If you want your boss's job...

[AuntPeggy]

I recently had to explain to a senior member of my team why he was never considered as my successor as I was stepping down from my position. It occurs to me that there are a lot of people out there who may not understand what they need to do to be considered for their boss's position.

If you want your boss's job, you need to do your boss's job. I don't know what you do, but I bet you a quarter that I know what your boss does. Here it is in a basket. Your boss assigns work and prioritizes and schedules work. Your boss assesses work product and worker ability and worker ethic. Your boss is a trainer, answers questions or knows who can answer questions. Your boss resolves the tough problems and constantly evaluates and re-designs the process.

If you want your boss's job, start doing your boss's job with an employee of one -- you.

Keep a schedule and always know how well you are doing against that schedule. Prioritize your work by keeping in mind the overall goals of the organization and the goals of your group. Always have that information available for your boss and be sure to double-check whether your goals and your boss's match.

At least once a year, your boss will probably be required to do a work evaluation on each person on the team. Do it on yourself every month. That is not hard, since you are keeping your own schedule and know whether you are meeting your goals. Is your work product up to par? Has your ability improved? Are you a productive and helpful member of your team?

Notice when other members of the team do something well. Thank them. Be willing to put in an occasional good word for another member of the team to the boss. Or, frequent good words. Never, ever criticize the other employees. That would establish you as stabbing them in the back. It won't sit well with your boss and will make you appear to be unfair if you do become their boss.

Improve your knowledge. Establish a forum for sharing information and the answers to questions. Your boss gets tired of answering the same questions over and over. Your boss gets tired of seeing the same mistakes repeated. Share your knowledge and be able to answer those questions yourself and for others. Offer to become a mentor to a protégé. If that doesn't work for you, then just be a pal to the others. But avoid the temptation to complain or undercut your boss's authority.

Have an opinion and express it privately to your boss. Help your boss resolve those tough problems. Talk about the process and share your ideas for improvements in such a way that your boss feels comfortable explaining the reason for doing it the way it is done. Become a sounding board for your boss when improvements are under consideration. The day that your boss comes to you with an idea and wants to know what you think about it, you are well on your way toward getting your boss's job.

If you want your boss's job, tell your boss. It may be that your boss wants to move out or up or sideways and cannot do so until a replacement is found. It may be that your boss knows of a peer who will be moving up or sideways or out and a replacement is needed for that position. It may be that your boss wants to expand the organization and needs someone who is ambitious and trustworthy to take on additional responsibilities.

I would wish you good luck, but it really isn't about luck.

 

[LDJones]

Excellent.

 

[X3 Skier]

Great advice IF you want your boss's job.

OTOH once I got high enough to be happy in the position and satisfied with the salary, I never did want the next one up the ladder with the additional headaches.

And no, it wasn't the Peter Principle at work.

Cheers

 

[jbarrass]

Well said.

 

[iflyforfun]

I recently had to explain to a senior member of my team why he was never considered as my successor as I was stepping down from my position. It occurs to me that there are a lot of people out there who may not understand what they need to do to be considered for their boss's position.

... Your boss resolves the tough problems and constantly evaluates and re-designs the process... Help your boss resolve those tough problems.

While this is really good and gave me something to chew on, I think one thing that is missing is the critical focus on logical problems solving. If you want your boss' job, show him you can solve his/her problems. Present logical, well reasoned and sound proposals that simply require approval. Don't run to him/her with a crap pile of data and expect him/her to solve the problem. You do the analysis, evaluate the options, convert the data to information, the information to options and determine the best data-backed option.

You boss' job may be to resolve tough problems, but your job is to make resolving those problems less difficult.

I've always strove to live by the Doctrine of Completed Staff Work. The bar is high and I rarely feel that I actually achieve the optimal end state, but the closer the better.

http://govleaders.org/completed_staff_work.htm

I give this to every one of my new employees. When they bring poorly executed work to me, I simply ask where I'm supposed to sign off their proposal. This doesn't preclude open discussion, but it does drive staff to take ownership.

