Gorilla Management 5

[sbozy25]

A former colleague of mind sent me this news article via the web the other day. I must say it was scarry how accurately this described the company we used to work at. Luckily I had the brains to "jump ship" when I did. I figured that you all may enjoy the read....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,172661,00.html

If you have never worked in an environment like this.... count your blessings....

 

[DaveVikingPE]

I knew someone at the local zoo who specialized in gorilla management.

 

[ScottyUK]

We have one at our place. For anyone from work reading this, yes it is who you think it is.

He hasn't gone completely over the edge like the lunatic in the link but all the traits are there. I'm hoping that the next engineering mistake he makes doesn't hurt any of our people, but I am worried that one day that will be the outcome. We come into conflict most occasions when we speak; I have trouble following the advice in the link for dealing with this species of manager.


----------------------------------

Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

 

[swertel]

What's interesting to me in the article is the implication that these bosses weren't born that way, they were trained that way. I have seen too many bosses go from great personable people to someone only focused on the bottom dollar. They lost all friends in the workplace and subsequently no one would tell him what was really going on in the workplace. Morale took a major dive, but he never noticed because he was too busy looking at the numbers. People were migrating off the sinking ship, but he never realized because each less salary was an improvement to the bottom line. Pretty soon, there was no one left to do the work, the company's reputation in the local area was tarnished so they couldn't hire good help. They ended up having to spend a lot of money bribing people to hire. Of course, those that stuck it out were upset that the newbies with no experience were getting paid more, so they ended up leaving also.

The company is still in business, but I don't know how.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[TheTick]

I have a low (near-zero) tolerance for that. There's other jobs, other bosses. No one should have to endure such conditions. It's more than sad. It inflicts real and lasting pain on people who don't deserve it.

Growing up in a rage-infested family, I've developed pretty strong anti-bully vibes. Bullies usually steer clear without my having to tell them. I insist on being treated like an adult and on treating others as adult professionals, with no room for personal attacks.

Honesty may be the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.

http://www.EsoxRepublic.com

-SolidWorks API VB programming help

 

[ajack1]

Is the problem really with people who act this way or an extreme capitalist society where money is everything?

A manager is no longer a manager if no one will work for them.

 

[KENAT]

Wow, it almost describes the boss of some people I knew, and they were in a government/union job! They eventually got the Gorilla fired but not without consequences.

On the other hand though their boss wasn't particularly intelligent so maybe not, she was definitely a bully though.

I suspect most peoples initial response would be along the lines of “I’d never put up with that, I’d quit” but in reality leaving, or at least doing so for an equivalent or better position elsewhere, is sometimes easier said than done.

For instance the people I mention above where in an area with a limited supply of well paying/good benefit jobs. So a fairly well paying government job with excellent benefits, relative job security etc was very hard to walk away from.

 

[TheTick]

Plenty of these types in the East-bloc & Asia. Not peculiar to capatilist societies.

 

[EddyC]

I used to work for a Gorilla (He owned the firm). I put up with it for 3.5 years, but finally ran out of energy. I scheduled my departure date (didn't care if there was another employer on board or not). I did however manage to secure employment prior to my scheduled departure date, but it ended up being the type of job that you take only to escape an intolerable situation. I was at the point of going postal, so leaving was the better option, even if no new job was secured. Better to be unemployed than incarcerated. My suggestion would be to drop a Gorilla boss ASAP. No matter how patient you are, you can only put up with a psychopath if you are one as well (I'm not).

 

[josephv]

That article was very offensive...

... to gorillas, hey these noble apes don't deserve to be compared to some bosses.

 

[Heckler]

In my 12 years in engineering I have worked for four companies that had psychopaths that ran or owned the company. The sad thing is I was unable to detect these traits before starting work. These people know how to mask these traits when it's to there advantage like during an interview.

I use to work for this start up company and the owners (husband & wife) were psychopath and victim. We were ramping up business due to some big $$$$ contracts. We hired some really talented engineers. My boss had the gift of the gab to luring in good engineers. After they were hired I got the chance to have a sit down with them and told them what to expect. I also told them to sit back and watch it unfold. The story happened just as I told it. I was the last one to leave that place.

My sister with her PhD. in Psychology has always advised me that the person at the top of the organization will imprint his/her personality on the organization. If they're nice honest demanding people, then the org will be on a fairly even keel. If they're a whacko psycho backstabbing evil SOB, then the whole place will be neurotic and dysfunctional.

Tick's golden rule of business anthropology: Bull$**t persists because it is allowed to persist.

