Does anyone really aspire to be a middle manager? That's like the worst spot in the hierarchy
Well in most companies it pays more than being an IC or line manager. Sure it sucks but you get more money for it.
Conscious unbossing
111–120 of 125 posts
Re: Conscious unbossing
#112When political polls are split 50/50, it is a point of contention. When genz answers a yes/no question with a slight bias towards yes, it is decisively against middle management.
Re: Conscious unbossing
#113Outside of the article style and comments - middle management is basically a sink hole that if you don't get out fast - you get stuck.
Re: Conscious unbossing
#114Nobody wants to be a middle manager. I’d be concerned if anyone ever wanted to be a middle manager. If you’re not C level and somebody reports to you, you’re a middle manager though.
Even working near a middle manager means you're working somewhere with three or more layers of management, which suggests a concerning enthusiasm for hierarchy and smells a bit too much like Omelas for comfort.
> Omelas
Is this a reference to Ursula LeGuin's short story?
Re: Conscious unbossing
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Everyone wants to be middle management. You get paid more and Senior or Staff level is no longer your terminal career level (and therefore pay potential) as it is for most IC. Your performance evaluation becomes more subjective and less quantifiable, allowing you to hide your mediocrity and put it on others. Even if you’re same level as your ICs and the pay is same, you still hold the power in the relationship. If yo…
> Everyone wants to be middle management. False. > You get paid more So what? Getting paid more was far from my primary concern when working at a big company. I wanted interesting work with people I respected and liked. The pay was more than good enough as an IC. The rest of this is machiavellian bullshit that most people don't care about.
> The rest of this is Machiavellian bullshit that most people don’t care about.
They don’t care about it yet. When you need more money, get laid off a couple times, or stagnate in their careers, they start caring.
Re: Conscious unbossing
#116A few more years, and Microsoft Middle Manager 2.0 will be doing this job. AIs will take over middle management simply because they're faster and have more bandwidth than humans. They don't have to be smarter, just better coordinated. As Patton once said, "A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." Programs already run lower management. At Uber and Amazon, the computer is th…
I'd go further and claim that it is easier to replace a middle manager, heck even a senior manager, using AI than it is to replace the ICs. As AI context windows increase to the point where they can ingest the important company documents and communications, the skills of an LLM are the ideal replacement for management.
Re: Conscious unbossing
#117A few more years, and Microsoft Middle Manager 2.0 will be doing this job. AIs will take over middle management simply because they're faster and have more bandwidth than humans. They don't have to be smarter, just better coordinated. As Patton once said, "A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." Programs already run lower management. At Uber and Amazon, the computer is th…
I'd go further and claim that it is easier to replace a middle manager, heck even a senior manager, using AI than it is to replace the ICs. As AI context windows increase to the point where they can ingest the important company documents and communications, the skills of an LLM are the ideal replacement for management.
The primary function of any level of manager is to be an individual and distinct responsibility (including accountability) point. LLMs don't work for that.
Re: Conscious unbossing
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's because at a certain level you have valuable relationships people want to protect, enough wealth to make decisions without it personally affecting you in a real way (i.e. homelessness, loss of medical care, etc), and information about how the company "really works" that could be valuable to the competition or a tell-all story for the media. Basically, if you're rich, you're a "real person" and if you're not you'…
I think you might be watching too much Succession.
You should step into the real world occasionally if you take any issue with this thread. You're fortunate if this feels outlandish to you.
Re: Conscious unbossing
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd go further and claim that it is easier to replace a middle manager, heck even a senior manager, using AI than it is to replace the ICs. As AI context windows increase to the point where they can ingest the important company documents and communications, the skills of an LLM are the ideal replacement for management.
The primary function of any level of manager is to be an individual and distinct responsibility (including accountability) point. LLMs don't work for that.
How does being an individual help as a manager? How does it help to have someone who takes responsibility for mistakes compared to blaming those mistakes on an AI? Does taking responsibility for mistakes make you more money somehow? Maybe you're just being sarcastic?
Re: Conscious unbossing
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
Even working near a middle manager means you're working somewhere with three or more layers of management, which suggests a concerning enthusiasm for hierarchy and smells a bit too much like Omelas for comfort.
> Omelas Is this a reference to Ursula LeGuin's short story?
Yeah, where everybody is a manager except for that one poor soul in the basement.