Crackpot employers or something wrong with me?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges faced by the original poster (OP) in their work environments, particularly regarding management decisions and feasibility of tasks. Participants explore the implications of these experiences on job selection and workplace dynamics, touching on themes of management styles, industry differences, and personal qualifications.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • The OP expresses frustration with supervisors who propose impractical solutions without considering feasibility, citing a specific example from their experience.
  • Some participants suggest that not all jobs will have similar management issues, indicating a possibility of finding better work environments.
  • One participant questions whether the OP's qualifications might align them with companies that have certain management styles, implying a need for a different job search strategy.
  • There is confusion regarding the supervisor's suggestion about staffing, with differing interpretations of how many employees would be needed to implement the proposed changes.
  • Participants inquire about the OP's work history, including the size and type of companies, suggesting that experiences with management may vary by industry.
  • The OP clarifies their background, noting their experience in a large manufacturing company and a small start-up, and shares personal preferences regarding living environments.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether the OP's experiences are typical or if they are specific to certain industries or management styles. There are competing views on the implications of the OP's job history and the nature of workplace dynamics.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the OP's background and experiences in different countries and industries, indicating that these factors may influence their perceptions of management practices.

wukunlin
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OK, I'll do my best to prevent this post from looking like a rant...

So, I resigned from my previous job in July, making the second resignation in 5 months. The reason being I couldn't live with my supervisors dishing out orders without considering the feasibility at all. For two years, I keep seeing people up there kept having "great ideas" and throwing them down to whoever that has to listen to them and go "implement them." Most of them time I could immediately see practicality issue to these "great ideas," and when I try to discuss about them the reply is typically, "I don't care, I just want results." The most iconic example was that one morning, we got a complaint by another department saying our night shift staff were too busy to help them out on some emergency issue. My supervisor's great idea was to increase number of night shift staff from 2 to 6. I was like dude, we have 4 people in total, and that is including the day shift...

Anyways, my question is, is this something I just have to live with in any job I do? Or did I have poor decision or bad luck with my job selection in the past?
FYI I spent over a year in a manufacturing company, the most recent one was a start up and wants to do R&D.
 
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Chances are not every job will be like that. However it's preferable to assume that it will always be like that.

I could go on and on about poor decisions made by supervisors and so on. But who am I to judge? Just keep your head down and do what they want until you're in a position to make the decisions. - My 2 cents :p.
 
Not all companies are like that. So you had only two positions in a short time. Maybe you are looking to the wrong companies for yourself. Maybe something about your qualifications fits you to this type of company and you have not found those different kinds of companies yet.
 
wukunlin said:
. My supervisor's great idea was to increase number of night shift staff from 2 to 6. I was like dude, we have 4 people in total, and that is including the day shift...
What is wrong with that? It sounds to me like he is asking you to hire at least 8 people.
 
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Dale said:
What is wrong with that? It sounds to me like he is asking you to hire at least 8 people.

@Dale, it sounded to me that the OP was being asked to take all 4 people and have them do both day and night shifts, plus hire 2 more people.

@wukunlin, could you clarify?
 
@wukunlin , I'm curious what industries you were employed in. Also, how large are the organizations you worked for -- was it a large company, a small company, a start-up? It's possible that your particular experiences in dictatorial management policies may be more common in certain industries than others.

Also, what country are you currently living/working in? Your profile indicates that you are from China, but your earlier posts indicate that you studied in New Zealand, if I'm not mistaken.
 
StatGuy2000 said:
@Dale, it sounded to me that the OP was being asked to take all 4 people and have them do both day and night shifts, plus hire 2 more people.

@wukunlin, could you clarify?
He simply had no clue how many people we had. He wanted to see 4 more people appear magically that night

StatGuy2000 said:
@wukunlin , I'm curious what industries you were employed in. Also, how large are the organizations you worked for -- was it a large company, a small company, a start-up? It's possible that your particular experiences in dictatorial management policies may be more common in certain industries than others.

Also, what country are you currently living/working in? Your profile indicates that you are from China, but your earlier posts indicate that you studied in New Zealand, if I'm not mistaken.
1.5 years in a 10000+ people manufacturing (consumer electronics) company, this is where the said example occurred
and then several months in a start-up of 5 people, the boss wanted to set up an IC design company

You're right about my profile, I grew up in NZ and came to China. It turned out I prefer busy and lively cities. o0)
 

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