaponsibility for an end product, yes is the role of a boss/management.
However, under no circumstances would my boss berate me more than once. I wouldn't stand for it.
unbelievablydull82@reddit
My wife worked for Oxfam back in the early 2000s as a manager of a charity shop. Her role was to delegate everything out, and oversee the place. She got so bored she took another shop, as well as doing health and safety visits to other shops just to not feel useless
No_Coyote_557@reddit
The definition of management is getting tasks performed by others.
DigitalStefan@reddit
You can 100% stop giving a damn whilst you're in a shitty job, whilst looking for a new job.
The job market sucks and has done for a while, but if you have skills / transferable skills and you have a good interview technique, you should be fine.
Bad managers palm off their work. Good managers delegate whilst shielding their team from the BS that would otherwise roll downhill.
If you ever get the opportunity to pick the manager path or the specialist path, either be a really good manager that has learned how to not do things that your bad manager did or pick the specialist path where you get paid manager salary but get to do more interesting actual work.
I picked the latter. It's wonderful (as long as I have to work, I'd rather be able to derive some satisfaction from it).
P-l-Staker@reddit
Yes. That's their whole job. Though they generally have other tasks to occupy themselves with.
urtcheese@reddit
Depends how big the business / your team is. A director with a few dozen people below them, yeah I wouldn't really expect them to be doing 'work' in the traditional sense. A team of 3 or 4 people, I would totally be expecting my manager to be doing some of the actual work too. Doesn't take 40 hours a week to manage the work of a few people.
Odd_Scar836@reddit
They “manage” everyone else’s work, with a large enough team that takes up your entire day as a manager. They will be constantly in meetings working out and strategising new work and telling other people what to do
Least_Mall_4604@reddit
I had a manager who barely turned up to work who would use these sort of excuses.
Odd_Scar836@reddit
Some people are just bad and work shy. But I don’t think these are excuses, a managers job isn’t to do, it’s to manager. If the need is there they will need to (someone is off sick or something) but most of the time the actual doing is left to others
wildflower12345678@reddit
Its basically a manager's job to delegate work. Its also their job to make sure everyone has what they need to do that work. If you don't have the time or the skill to do the work you are given then you need to raise this with the manager and ask for support in this.
Big_Cheese16@reddit
Managers like this exist in a lot of companies. Is it right? No. Do I have bills to pay? Yes.
Keep an eye for something better but at the end of the day if you got to work, keep your head down till you can duck out.
Aggravating_Pizza592@reddit (OP)
Ok seems like quitting is not the best strategy
At the end of the day the manager has organised the department poorly. If I find a new job during the busiest part of the year I know and he knows deep down he’s fucked . For that reason I can’t understand why managers treat their staff like this. That hostility is going to bite him
Jollyfroggy@reddit
This is the way.
Keep your head down, look after your mental health
Quietly apply for a bunch of other jobs.
Jollyfroggy@reddit
Depends.
Are they berating you because you are doing a bad job, or because they have given you too much?
A good managers role is to allocate resources, support you and to remove obstacles that prevent you from getting your work done.
It's not just to shout at people until stuff happens.
BobBobBobBobBobDave@reddit
It is hard to know without knowing your exact situation, but having had roles where I managed and roles where I didn't, I can tell you than managing people very much is work.
When I used to manage a team of c. 20 people, I had very little time left to do a anything else other than just making sure they had the right tasks, trouble-shooting, dealing with issues that got escalated, etc.
Saying that, your boss should be accountable.
Aetheriao@reddit
Why would everyone else have to be hired if the manager just does all the work for them?
The entire point of the role is to delegate work that should be done by the people they’re managing, to make room for all the other bullshit they’re being delegated from above. And a lot of work that gets done you never see. I’ve literally been told by colleagues I’m close to how x does nothing and I’m like errr I literally work with them constantly.
Just because you aren’t senior enough to see the work that is happening doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
intothedepthsofhell@reddit
Yes it's normal. But you've said your manager does nothing, but also that you've got nothing to do. What are you being berated about?
TheLoneEcho@reddit
A manager manages. They're not there to do the operational stuff. They delegate a task, and their role is to ensure that task is complete and to the correct standard.
Don't forget, they have their own duties and responsibilities too, so while you may see them sitting down on a phone, they may very well be working and they owe you no explanation.
If you have concerns then raise it with them, and if you're not satisfied then raise it with their manager.
itsheadfelloff@reddit
My boss just left the office for the day, couldn't hang around he's meeting cricket friends for lunch.
Beer-Milkshakes@reddit
My old manager used to fuck off from work in Birmingham at 11am to drive up to see Man Utd in the evening each week. Salary perks
srm79@reddit
A managers job is to move resources to achieve the needs of the company. That means assigning tasks, and ensuring staff have the training, support and materials to succeed.
They should not be berating anybody, only providing positive motivation. Even misconduct should be approached in a positive manner
Beer-Milkshakes@reddit
Lmfao. Yes. Yes that is common. Well youtube isn't going to watch itself. But our MD does send an email with a workflow forecast report on it and asks if its correct.
Yes, Steve, yes its still correct. Go back to 'Top 10 Dan Carter highlights'.
Tonybham01@reddit
I don’t know your exact situation, however, generally a manager’s job is to manage people or processes. It’s the manager’s job to allocate people and resources to achieve whatever is stated in their job description. That’s the ideal. If it’s not working, that’s the fault of the manager’s line manager.