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 3.0 & Pro/E 2001
XP Pro SP2.0 P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

(In reference to David Beckham) "He can't kick with his left foot, he can't tackle, he can't head the ball and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that, he's all right." -- George Best

 

[IRstuff]

No, they're born that way. The only difference is that they went into business, instead of crime. As in the case of Tony Soprano, he's just an ordinary guy, loving husband and father, unless it's about his business.

Having survived one such boss, it's clear that this guy was psychotic, simply because he'd get an Oscar if it was just an act.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[swearingen]

I had a department head that fit the bill. He expected me to tell him when I went to the bathroom and when I got back. Once, he sent a letter from his beach hotel room to meet him there (about a 5 hour drive) on a Saturday to talk over some of my calcs that he brought with him. I was a no-show, of course. He complained many times to the engineering manager about this and other acts of "insubordination" (his term) right up until the time he was released from his duties. He was escorted out and security was stepped up for a while afterwards because some thought he might return in a sour mood.

When his desk was cleaned out, one of the many interesting things they found was a large collection of silverware from a local eatery - it had the restaurant's name imprinted on it.

That was 6 months of my professional life that I'd like erased from memory...



If you "heard" it on the internet, it's guilty until proven innocent. - DCS

 

[JsTyLz]

I worked for that same company, I mean really, and there were more than one of them, and of course they were all cronies, but got out as well... I hear now the final "gorilla boss" (the filthy ape) got tangled up with a verbal harrasment case and he won't be returning from his extended absence. Also the president wasn't signed back on at the end of his contract, because he put up with Magilla Gorilla, as we used to call him around the water cooler, so just avoiding the boss is a shameful, tuck it between the legs way to handle it, and it might come back to bite you. I suggest jumping ship, but only after you are able to succeed in the face of this adverse situation.

 

[TheTick]

I suggest jumping ship, but only after you are able to succeed in the face of this adverse situation.

Don't wait to succeed. Vote with your feet.

 

[sbozy25]

JsTyLz

I think we worked at the same company... You just described to a "T" what had happened at my previous company.

 

[MedicineEng]

Whoever reads this thinks that companies are full of primates that share 98% of the DNA with human beings...
But I am still convicned that htese are the exception and not the rule.
Gladly I never came across such situation and I hope I'll never will.
Either way I go with the flow, I work because I like and to earn money for my family, not to earn ulcers and phycological problems.

 

[ajack1]

I tend to agree MedicineEng, when I read posts that say all my bosses have been like that I do wonder if they are incredibly unlucky or the problem is with the poster.

Whilst I am sure there are people out there like this I find it hard to believe badly run companies continue to make profit in the current business environment.

 

[Comcokid]

MedicineEng and ajack1 posts provide me with a faint glimmer of hope that someday I may work under a good leader and not some psychopath or sociopath. I have always found that at any company there is a "gorilla manager" in at least one (or more) of the three levels over me. Even if my immediate boss is normal, he will eventually exhibit some form of deviant behavior as the stress builds.

It is true - the upper level manager sets the atmosphere. A gorilla manager may deliver short-term results but it ultimately results in long-term destruction. I can look back on my career and see the destruction created by some. Sometimes it happened while I was still at that company. Sometimes I find out about it long after I've left. The score so far is 6 out of the 8 companies I've worked for in favor of the gorillas.

Employees should require reference from their employers, and not the other way around - Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie

 

[Heckler]

Either way I go with the flow, I work because I like and to earn money for my family, not to earn ulcers and phycological problems.

I think you will be awakened when and if you ever get to experience this first hand.

I use to work for this start up company and the owners (husband & wife) were psychopath and victim. We were ramping up business due to some big $$$$ contracts. We hired some really talented engineers. My boss had the gift of the gab to luring in good engineers. After they were hired I got the chance to have a sit down with them and told them what to expect. I also told them to sit back and watch it unfold. The story happened just as I told it. I was the last one to leave that place.

I witnessed first hand at this company a Jr engineer receive a punch to the chest by the husband for not knowing something. Then the drama really started with the lawsuite. It was ugly to say the least.

I think this type of environment mostly happens in smaller companies. I can't imagine this happening at Boeing, GE, or some other multibillion dollar company.

Whilst I am sure there are people out there like this I find it hard to believe badly run companies continue to make profit in the current business environment.

My last company was a family run company that was very profitable in fact I left a really nice yearly bonus for a more "stable" mid-size company. I guess being denied time of for a death in the family and a birth of a child just put me over the edge....especially when the owners daughter got time of for her medical condition. I guess I had the wrong last name.

Bottom line is I hope nobody has to go through this type of work environment but abusive work relationships are not a figment of the imagination.