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Dealing with tyranny at work...

creativesoul

Active Member
arg-fallbackName="creativesoul"/>
I am one who makes a conscious attempt to avoid drawing conclusions about another's mental state of mind, however, if and when that particular person necessarily has the ability to directly effect my own livelihood, such as an immediate supervisor has, the ability to accurately assess the attitude that that person has about me becomes a matter of greater importance, if for no other reason than the fact that I have others who depend upon me. My career and the financial reward it brings benefits them as well. Therefore, it is of utter importance that I measure each step carefully.

With that in mind, I have been forced to tolerate a demoralizing set of working conditions which is being perpetuated by a dishonest supervisor that has openly admitted to deliberately lying in order to avoid personal accountability. The guy has also insulated his position in such a way that the owner(who has shown monetary elitist tendencies) believes he is irreplaceable. The system of operation has been set up in such a way that everything must go through the supervisor in one way or another. He makes all decisions, yet is not held accountable when something goes wrong because he is adept at knowing how to deflect the focus onto someone else. He also knows how to manipulate a conversation with the owner. No one else has been given the entire responsibility for any given project because all of the initial 'groundwork' and figuring necessarily go through him as well and this is justified through a dishonest means of assessing problems as they arise. One may think that there must be some form of inherent accountability, yet because there is no consistency regarding what is expected from the other employees, the standard of operation and thereofore the delegation of responsibility is mallible in retrospect. This sets the stage for future blaming, and the situation can always be manipulated by the supervisor to make it seem as though he had no responsibility or else gave different direction, and it seems plausible. There are such a thing as plausible lies.

The owner has known no other way of operation and in his eyes the ends justify the means. Although I cannot draw the conclusion that he actually knows what those means entail, because I do not believe that he recognizes the underlying situation for what it is. Unfortunately, the owner's thinking is a part of the problem as well. He believes that because they have a history of profit, then they are doing everything right, and therefore nothing can be or needs to be improved. Another factor I have witnessed is that any idea, no matter whether it can be proven as beneficial(more profitable) or not, is immediately and flippantly dismissed as unacceptable and having no value unless it comes through the supervisor or the owner. It seems that they do not believe that anyone else is capable of improving upon what they have established. They do not even consciously consider the reasoning behind a newly proposed idea, because no matter how it can be laid out - or even proven - it never gets that far in discussion. If it is different, in any way than what they have predetermined is 'best', then it is immediately dismissed and deemed unworthy of discussion. Any continued attempt to discuss is then viewed as somehow being argumentative or insubordinate in nature and is clearly frowned upon. So the 'other' side is never even considered. This is undoubtedly unconsciously colored by all of the previously held private discussions regarding past issues/mistakes. While I have not been privy to exactly what the private discussions include, if the public ones I have witnessed are the least bit indicative, then I also know that the private ones impart an overall negative view of the individual and his/her abilities and in doing so also falsely justify and possibly even demand the continuance of the behavior/actions/thoughts. It is self-serving and self-fulfilling through illogical and deliberately deceptive means.

Federal labor laws are being broken on a daily basis and yet there is little that can be done without suffering the repurcussions that necessarily come along with taking such actions. It is the worst set of working conditions that I have ever known regarding the open treatment of the employees, let alone the unknown and privately held portrayals. The problem is not one to them though, because as mentioned earlier, in the owner's eyes the goal of profit is being met to satisfaction. The profit is not, however, being maximized with the current system as it is, and this could be easily shown to be the case. In other words, the treatment of the employees - aside from being illegal - is unnecessarily creating a negative atmosphere which has a necessary consequence of lower efficiency and inner worker drive. That is something that the Japanese have long known and benefitted from, yet the "I am better than you" attitude that is clearly displayed through their demeanor is actually 'confirmed' through the thinking/false reasoning.