 

[AuntPeggy]

While this is really good and gave me something to chew on, I think one thing that is missing is the critical focus on logical problems solving. If you want your boss' job, show him you can solve his/her problems. Present logical, well reasoned and sound proposals that simply require approval. Don't run to him/her with a crap pile of data and expect him/her to solve the problem. You do the analysis, evaluate the options, convert the data to information, the information to options and determine the best data-backed option.

You boss' job may be to resolve tough problems, but your job is to make resolving those problems less difficult.

I've always strove to live by the Doctrine of Completed Staff Work. The bar is high and I rarely feel that I actually achieve the optimal end state, but the closer the better.

http://govleaders.org/completed_staff_work.htm

I give this to every one of my new employees. When they bring poorly executed work to me, I simply ask where I'm supposed to sign off their proposal. This doesn't preclude open discussion, but it does drive staff to take ownership.

Excellent memo. Wish I had it six months ago.

 

[wabower]

At ~age 26 I met a guy named Tom Hansen who was the general agent in the KC office for one of the insurance companies. He routinely scouted the big accounting and law firms for prospective sales people, and found me in the process.

I wasn't interested in selling life insurance, but over time we became friends, played some golf and stayed in contact. One of the things he said during our conversations was a game-changer for my career planning. It was "the most important thing to remember is that an employer will always pay you what they think the job is worth. If you're real good at the job, you might earn a bit more, but there's no chance to hit a big lick. If you want to make what you think you're worth rather than what the job is worth, you gotta do it yourself."

Within two years I had followed his advice, but in a different field. I think he was right.

Great advice IF you want your boss's job.

OTOH once I got high enough to be happy in the position and satisfied with the salary, I never did want the next one up the ladder with the additional headaches.

And no, it wasn't the Peter Principle at work.

Cheers

 

[EdFred]

If I want my boss' job he has to sell the company to me. Hard to displace the predident and sole stokcholder. So your advice...not applicable.

 

[ClimbnSink]

Nothing about backstabbing dbaggery? Or being a functional pyschopath? Sounds more like religion, be good schmuck and be rewarded way off in the future(after you are dead), then functional get ahead advice.

 

[woodstock]

Well done Peggy.

 

[Dr. O]

If you want to be paid what you are worth, start your own business.

Beware, you will be paid what you are 'worth'.

denny-o
self unemployed for generations

 

[wabower]

The "completed staff work" memo totally ignores the social style issues of individual bosses. For ~25% of bosses and/or hierarchies it would arguably be the best solution, for many it wouldn't. You gotta know the players to know how to play the game.

 

[denverpilot]

If I want my boss' job he has to sell the company to me. Hard to displace the predident and sole stokcholder. So your advice...not applicable.

It can happen. That's how a good friend of mine "started" his business. Bought the company over time so the owner could retire. Kept the best parts of the business, made the rest better, easily pays the former owner his cut from the profits the business had before he bought it, pockets the higher profits from the changes he made.

 

[hindsight2020]

Nothing about backstabbing dbaggery? Or being a functional pyschopath? Sounds more like religion, be good schmuck and be rewarded way off in the future(after you are dead), then functional get ahead advice.

This. I view managerial dynamics in very socio-political light. The inherent subjectivity found in the way one's superior view the world combined with a sense of self-preservation and competition makes the OPs advice rational but without context. It simply does not account for politics. Management in America is more about politics than effects.

Which is why the most competent either branch out on their own or find niches within the organization that serve their "good enough" metric of work life balance, and fret not much over the stagnation or eventual collapse of the organization at the hands of idle or ill-suited managers that got there for socio-cultural reasons. This is very relevant in a heterogeneous cultural context like the United States.