Independent_Push_159@reddit
I've been in a number of situations where people see their managers handing out work but seemingly never doing things themselves, but where that view is based on not understanding the range of other tasks that the manager has to perform which don't visibly align with the work being handed out This creates an impression that they are just skiving. Not saying that is the case here, but are you sure that they are not doing things you are unaware of? Even handing out work is work, and assigning tasks to the right person, making sure that tasks are on track, checking standards and quality, predicting future demands, proessing HR/holiday and other leave requests, rostering, all take time and depending on the nature of work and the size of the team can be significant time spent not visibly working. It might seem like they are just giving you a hard time but perhaps they are actually 'managing' the team's output.
What are they berating you for? In what way do they have no accountability? Do they have a manager who judges them on the output from you and your colleagues? Again, not saying this is what's happening but I've seen it before, where managers are criticised for the things you complain about but these are actually the functions of their role. They may or may not be doing it badly. You may or may not understand what their priorities are.
Nickjc88@reddit
If course. Why would I do the work and get paid when I could give the work to others and still get paid the same amount? They can sit and do the work, I'm going to take a trip to the shops and treat myself.
FreeBogwoppits@reddit
Yes. Completely normal.
Jayatthemoment@reddit
A lot of my job is to make sure my line managees do their work. Organising, admin, training, making sure that what they do is up to standard, hr stuff so they get paid, etc.
My organisation pay me more (but probably less than my line managees imagine) to do different work from my line managees’ work. It would be a performance management issue if I weren’t delegating and taking money to do the things my line do became their work is considered payable at a lower rate. I don’t see myself as ‘superior’ but I have ten years more experience than the most senior of my line. I’m also hired to make operational decisions based on that experience and because of that, I have responsibility for the outcomes of the team’s work.
DiscoChikkin@reddit
A mantra i've always had is to delegate 30% of my job to my team, and take on 30% of my managers job. This helps succession planning as well. Berating your staff never works, and it sounds like your boss is just an arsehole.
poshbakerloo@reddit
Its the managers job to delegate the work and make sure everyone does it - or they will get in trouble by their own manager if targets aren't met. Do you know why your manager "constantly berates" you? Have they told you what they are annoyed about?
sossighead@reddit
I mean management by definition is largely delegation and support.
I lead a team of many different skills and couldn’t do some of their jobs. I do have ‘work’ of my own which probably isn’t visible to them - mostly around client relationship management and commercial stuff.
Also when you say accountability I wonder if you mean responsibility? In theory your manager is accountable for everything you and your team do, it’s you who is responsible for it. So you see them not being responsible for much of your work, which is correct.
ChelseaMourning@reddit
Depending on your industry, delegation is basically what a manager does. That and relationship management. Keeping clients happy, being the public face of the department/organisation and taking all those schmoozy networking calls so you don’t have to. They’re also paid to take the responsibility for their department if the shit hits the fan.
However, there’s no reason to talk down to you or be a shitty person just because you get paid more. I’ve come to learn that good managers are like rocking horse shit, and I can count on one hand the genuinely good managers I’ve had in my lifetime. The ones who lead and support their team instead of just giving them shit to do while they go on 3hr lunch breaks.
72dk72@reddit
Yes - That's what a good manager/leader should do is delegate so they can do other things. You may not see that as work or understand what their job is. Managers tend to spend hours on calls and in meetings.
The clue is in the title of the job really - "Managers should Manage"
They would be looking at the strategic things more than doing operational work.
wongl888@reddit
A manager’s direct report is supposed to support and help the manager to get their job done. So yes, and effective manager delegates they work to their subordinates to execute. A good boss should delegate all they can so that the team can develop and learn what their manager’s responsibilities are so that they can grow into the manager’s role in the future.
Evening-Tour@reddit
Your managers job is to manage, not do the work at the coal face.
Part of managing is delegation, however part of it is being able to manage people, your manager berating you means they aren't a good manager.
soverytiiiired@reddit
Generally normal for managers. Extremely fucking annoying if it’s just a regular office grunt who thinks they’re management because they’ve worked there longer than you.
YodasGoldfish@reddit
I assume your boss is doing different work ?
Some-Ad5770@reddit
The more senior you become, the more of an “overseer” and less of a “doer” you become.
MrMonkeyman79@reddit
Effective delegation is an essential management skill. The job is to make sure everything gets done by the team, not necessarily to do it yourself.
Obviously some do this more appropriately than others, but if they're not delegating, they're probably not doing their job effectively.
mjratchada@reddit
Why would you leave on bd terms? Just behave professionally nd there should be no issues. Most employers in the UK give neutral references and do not remark on your perceived performance or any conflicts you have. Usually, they will confirm the dates you worked there and your job title.
ManageThoseFootballs@reddit
Depends if that is the expectation placed on them by the business. If they are there to manage you and your team primarily, they will do less hands on work by default.
They are ultimately the ones that should take accountability for the team’s performance but there’s the old saying of “shit rolls downhill”…
kayzgguod@reddit
Obviously
BigMagic88@reddit
Yes they are there to manage but also some are so shit and it’s clear as day they are in the wrong job 😂
If you want a decent review thing then I think you need to leave things reasonably well but you do you.
Line a job up first because it’s pretty dire out there. Might be easier to have a chat about it first.
TapeDeckSlick@reddit
My boss does fuck all however I am left alone for 90% of the day so it works for me
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