No Win Situations in Corporate Life

Bob Jordan, PE

The following list shows high risk situations for those working in engineering management (and others I'm sure) in corporate America. If you get caught up in one or more of these, then you'd better have a mitigation plan and had best work that plan and not be naive about your situation.

Incompetent superiors: If they don’t know the technology, how can they lead and guide an organization? Rising stars are not recognized and incompetents are not corrected.

Political superiors: These are moral-less leaders who will climb anyone for personal advantage.

Uneducated superiors: It takes one to know one, and it takes one to grow one. If the superior has less skill than the subordinate, they may well not be able to properly judge the subordinate.

Myopic superiors: Superiors who’ve worked in one company, or one industry, who know nothing else. (Note: Jack Welch only worked at one company, GE, but he was committed to personal and professional growth.)

Offsite superiors: If the person judging you is absent most of the time, how can he judge you?

Superiors not given to personal growth: All they know is what they’ve seen or heard, but have gone years without learning anything.

Delusional superiors: All vision and no plans to get there. Lots of talk but no execution strategy.

Greedy superiors: When it’s all for them then judgment gets clouded and free-market and free-enterprise success principles are not leveraged in the organization.

Mammoth corporate structures: When someone half a nation or half a world away can make a corporate decision that puts you out the door, you’re in a very risky position.

Near-term retirement superiors: These dangerous leaders watch their retirement date and don’t take risks (for fear of being canned if it goes south).

Lazy superiors: They show up late, leave early, take numerous vacations, and leave the hard work to those below them.

Gutless superiors: When the going gets tough, they clam up, regardless of the impact to the organization. Leaders who lead well in good times are a dime a dozen; leaders who can lead in difficult times are a lot harder to find. Everyone needs a friend - if your friends won't stand up for you, then they are no friend.

Religious superiors: Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. Does their behavior reflect their religious values (do they smoke, drink, cuss, backstab - while still attending church?). These are the most dangerous leaders because they are not internally congruent.

Hanger On-ers: When you replace a manager who is still a part of the organization, don't expect him to do you any favors, especially if he's in tight with the owners.

Personal Incongruency: Another no-win situation is when the employee desires to grow but can't; if you hit the wall then it's best to get out before your attitude goes south.

In my own life I've experienced some of the above and have learned from it. No boss will be perfect, and that's not the standard or requirement. If you will work in corporate America, recognize it for what it is and have a plan. Keep your skills current and marketable. Always add value. Even if you're bounced out of an organization, you should be able to land somewhere better.

When I worked as an assembler, technician, and engineer, I was well liked (loved) by my superiors. I got things done and overcame obstacles to do it. But these same attributes as a manager were, from time to time, not well appreciated by my superiors. Some of the reasons are given above.

When you are a line worker, you are not intimidating or a threat (real or perceived) to the manager above you. But when you are a manger, then that's different. You are in management now and if they are insecure, they can turn on you. You have more influence in management then you did as a line worker. My advice is to keep on adding value and do what's right. And if a small-minded superior has it in for you, well, that's the way it is. At the end of the day you can look yourself in the mirror and hold your head high. They, on the other hand, have no options except the job they currently have. Economic disaster is something they don't want to face. It you have to go, better you then themselves is how they think. Integrity is not a part of their thinking. Regarding incongruency, if you are adding value, making a difference, and are a strong leader, are well liked throughout the organization, if you find yourself leaving the corporation, and weak leaders are left in their positions, then you know that the level of the leadership is limited and it truly is best that you have your future freed-up.