Furthermore, there is a very peculiar cultural aspect to the United States and that is what I call the "all chief no indian" syndrome. That is, even at the youngest levels everybody views their aspirations from the perspective of being a manager. The incentive being that it is perceived as the only feasible way to make a comfortable living in this Country thus the only real goal to achieve. In turn, no one has either the aptitude or willingness to be an indian, and the few indians are disenfranchised and antagonized, leading to worker inefficiencies and lack of buy-in. This Country needs to stop telling everybody to go be a chief and place more value in appeasing more indians. Because what we have now is a bunch of ****ed off disheartened laborers (stick w the job for the insurance, or the hours..) and inept and socially-assigned antagonizing managers.

My view is of course colored with working for big entities (government). I recognize that the dynamics of small business will not reflect such entrenched inertia, due to a lack of economies of scale. Of course from an indian perspective I don't see small business as a stable conduit to attain a median living in this Country, outside being the Chief of that small firm that is. BTW, that very observation supports the proceeding paragraph's attitude by the majority.

 

[koehn]

I've always made it a point to solve my boss's (and now my clients') problems. It has served me very well in my career. Sadly I've reached a point where most of my clients don't recognize the problems they have, and I need to coach them to it. Can't make them want to buy something that they don't think they need.

 

[Rex Bueller]

…….and be careful of what you wish for!

 

[JOhnH]

Good write up Peggy.
I think your advice even applies to the people that have disagreed with you. I think that if you would restate your title to "If you want yoru boss's job, or if you want to be more respected and rewarded in your own job ...".

I have employees that think they are doing me a favor by coming to me to point out a problem; then leave it to me to figure out how to fix it. I would much prefer they come to me with a solution to a problem, and a plan as to how they could help fix it. But as the boss, I have to be able to tell them whether their perceived problem really is a problem or if they don't see the benefit of what they want to remove.

I have employees that think I like it when I ask for their advice on an idea I have, and they say it is a good idea. Every time. Even if the idea stinks.

I have people that have said they wanted a promotion, yet they never take the opportunity to show the initiative to identify and tackle a problem or assume responsibility for correcting it. And if they are assigned to correct a problem, the first thing the ask is "How?".

You don't have to want your boss's job to improve yourself and your value to the organization. I have a young woman that works for me with the same job description as several others. Yet I pay her twice what I pay the others and if push came to shove and I had to lay all but one person off, she would be the one I keep. When there is a problem, she knows about it. She usually has a recommendation to fix it and she can usually fix it herself. If I need someone to speak to a client or a vendor, I can count on her to figure out what to say without me telling her. If I ask for a volunteer, I usually ask for anyone but her to volunteer because I know she will and I want to see the others step forward.

She will never get my job because I own the company due to legal as well as personal constraints. But she can run the place in my absence, which means I can take time off when I want to and not worry as much.

I recently had to explain to a senior member of my team why he was never considered as my successor as I was stepping down from my position. It occurs to me that there are a lot of people out there who may not understand what they need to do to be considered for their boss's position.

If you want your boss's job, you need to do your boss's job. I don't know what you do, but I bet you a quarter that I know what your boss does. Here it is in a basket. Your boss assigns work and prioritizes and schedules work. Your boss assesses work product and worker ability and worker ethic. Your boss is a trainer, answers questions or knows who can answer questions. Your boss resolves the tough problems and constantly evaluates and re-designs the process.

If you want your boss's job, start doing your boss's job with an employee of one -- you.

Keep a schedule and always know how well you are doing against that schedule. Prioritize your work by keeping in mind the overall goals of the organization and the goals of your group. Always have that information available for your boss and be sure to double-check whether your goals and your boss's match.

At least once a year, your boss will probably be required to do a work evaluation on each person on the team. Do it on yourself every month. That is not hard, since you are keeping your own schedule and know whether you are meeting your goals. Is your work product up to par? Has your ability improved? Are you a productive and helpful member of your team?

Notice when other members of the team do something well. Thank them. Be willing to put in an occasional good word for another member of the team to the boss. Or, frequent good words. Never, ever criticize the other employees. That would establish you as stabbing them in the back. It won't sit well with your boss and will make you appear to be unfair if you do become their boss.

