The Beauty of Bad Management

I read an article recently that thanked bad management because, without it, so few people would strike out to become entrepreneurs. Natalie Clifford Barney, an American playwright, poet, and novelist, also added, “Entrepreneurship is the last refuge of the trouble making individual.” Right now I am definitely acquiring the adjective of trouble making. Or analytical female with a dry sense of humor, whatever.

Sometimes I wonder if I should blame my parents for both being self-employed entrepreneurs because I think their example ruined me for any and all jobs that require me to answer to someone else, especially if that someone is one item short of an agenda. My parents have certainly called their own shots, but they have also been B-R-O-K-E.

When I think back to the third grade and what I wanted to be when I grew up, I clearly remember wanting to be a poet, or Albert Einstein. I am a long, long way from being a poet laureate anytime soon, or Einstein. In fact, I seem to have gotten sidetracked by statistics, economics, psychology, community health, and project management over the years. The upshot is that these interests happen to come with a decent pay check and health insurance. Then again, too frequently they have also come with a whole host of narcissistic and insecure supervisors.

Following up on my last posting, it turns out that I’m not the Jolly Green Giant of Peter’s Principle - that is, in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to their level of incompetence. I’m not $10,000 richer today, but I did get a $4500 increase in salary and reclassified. This is really swell, especially in this employment market, but I think the bump up was bestowed upon me more out of fear than recognition. You see, two of my more competent colleagues are leaving our five person team next month and I don’t think losing one more person at this time is feasible for my manager. So, I represent more of the garden-gnome scale of Peter’s Principle. It’s not exactly an honor, but I can live with that until I find my next job.

I don’t know why I’m not happy with empty status and unearned raises; it would be so much easier to get by in this world if I could be. I think it would give me a capacity for bullshit, a much needed attribute in the work place. Unfortunately, I was raised by two parents who have zero tolerance for bullshit and, as much as it pains me to admit, I have inherited this and many other traits from my parents.

Like my parents, my head and heart also need more fulfillment than my bank account: I find this aspect of my personality totally annoying, and not exactly lucrative. It’s the kind of thing that launches me into non-profit job searches or dreams of entrepreneuralism, knowing full well that I won’t be raking in the cash. So we’ll see where I go next. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I've got to get back to re-writing those resumes and cover letters.