we said our boss had the "seagull" type of management. Flew in squaking, got everyone upset and flew out squaking!!!

Sent by please do not use my name I need my job | 3:23 PM ET | 04-11-2007

I think many people in management positions are placed there because of who they are friends with, not because they are qualified to be there. This fault is usually very obvious to the employees which can lead to a breakdown in how a business functions.

Sent by Lynn | 3:27 PM ET | 04-11-2007

I had a female boss who wasn't happy unless there was a common enemy within the group for her to point at as a bad example. When that person became me, I was astonished at the lengths she would go to to alienate me. She'd enter my cube and talk in a nearly inaudible voice, saying things like, "I'll see you fired within the next month!" Half the time, I couldn't make out what she was saying, but the fact that she would hiss and spit with a totally red face suggested her topic was deadly. This only stopped when I demanded a Union rep present in the room whenever she spoke to me. And this little tale is only one of many horror stories - and not even the worst!

Sent by Lynne | 3:33 PM ET | 04-11-2007

New supervisors are most often chosen for their ability to get along with management. It makes sense for management to hire "yes people" if all they want is harmony in management meetings, but if they want the job to get done and their staff to do it happily and willingly, they have to choose the new supervisor from the pool of GOOD WORKERS who CARE about the product, not the bootlickers.

Sent by Lynne | 3:37 PM ET | 04-11-2007

I am currently reading "The Halo Effect" which discusses how company performance contributes to how managers' personality traits are perceived. For example, if the company is posting profits, the manager could be "bold, unafraid to chart new paths." If the same company is floundering, he is "brash" and "contemptuous." Two CEOs detailed are from Cisco and ABB. A great read!

Sent by Kristina | 3:45 PM ET | 04-11-2007

I'm fascinated by this topic.

I just quit my job - the first time I ever quit because I couldn't work with the people. Also, it's the first time I ever quit a job without a new one in the wings.

The organization's philosophy is to remain flat. What is interesting is how so many of the employees become self-assigned managers.

It seems that those who self-assign themselves as managers are frequently the least likely to take responsibility when problems arise and have limited inter-personal skills. They seem to have extreme difficulty respecting other's time, contribution, and skills.

It seems that far more people think they are capable of quality management than actually are.

Sent by paul | 5:57 PM ET | 04-11-2007