Improve your knowledge. Establish a forum for sharing information and the answers to questions. Your boss gets tired of answering the same questions over and over. Your boss gets tired of seeing the same mistakes repeated. Share your knowledge and be able to answer those questions yourself and for others. Offer to become a mentor to a protégé. If that doesn't work for you, then just be a pal to the others. But avoid the temptation to complain or undercut your boss's authority.

Have an opinion and express it privately to your boss. Help your boss resolve those tough problems. Talk about the process and share your ideas for improvements in such a way that your boss feels comfortable explaining the reason for doing it the way it is done. Become a sounding board for your boss when improvements are under consideration. The day that your boss comes to you with an idea and wants to know what you think about it, you are well on your way toward getting your boss's job.

If you want your boss's job, tell your boss. It may be that your boss wants to move out or up or sideways and cannot do so until a replacement is found. It may be that your boss knows of a peer who will be moving up or sideways or out and a replacement is needed for that position. It may be that your boss wants to expand the organization and needs someone who is ambitious and trustworthy to take on additional responsibilities.

I would wish you good luck, but it really isn't about luck.

 

[KeithASanford]

If you want to be paid what you are worth, start your own business.

Beware, you will be paid what you are 'worth'.

denny-o
self unemployed for generations

The last time I wanted my boss' job I got it and boy did I. I had no idea what kind of crap he had to put up with day to day. Over my career working for others, I've seen countless "eagles" succomb to the ways of "turkeys" because in one way or the other, talented people were almost always perceived as threatening. So, they'd settle into their nice quiet places to hide until retirement, becoming boot kissers, keeping their good ideas tucked away until "the boss" came up with them himself or asked for innovation. They work 60 hours a week while being paid for 40 and they settle for the annual "we couldn't do it without you" cake social that used to be a holiday party and they rinse down the bitter pill of their 2% raises with weak punch, all the while trying their best to at least look grateful to have a job. After all, things are bad, right? Not so bad that I'm willing to settle for less than what my effort's worth. Not if I'm motivated, driven and ready to hurt. Why hurt for someone else? Because we were told that hard work always paid off. Not any more. Strength should not be defined by how much you can take.

I once wanted my boss' job. Now I'm focused on ownership.

 

[EdFred]

It can happen. That's how a good friend of mine "started" his business. Bought the company over time so the owner could retire. Kept the best parts of the business, made the rest better, easily pays the former owner his cut from the profits the business had before he bought it, pockets the higher profits from the changes he made.

None of the advice in the first post is applicable to the situation.

 

[cowman]

What do you do if you have a boss who doesn't really communicate, really needs to delegate things but won't, and doesn't bring you along for any of the meetings where what you're working on is discussed?

Throw into this a middle manager who never explains his expectations, is inconsistent on what types of solutions he finds acceptable an unacceptable, and is always adding in new requirements to the project at the last minute. I'm a software developer btw... when those new requirements get thrown in it often mucks up the overall design and results in unforeseen problems, especially when there's little time for testing afterwards.

At this point I've given up, I don't think I even want my boss's job. I just go in and try to do what I think they want me to. It's still pretty frustrating to deal with every day though.

 

[JOhnH]

Find a new job, or start your own business, or be good enough at something so you can sell your services to others. It is your choice to stay at a place like you describe, or not.

What do you do if you have a boss who doesn't really communicate, really needs to delegate things but won't, and doesn't bring you along for any of the meetings where what you're working on is discussed?

Throw into this a middle manager who never explains his expectations, is inconsistent on what types of solutions he finds acceptable an unacceptable, and is always adding in new requirements to the project at the last minute. I'm a software developer btw... when those new requirements get thrown in it often mucks up the overall design and results in unforeseen problems, especially when there's little time for testing afterwards.

