Enough! I Quit!

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January 10, 2005 (Computerworld) -- Have you ever felt that no matter what you said or did, it didn't matter? In the security manager's position I've been writing about for the past few months, I've tried multiple ways of changing the dynamics of a very difficult situation. I relied on my "personal power": a big smile; endless patience; a team-based, collaborative approach; technical abilities; project management skills -- you know, all the professional stuff. But in the end, none of it mattered, and I resigned.
I've never used positional or political power to get things done. I just don't admire those approaches. If you have to pull rank to get people to do things, then you've overlooked a very important part of managing people.
What does a person like me do when reporting to someone who values positional and political power above all else? I don't know!
I spent more time than I thought was appropriate trying to understand what my manager was trying to accomplish (other than the stated goals and objectives) and how she was maneuvering through the corporate system. I knew that if I didn't understand what she was really after, I would be chastised for something that didn't go down the way she wanted it to. My manager had a tendency to lose her temper; her red face, wild hand gesturing and desk pounding are funny only in retrospect.
It was clear that a top executive was my manager's political connection, and the nature of that connection stirred a lot of speculation. My manager certainly wasn't discreet about it; she dropped his name often. Everyone knew that if you crossed swords with her, the executive would learn about it that evening and hand down an edict the following day.
There were no debates; she didn't value other people's input. She even said to me, "If everyone will just do what I tell them to do, everything will be fine." Well, OK, I've said that to my kids, but a boss isn't a mom.
Some situations were so ludicrous, I didn't know whether to argue or burst out laughing. I took to writing down everything she said in case she challenged me on something. One day she wanted things done one way, and the next day she wanted them done another way, and she could never remember which we had agreed upon.
Here's an example of her managing prowess. We had an earthquake the other day. My manager, who was in charge of disaster recovery, came out of her office screaming for everyone to get under their desks. I looked at the modular furniture in my cubicle and thought better of it.

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Enough! I Quit!

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