I am almost completely certain that my presence alone make the supervisor uncomfortable. I am not certain, however, that he understands exactly why or how that is the case. I certainly do not. I can knowingly state that that is the case though based upon two years worth of evidence, including but not limited to the sheer amount of unprovoked confessions from other employees about what the supervisor has said outside of my presence in addition to the wrongful and ungrounded accusations by him to my face. Add to this the idea that I have attempted to entertain all possible scenarios which could explain why the guy acts as he does, but I can think of no other line of reasoning other than the guy knowingly makes himself the center hub of the operation as a means for unknowingly maintaining the alpha role. It seems that the presence of anyone else who he feels might actually be able to do his job well makes him feel threatened in some way, no matter of whether or not the person actually wants his job. While I have no desire to supplant his role or to openly discuss things as I have here, it is seemingly impossible to help the company and myself simultaneously because by doing so I would have to necessarily establish some things which would undoubtedly contradict what the supervisor has said about me in the past. I have every reason to believe that he would and has framed me to the owner in the same manner that he has to my fellow employees. Therefore, if he were to allow me to use the knowledge and skill sets which I possess, then my successful completion of the project alone would necessarily do three things, help the company's profit margin, establish my own value to the owner, and make my supervisor look bad which would increase the verbal abusiveness and the deliberate creation of a hostile work environment which is already the norm.

Thus, because of the current economy and others' dependence upon me, I have been forced to tolerate the situation. Thanks for the oppotunity to vent some frustration...

:cry:
 
arg-fallbackName="5810Singer"/>
Having seen and been in the same and similar situations, I think your assessment of your supervisor's mentality and motivation are wholly accurate.
 
arg-fallbackName="borrofburi"/>
creativesoul said:
He believes that because they have a history of profit, then they are doing everything right, and therefore nothing can be or needs to be improved.
This is a good way to lose your market... Give me a few years, then tell me the industry, because it sounds nice and not-competitive.
creativesoul said:
Federal labor laws are being broken on a daily basis and yet there is little that can be done without suffering the repurcussions that necessarily come along with taking such actions.
And unfortunately the job market right now is really sad. However if you refuse to allow federal labor laws to be broken and he fires you, you do have a stronger case.
creativesoul said:
I can think of no other line of reasoning other than the guy knowingly makes himself the center hub of the operation as a means for unknowingly maintaining the alpha role. It seems that the presence of anyone else who he feels might actually be able to do his job well makes him feel threatened in some way,
As a person who desire to operate a business some day, any suggestions on how to weed out guys like this?
 
arg-fallbackName="scalyblue"/>
You're protected from repricussions if you blow the whistle on illegal activity. At the very least call OSHA
http://www.whistle-blower-net.com/

aside from that, it's time to start shopping a new job.
 
arg-fallbackName="MillionSword"/>
You've put up with that for 2 years? Aw man.

Also, this reminds me of that film "Matilda". Do you have telekinetic powers? That might REALLY help you out.
 
arg-fallbackName="creativesoul"/>
5810Singer wrote:

Having seen and been in the same and similar situations, I think your assessment of your supervisor's mentality and motivation are wholly accurate

Ultimately, I think it amounts to his having an illogical means of personal value assessment which is openly displayed with hasty overgeneralizations/preconceived prejudice, perhaps a dash of insecurity, and an attitude which falsely equates/relates his personal success to another's failure and/or perceived inability. It seems like the more another can be shown to be incompetent to the owner - regardless of honesty - then the higher his value, or at least the more his presence is 'confirmed' to be necessary. The danger here which stands out to myself, is realizing that 'false memories' exist, are being perpetuated by him, and play a role in how the owner thinks. The supervisor's 'normal' thought processes, if his public conversations are indicative, prove to be genuinely irrational and also display the same type of mental comparison with others. That, in and of itself, is not necessarily anti-profit when translating his thinking/actions into business terms/results. He is pretty good at what he does and has one of the best overall systems that I have had the privelege of working with in terms of quality which is a major selling point. Of course, these positives do not include interpersonal relationship skills and his attitude about differing opinions/beliefs/cultural backgrounds. He is openly and admittedly 'two-faced' and justifies this behavior with his own personal success. In fact, he deems it necessary and equates it to wearing different 'hats'.