At this point I've given up, I don't think I even want my boss's job. I just go in and try to do what I think they want me to. It's still pretty frustrating to deal with every day though.

 

[cowman]

Yeah I've come to a simmilar conclusion. I'm just so jaded about work right now that anything I think of just seems miserable. What I'd really like to do is quit and take a couple months to take care of all the stuff I've neglected due to work schedules, maybe try a few things to see if I can make money on my own.

But staying in this job is a safe bet right now and I just haven't worked up the motivation and intestinal fortitude to pull the trigger yet... also if I hold out for one more year I can easily afford to buy my airplane withoutout worrying about financial security.

 

[JOhnH]

I was in the same predicament for several years. My best friend is in the same boat right now.

And even if it is easy for me to say "quit that job and do something else", and even if you know that is the right thing to do, it is not easy or simple. But you can do it. It just takes a lot of thought and planning.

Consider not only what you are currently good at, but also consider what you think your aptitudes are, and combine that with what you think you would LIKE to do. If you can find anything that touches all three great. If not, start learning something new now and see how good you are at it and how much you enjoy it. Start it as a hobby and see how far you can take it.

Best of luck to you, and read my new sig!

Yeah I've come to a simmilar conclusion. I'm just so jaded about work right now that anything I think of just seems miserable. What I'd really like to do is quit and take a couple months to take care of all the stuff I've neglected due to work schedules, maybe try a few things to see if I can make money on my own.

But staying in this job is a safe bet right now and I just haven't worked up the motivation and intestinal fortitude to pull the trigger yet... also if I hold out for one more year I can easily afford to buy my airplane withoutout worrying about financial security.

 

[PilotAlan]

What do you do if you have a boss
...
At this point I've given up, I don't think I even want my boss's job.

Oh, I've worked in organizations that I couldn't get out of fast enough. My last position, I was looking at how much of a pay cut I was willing to take to get out.

When you've been somewhere a while, it's hard to pull the pin and bail. But so far, every time I've moved on, I've ended up in a better place with better work, and with better conditions, and happier (and I have averaged 8 years per employer, so I'm not a flighty employee). After every move, I've looked at my wife and said "Why did I wait so long?"

So, don't sit and stew, start working on your exit plan and looking for the opportunity you want. You'll be glad you did.

 

[us AAirways]

The grass is not always greener.....

No way I would want my bosses job. I don't think I could handle all the bs he has to put up with.

 

[JOhnH]

Oh, I've worked in organizations that I couldn't get out of fast enough. My last position, I was looking at how much of a pay cut I was willing to take to get out.

When you've been somewhere a while, it's hard to pull the pin and bail. But so far, every time I've moved on, I've ended up in a better place with better work, and with better conditions, and happier (and I have averaged 8 years per employer, so I'm not a flighty employee). After every move, I've looked at my wife and said "Why did I wait so long?"

So, don't sit and stew, start working on your exit plan and looking for the opportunity you want. You'll be glad you did.

 

[bbchien]

I had taken the safety off my Martin Baker career ejector seat about 4 years ago. 2 years ago when I pulled the pin, it was very very sweet.

Prepare!

 

[denverpilot]

I learned a long long time ago that you can be as good as you want at your job, but if you don't have an equity share in the business, you're 100% expendable at any time. Even then, you can be ousted, but at least they have to pay you to do it.

Current job: No equity share. No intention of fixing their structural leadership problems either.

Once a company starts thinking meetings are more important than work, there's little the "Indian" can do about it other than continue to work. When the meetings don't even set a direction, the "Indian" just hopes the aimless ship isn't headed for the iceberg.

It's rare the more experienced "Indians" don't know how to do their jobs or even do them better. It's the leaders job to ask. I've done both jobs. Right now I'm fine being an "Indian" in a culture of no planning and indecisiveness.

Ask any of my bosses what they want to get done in our Department this year, they might have an answer. Ask then if they sold their bosses on the need and got the budget, they'll say no.

