Who regulates government managers?
October 27, 2019 2:45 AM Subscribe
What is the cure for micro-managers?
The manager who needs to ask where you will go eat lunch and how long you will be and needs to see a document from your daily commute to prove you took that route and wont let you reset locked passwords because you're busy unstapling last months junk mail and blah, blah, blah... I'm exaggerating specifics of course but not the issue. In government the managers change departments often so you will get stuck with someone who needs to make an example out of someone once a quarter. This is very infuriating and demeaning but theres no entity who can say definitively its harassment or illegal in terms of discrimination. So where can I go to get it to stop all across the board? There are several thousand in our office but our chain of command is not visible.
The manager who needs to ask where you will go eat lunch and how long you will be and needs to see a document from your daily commute to prove you took that route and wont let you reset locked passwords because you're busy unstapling last months junk mail and blah, blah, blah... I'm exaggerating specifics of course but not the issue. In government the managers change departments often so you will get stuck with someone who needs to make an example out of someone once a quarter. This is very infuriating and demeaning but theres no entity who can say definitively its harassment or illegal in terms of discrimination. So where can I go to get it to stop all across the board? There are several thousand in our office but our chain of command is not visible.
Government jobs in the US there is a bit of waiting out bad management staff. Things are all about chains and you'll have an idea how long they've been around and what they are good at, and who they make mad higher than them.
Unions play a huge role in keeping these workplaces in line, and it's important to know how that works where you are and how effective it is. Lines get drawn again and again. Do your job and stick it out, things will change again, slowly, but they will.
posted by AlexiaSky at 5:42 AM on October 27, 2019
Unions play a huge role in keeping these workplaces in line, and it's important to know how that works where you are and how effective it is. Lines get drawn again and again. Do your job and stick it out, things will change again, slowly, but they will.
posted by AlexiaSky at 5:42 AM on October 27, 2019
Unfortunately the cure for being micromanaged is to go work somewhere else, especially if it’s an endemic cultural problem.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 5:56 AM on October 27, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 5:56 AM on October 27, 2019 [13 favorites]
Can you clarify which government you work for? If you're working for the US Federal government I have some specific suggestions that might help.
posted by jacobian at 7:17 AM on October 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by jacobian at 7:17 AM on October 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
Develop habits to deal with the requests. Keep a daily sheet listing what you did, provide as requested. Develop procedures for things like password resets, so you can get them done quickly because you are following policy and procedure.
Assess yourself. Are you competent, confident and certain of yourself? Great. But in big organizations, tons of people aren't, so the rules are built to deal with everyone, where everyone includes slackers, numbskulls, jerks, and George. I managed a George and it wrecked me.
posted by theora55 at 9:11 AM on October 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
Assess yourself. Are you competent, confident and certain of yourself? Great. But in big organizations, tons of people aren't, so the rules are built to deal with everyone, where everyone includes slackers, numbskulls, jerks, and George. I managed a George and it wrecked me.
posted by theora55 at 9:11 AM on October 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
Response by poster:
Unfortunately I AM following the procedures. Writing down minutiae for possible scrutiny is not anyones procedure or policy and i refuse to be the whipping post. These tactics are used to discourage protected workers from using their FMLA , or from focusing on new job training details so they dont succeed or worse, lose their promotions or get terminated. Unfortunately I've been here long enough that I'm familiar with the practice and I am vocal about its effects on workplace morale.
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 4:17 PM on October 27, 2019
Develop habits to deal with the requests. Keep a daily sheet listing what you did, provide as requested. Develop procedures for things like password resets, so you can get them done quickly because you are following policy and procedure.
Unfortunately I AM following the procedures. Writing down minutiae for possible scrutiny is not anyones procedure or policy and i refuse to be the whipping post. These tactics are used to discourage protected workers from using their FMLA , or from focusing on new job training details so they dont succeed or worse, lose their promotions or get terminated. Unfortunately I've been here long enough that I'm familiar with the practice and I am vocal about its effects on workplace morale.
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 4:17 PM on October 27, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by meinvt at 5:07 AM on October 27, 2019 [4 favorites]