Oh my... :facepalm:

My intent here is not necessarily to judge him, it is to accurately assess the situation so that I can confidently act in accordance with what would be 'best' thing for me to do, all things considered. That necessarily includes finding a way to convince him and the owner that it would be in the best interest of the company to allow me to use what I know to help the company without being perceived as though I am 'rocking the boat' or possibly unintentionally offending the supervisor.

What I have come to realize through my previous experience, that of having played an instrumental role in the successful implemention what is called 'Lean Manufacturing' methods with much larger companies, is that the system itself, while having an extremely high quality standard, is not being utilized in the most profitable way. There is a lot of what is called 'wasted movement'. What this means is that there are necessary steps in the overall operation itself which can be streamlined within the system in order to improve efficiency standards thereby increasing the profit margin without negatively affecting what is good about the system. This kind of approach does not necessitate any change in quality, it actually is a matter of better organization. The problem I have with presenting this is two-fold. The steps needed in order to improve the overall workflow necessitate more transparency within the system. This requires better documentation upfront and throughout in order to accurately assess the system's overall improvement. The problem is that in doing so each individual step can be traced much more accurately, and to do this necessarily removes the supervisor's ability to shift blame where it does not belong. Add to this, he established fact that the success of a system, no matter of it's potential or proven history, is wholly dependent upon it's proper implementation.

This highlights the supervisor's instrumental role. I need to be able to bolster his inner security and convince both him and the owner of the potential rewards. I have to be able to get everyone 'on board' while simultaneously allowing what I offer to prove it's own value without making things worse in the supervisor's mind. He has to believe that I am on his side, and that my intentions are genuinely well-placed. While that is true, the shame of it is that the supervisor has shown no visible sign which would allow me to think that he would see things for what they are.
 
arg-fallbackName="scalyblue"/>
Yeah, you do all of that and--guess what--you still have a supervisor and an owner to report to. It's not your responsibility to correct those shortcomings, you will likely not benefit from their correction.
 
arg-fallbackName="creativesoul"/>
To them, I am just a dumb hillbilly...

:lol:

Perhaps that is true, knowing what I know yet wanting to improve the business regardless.
 
arg-fallbackName="scalyblue"/>
creativesoul said:
To them, I am just a dumb hillbilly...

:lol:

Perhaps that is true, knowing what I know yet wanting to improve the business regardless.

If there is no benefit to improve job performance, then why improve it? Given the situation laid out, I don't see that you have any chance of advancement here--quite frankly, the only reason you should be working with any particular company is because you haven't been hired by a better company yet. As described, this company is just a hole that you are throwing effort into--take that effort and put it toward improving your education or shopping yourself to find a better position.
 
arg-fallbackName="creativesoul"/>
Scalyblue wrote:

Yeah, you do all of that and--guess what--you still have a supervisor and an owner to report to. It's not your responsibility to correct those shortcomings, you will likely not benefit from their correction.

I do not mind 'reporting'...

The largest hurdle is actually the mentality factor, I believe. In order to correct the issues, they must be acknowledged as existent. The acceptance of my ideas necessarily requires that they acknowledge the fact that they, themselves, have wrongly perceived reality, even if it is done unconsciously. I do not see that happening unless it is covertly shown and seemingly self-diagnosed through allowing them to connect the dots which I oh-so-carefully supply. Knowing that profit is the sole driving force, perhaps it is possible. Knowing that cognitive dissonance can cause unpredictable behavior leaves it wide open for possibilities.
 
arg-fallbackName="creativesoul"/>
scalyblue wrote:

If there is no benefit to improve job performance, then why improve it? Given the situation laid out, I don't see that you have any chance of advancement here--quite frankly, the only reason you should be working with any particular company is because you haven't been hired by a better company yet. As described, this company is just a hole that you are throwing effort into--take that effort and put it toward improving your education or shopping yourself to find a better position.