Fine by me, for now. I'll need a real challenge eventually. Probably won't be coming from this employer. They don't even know what they want.

 

[jtheune]

Peggy;
A lot of good points but much of what you said about your boss solving your problems and mentoring people only applies to those jobs where your boss knows more about what you do then you do. Much of my working career has been in orginizations where that is not the rule. I and my co-workers often know more about what we are doing then our manager becuase we would rather do the technical work and leave the management stuff to them. It takes a change in roles to move from technical to management and while that may be the best path to take, it's a much different role.

 

[wabower]

I've spent most of my working career in somebody else's business, mostly in some kind of consulting role.

I've learned that you gotta be careful in assessing the real desire for change, since the organizational structure and profitability can appear quite different to the ownership that sees only their own store vs an outsider who sees many others. For example, what I view as a MBA case-study in dysfunction and disorganization may be viewed by management as "it ain't perfect but it's better than it used to be" and that they are reluctant to change even though they give lip service to doing so.

Bottom line in such situations is that it's probably as good as it's gonna be until the pain of status quo is greater than that of change. And if/when I'm engaged to make things better I usually start by asking the help. In most cases they know better than anybody else, but nobody has asked them.

I learned a long long time ago that you can be as good as you want at your job, but if you don't have an equity share in the business, you're 100% expendable at any time. Even then, you can be ousted, but at least they have to pay you to do it.

Current job: No equity share. No intention of fixing their structural leadership problems either.

Once a company starts thinking meetings are more important than work, there's little the "Indian" can do about it other than continue to work. When the meetings don't even set a direction, the "Indian" just hopes the aimless ship isn't headed for the iceberg.

It's rare the more experienced "Indians" don't know how to do their jobs or even do them better. It's the leaders job to ask. I've done both jobs. Right now I'm fine being an "Indian" in a culture of no planning and indecisiveness.

Ask any of my bosses what they want to get done in our Department this year, they might have an answer. Ask then if they sold their bosses on the need and got the budget, they'll say no.

Fine by me, for now. I'll need a real challenge eventually. Probably won't be coming from this employer. They don't even know what they want.

 

[PilotAlan]

Bottom line in such situations is that it's probably as good as it's gonna be until the pain of status quo is greater than that of change.

The only thing people hate more than the status quo, is change.

 

[X3 Skier]

I've spent most of my working career in somebody else's business, mostly in some kind of consulting.

And if/when I'm engaged to make things better I usually start by asking the help. In most cases they know better than anybody else, but nobody has asked them.

As my friends in Louisiana would say, that's a true fact.

One of the many great pieces of advice I got when started in the jet engine design/development/support business was to get my butt out to the AFB and ask the NCOIC of the engine shop to find out what really happening. Talking to the Wing King or the DCM was useful but to get the true state of the engine world, the NCOIC and the wrench turners have all the facts.

Talking to the Indians served me well all during my first career and second one as a consultant.

Cheers

 

[AuntPeggy]

Nothing about backstabbing dbaggery? Or being a functional pyschopath? Sounds more like religion, be good schmuck and be rewarded way off in the future(after you are dead), then functional get ahead advice.

Well, I have dealt with backstabbing. I do not recommend doing it. If it is happening to you from a coworker, look at the problem from your boss's point of view (not yours).

1. If your boss is unaware, inform your boss and provide a solution to the problem that would be acceptable to you, your boss, the office heirarchy, and the perpetrator.
2. If your boss is aware and has tried ineffectively to deal with the problem, then offer a solution in a discussion.
3. If your boss is aware and is ignoring the problem, then decide whether the problem is great enough to go elsewhere.

I'm sorry for you. It doesn't sound like you will find a solution. In my case, my team knew I was looking for a replacement at least six months ago and they all had an opportunity to step up.

 

[AuntPeggy]

What do you do if you have a boss who doesn't really communicate, really needs to delegate things but won't, and doesn't bring you along for any of the meetings where what you're working on is discussed?

