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Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

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21–30 of 38 posts

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#21
post #20

Allowing unrestricted Internet access. Seriously, whitelist only the domains necessary for the job. If it's programming, I would only recommend specific StackExchange sites, GitHub, and any documentation sites. Some people have horrible self control and will waste all day on the Internet, despite that they may be great programmers and can actually get stuff done if they put their mind to it. It's not even that the jo…

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Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#22
post #20

Allowing unrestricted Internet access. Seriously, whitelist only the domains necessary for the job. If it's programming, I would only recommend specific StackExchange sites, GitHub, and any documentation sites. Some people have horrible self control and will waste all day on the Internet, despite that they may be great programmers and can actually get stuff done if they put their mind to it. It's not even that the jo…

> Allowing unrestricted Internet access.

On the contrary - filtering my internet indicates that you don't consider me capable of self-regulation... I prefer being treated like a responsible adult - responsible for my great code or my slacking off, whichever I choose.

I greatly value this level of respect from employers.

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#23
post #20

Allowing unrestricted Internet access. Seriously, whitelist only the domains necessary for the job. If it's programming, I would only recommend specific StackExchange sites, GitHub, and any documentation sites. Some people have horrible self control and will waste all day on the Internet, despite that they may be great programmers and can actually get stuff done if they put their mind to it. It's not even that the jo…

If they're going to slack off I'm sure they'll find another way.

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#24

Hypocrisy. Telling employees it is "up to them" while in reality giving them no resources, control, nor choices -- or none that matter, i.e. not really listening and responding to them. Aka "passing the buck".

Exactly. I have had this boss, unfortunately. To a t. He'd tell me a project was "completely up to me," that I was "the leader" of it, and that I should feel "totally empowered" to make decisions, allocate resources, etc. He proceeded to show up to each of my project meetings, often late and out of context, disagree out loud, offer unsolicited opinions, micromanage, and badger me into implementing his ideas -- thorou…

[deleted]

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#25

Hypocrisy. Telling employees it is "up to them" while in reality giving them no resources, control, nor choices -- or none that matter, i.e. not really listening and responding to them. Aka "passing the buck".

Exactly. I have had this boss, unfortunately. To a t. He'd tell me a project was "completely up to me," that I was "the leader" of it, and that I should feel "totally empowered" to make decisions, allocate resources, etc. He proceeded to show up to each of my project meetings, often late and out of context, disagree out loud, offer unsolicited opinions, micromanage, and badger me into implementing his ideas -- thorou…

I have been on both sides if this, although as a boss I have always tried to give others the glory and take the heat. Also I probably do swoop in with ideas, but I don't leave people high and dry to figure them out.

The solution is really to speak up for yourself. You may have to remind your boss that he put you in charge. I can be a tough boss but I will listen to any argument and will be glad to be proven wrong or told that my idea is going on the list for later. But - you must convince me that your idea is better, or more practical, or that you at least have thought things through.

I know it can be tough because bosses tend to be older and, maybe in some cases wiser (but not always). As the boss your pressure is to keep a team moving forward and so you grow used to delegating. I had to be reminded that I gave somebody a project once and I felt really bad about not letting him do it on his own. I really just didn't want to see him fail, but I was micromanaging. It was difficult for him to bring it up to me but I was glad he did and we got past it.

I'd say - face it head on. If the boss still won't listen, then start figuring out another employment opportunity.

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somebody has to hire us "B people".

I understand that you are using self-deprecation to poke fun of the elitist parent comment, but the fact is that nobody is required to hire "B people".

Of course everybody would like their team to be all "A" level players. But unless you work at an elite startup with a tiny team and buckets of cash - you have to learn how to build a team from players of all levels. An all "A" team is not realistic for most companies, and even if you did assemble one they won't all stay forever. If you have a good process and thoughtful management then you can get great results from "B" level players. I see that as a great challenge as a manager - to get the most out of the whole team.

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#27
post #20

Allowing unrestricted Internet access. Seriously, whitelist only the domains necessary for the job. If it's programming, I would only recommend specific StackExchange sites, GitHub, and any documentation sites. Some people have horrible self control and will waste all day on the Internet, despite that they may be great programmers and can actually get stuff done if they put their mind to it. It's not even that the jo…

>> Seriously, whitelist only the domains necessary for the job

Ok. How _exactly_ do you plan to whitelist the domain of every search result for every query of the form "How do I do [technical task] in [technology/language]"?

I can find at least seven of these in my browsing history for the past week that aren't SO. Not being able to access them would have added hours to the time required to finish the tasks they were related to.

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#28
post #20

Allowing unrestricted Internet access. Seriously, whitelist only the domains necessary for the job. If it's programming, I would only recommend specific StackExchange sites, GitHub, and any documentation sites. Some people have horrible self control and will waste all day on the Internet, despite that they may be great programmers and can actually get stuff done if they put their mind to it. It's not even that the jo…

Yes, because there is certainly no way to browse the web via your phone's hotspot! I think this is called shutting the barn door after the horses have fled.

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#29
post #16

Fun pop-psychology on hiring people by 1-10 ratings and what it says about the hiring manager. If you hire an n, where 0 If you hire an n, where 6 If you hire an n, where 8 =m. Because truly competent people want to bring in other truly competent people and aren't threatened by people with higher levels of competency, and even might welcome it.

Interesting - sounds like a more detailed version of "A's hire A's, B's hire C's".

Re: Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive

#30
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, it's more complex than that. Surely you're not suggesting to completely eliminate all four of those. They each have a certain value in their own way.

Yeah all the YCombinator startups that are killing it started with 2 guys/girls, then proceeded to add on a lot of process, management, de-empowerment, and hiring B people. That's how they made it - look at any of them!

In fact, that is exactly what happens in most startups due to the lack of experience on the part of the founders.

Mature companies have already made those mistakes. Startups in the early growth phase are often some of the worst places to work until they figure out how to operate at scale.

You would be surprised how many young companies fall straight into old school corporate habits as soon as they grow past 20 employees.

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