Personal benefit does not necessarily require being recognized by a supervisor, does it? It benefits me to know that I have exhausted every means possible in an attempt to improve that which I recognize needs improvement. That is an inherent personality feature of mine which is sought after by most employers that I have had experience with. To me, it is just as much a matter of personal accountability. If I can look in the mirror and look at another to which I am being held accountable and confidently and honestly say that I have given my best effort, then that alone benefits me. Based upon what is known about the company, I tend to agree with the future possibility, or lack thereof. None-the-less, I must, for my own personal reasons, do what I can.

It is a matter of personal integrity.
 
arg-fallbackName="lrkun"/>
Andiferous said:
Morality is the great employment-killer. :|

True, sometimes one has to pretend to be one of those deaf-mutes in order to bring food on the table.
 
arg-fallbackName="Andiferous"/>
Andiferous said:
Morality is the great employment-killer. :|
Just that in the end, for every position I have ever held, my choice for staying and leaving has been a dichotomy between money and morality; and in most every position morality has won in the end (because, I have found, once you see the moral conundrum for yourself, it's that much harder to pretend it doesn't exist.) Why I can't be a lawyer LRkun. ;)

At times I've gone through the government and labour laws and such for resolution, to some failure. I have even risen into management (and usually do in the end), but that requires taking on even greater moral responsibility. I do tend (and want) to dedicate myself wholly and completely to tasks when there is no moral impediment; but when I recognise one, and recognise it irresolvable, I no longer feel that honest sense of dedication, drive, and commitment - and no longer feel it right to be paid.

That sounded like a load of words. Anyone else get it? Or Is my conscience just a moral pain in the arse?
 
arg-fallbackName="ArthurWilborn"/>
I'm going to have to go with the owner here.

You think that you have better methods and can improve profit, but this doesn't mean that you're right.

It isn't your business; it is the owner's business. He's the one that stands to lose that business if things go wrong, so the decisions on how to proceed are his decisions.

You mention federal laws being broken, but you decline to mention how. If people are being killed or injured that's one thing; if people aren't getting paid that's another thing. However, based on your limited description the worst violation seems to be petty insults; this leaves me unmoved.

There is a strong undertone of narcissism in your post, of the middle-aged intellectual seething that others have been keeping him down and he's never been given a chance.
 
arg-fallbackName="creativesoul"/>
ArthurW,

Indeed, the decisions are the owner's to make. The financial risk is entirely theirs. It does not follow that my assessments were incorrect/mistaken. Civil rights/federal labor laws are in place for very good reason. The particulars regarding the federal violations are not important and need not be openly discussed. It seems as though you did not grasp that these assessments were never openly engaged/discussed? That the environment itself forbade it? Your reply certainly does not take that fact into consideration, and there is no suggestion that it was ever discussed. So, playing along here...

The adhom at the end is a pure gratuitous assertion, and is actually a rather amusing conclusion, especially coming from what was given. That case was extremely accurately described and was verified many times over. If by your standards, a person wanting to be respected as a human being, doing their best to help an employer out, and expecting in return a law-abiding workplace somehow makes one narcissistic in the manner that you described - then all I can say is this...

I think the case at hand(in this thread I mean) is much more accurately described as a clear demonstration of poor critical thinking skills/reasoning. This is justified by the fact that the conclusion was drawn from inadequate/insufficient evidence. The irony here is that that is the same kind of thinking that underwrote that particular situation.

Anymore pop psychology to offer about someone whom you know very little to nothing about personally?

:roll:
 
arg-fallbackName="Andiferous"/>
I'm sorry. No matter how hard I look, I can't find advice. On this matter you could probably give me advice...

Edit: Actually wait, I do have an idea. Let's quit and go into business together! ;)
 
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