Throw into this a middle manager who never explains his expectations, is inconsistent on what types of solutions he finds acceptable an unacceptable, and is always adding in new requirements to the project at the last minute. I'm a software developer btw... when those new requirements get thrown in it often mucks up the overall design and results in unforeseen problems, especially when there's little time for testing afterwards.

At this point I've given up, I don't think I even want my boss's job. I just go in and try to do what I think they want me to. It's still pretty frustrating to deal with every day though.

I really feel for you. I'm a software tester. We never get offered anything except the short straw.

Anyway, if you have no solutions, then how can I help?

 

[Skylane81E]

I would not be afraid to bring to the boss' attention a problem coworker who is causing real issues with productivity.

I would however be sure to do so privately and be prepared to specifically lay out the issues and why they are hurting the company. The key is to not be crying wolf, make sure it is a real problem and that you are honest about it.

 

[Ghery]

I've been a manager a couple of times. Always happy to return to "individual contributor" status. I'm an engineer and playing daddy to a bunch of adults just isn't for me. I'm happy to do what I do. And I do have a retirement date in mind, just not sharing it yet, it's too far out. I'll give my boss about 2 years notice when the time comes.

 

[airdale]

Nothing about backstabbing dbaggery? Or being a functional pyschopath? Sounds more like religion, be good schmuck and be rewarded way off in the future(after you are dead), then functional get ahead advice.

Management in America is more about politics than effects.

There is a concept in psychology called "projection." The experts explain it in a complicated way. My simplified takeaway is the we tend to expect from other people the way we ourselves would behave. In other words, we "project" ourselves into them. That's why it is easier to swindle an honest man than it is to swindle a crook.

Over many years in management, my most powerful interviewing question was "Tell me about the people in your previous job ... your managers, your peers. What were they like?"

99% of the time, the interviewee ended up telling me about him/herself. If they saw their former environment in positive and constructive ways, that was usually what they turned out to be as an employee of mine. If they saw politics, backstabbing, dishonesty, etc. that was more or less the end of the interview. Too risky a candidate to hire.

That said, there is politics, backstabbing, incompetence, etc. in the world, but none of these are the whole world. There is also integrity, collegiality, and hard work. The environment implicit in Peggy's post is this way and IMHO it is more common than uncommon.

 

[denverpilot]

There is a concept in psychology called "projection." The experts explain it in a complicated way. My simplified takeaway is the we tend to expect from other people the way we ourselves would behave.

Says something interesting about gun control folks doesn't it? I love asking them if I were to put a rifle on the table between us during our discussion if they're worried they'll pick it up and shoot me with it.

"Well, no of course not!"

"Then why are you worried that I own it? You don't trust me?"

[Blank stare... Wheels grinding in head...]

Next, they ALWAYS say they're worried about "the guy next door".

I then of course, always say, "Your *neighbor*? What, you don't know him?"

Speaks volumes about their attitudes on life and other people, it really does.

Once in a while you'll get one that just says they're a totalitarian and thinks no one should own anything "dangerous"... Guns, airplanes, doesn't matter...

"Do you support mandatory driver education and recertification on a pass/fail basis with no appeal then? You don't pass, you don't drive?"

"That would be unfair!"

Duh.

 

[Everskyward]

I've been a manager a couple of times. Always happy to return to "individual contributor" status. I'm an engineer and playing daddy to a bunch of adults just isn't for me. I'm happy to do what I do. And I do have a retirement date in mind, just not sharing it yet, it's too far out. I'll give my boss about 2 years notice when the time comes.

We've had a number of pilots who tried being Chief Pilot. They last for a couple years then go back to flying the line. I've never been inspired to try. I like being under the radar.

 

[wabower]

Why would anybody with a lick of sense ever try to manage doctors, lawyers or pilots?

We've had a number of pilots who tried being Chief Pilot. They last for a couple years then go back to flying the line. I've never been inspired to try. I like being under the radar.