Strange situation

agrinnall

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

As a manager you should know the basics of what the people you manage do

I agree, and the worst managers I've had have been those that have little comprehension of what their staff do, but knowing the basics is not the same as being able to do the basics. I knew in general what my team were doing, but it would have taken me many months, if not years, to actually be able to stand in for them, and while I was learning their jobs I would not have been able to do my own. If the OP is really a manager (as opposed to just having the job title) then their job is to manage rather than do.

ValHaller

Does your job carry a job description? Is there any relief for you in that?

Funky_Bold_Ribena

If my manager was asking me to do that and I wasn't trained at working at heights (it's a specific issue and law now) and cabling then I'd be saying 'no problem, once I've been on a working at heights course, a cabling and x or y course'. The expense will usually shut the manager up.

mountainofdebt

badaz52 wrote: »

100% I do not believe the job is beneath me and I'm sorry if it has come across that way although I'm not as good as some of my team members at this type of work I can learn from them and get better its not that I can't do it so in terms of being off I'll I could cover the work. What I am disagreeing with is when I have a full compliment of staff who can do the job better and quicker should I not be allowed to delegate to who I want and not be forced to do it just for training purposes especially when said task has a pretty strong deadline for it and I'm still learning it which just increases the risk of accident surely and that really concerns me.

And there you have it in a nutshell.

Who is to say that you will have that full compliment for ever?

Mind you I would take the attitude (if I was your boss) that I have asked YOU to do something and you are acting like a brat (though I'm sure you're being very professional in the work place) in your attitude towards that request.

Smile, do the task that has been handed to you and wait for the axe to fall on your technicians.

Errata

It's always useful for a manager to do jobs that underlings do, it gives them great insight into the !!!! underlings have to put up with from managers.

CFC

badaz52 wrote: »

100% I do not believe the job is beneath me and I'm sorry if it has come across that way although I'm not as good as some of my team members at this type of work I can learn from them and get better its not that I can't do it so in terms of being off I'll I could cover the work. What I am disagreeing with is when I have a full compliment of staff who can do the job better and quicker should I not be allowed to delegate to who I want and not be forced to do it just for training purposes especially when said task has a pretty strong deadline for it and I'm still learning it which just increases the risk of accident surely and that really concerns me.

You don't sound like you think it is beneath you, you just sound like you do not want to do it.

Three points - frankly as you well know installation is part of IT and networking even if you don't enjoy it; and secondly if you are not competent at it and so could not train and mentor new technicians, how would they get trained; and thirdly if you kick against what your manager has asked you to do, you are starting to prepare your exit, believe me.

I think if you're scared you're not really competent to do it and there's a hard deadline and you may screw up, you would be better telling your manager that you understand not being that competent with this stuff is a weakness and you are on board with developing, just not with this particular task as it is high profile and you don't want to it to go anything other than smoothly.

Dexters_Indignation

I have seen this before...

Orville

badaz52 wrote: »

I work as an IT Manager for a respectable business, I have two technicians that work for me and I have a boss that I have to report too.

My skills lie with managing the systems, networks, hardware, software etc. Part of the job requires some DIY installation work such as running cables, installing cabinets, trunking etc to which I am not the best at doing, nor am I trained in or interested in doing. I choose IT as a career path.

My boss is currently asking that I carry out these DIY tasks as a way of personal development to which In my opinion is my business what skills I would like and not theirs, also when I have technical staff working for me that already have these skills why would I undertake a job as a manager when these tasks can be delegated? surely that it up to me who I assign a task to and it is my duty to ensure that I assign a task to the best person for that particular job and if that isn't me then fair enough.

Surely as a manager when I am assigned a task that is within my remit I can choose however and whoever to do this job and as long as the job is completed it should not be of concern who completes it or how it gets completed as long as it does.

Is it right for my manager to assign a task and then dictate how it gets done? surely this makes my role as a manager pointless? should I force the issue as a manager and ask them to butt out?

I believe I am being micromanaged but what can I do about it?

If i were your boss, i'd be asking why you think it would be ok to delegate a job you are not willing to do yourself?. How can you possibly expect someone else to do it if your not willing to ?

badaz52

Orville wrote: »

If i were your boss, i'd be asking why you think it would be ok to delegate a job you are not willing to do yourself?. How can you possibly expect someone else to do it if your not willing to ?

I get this but then the same would apply to all managers in an organisation but doesn't. My boss has a boss too and if they specifically asked them to say install a server and configure it would they? No they would delegate it to the best person for the job which would be me in this example that is all I am saying but it seems I am not allowed to which suggests I am not being allowed to "manage" as my job requires.

Funky_Bold_Ribena

badaz52 wrote: »

I get this but then the same would apply to all managers in an organisation but doesn't. My boss has a boss too and if they specifically asked them to say install a server and configure it would they? No they would delegate it to the best person for the job which would be me in this example that is all I am saying but it seems I am not allowed to which suggests I am not being allowed to "manage" as my job requires.

Next time he says this - say 'that's great Boss, now just show me how to do it and I'll make notes as you go - or I can do my job which is the MANAGE this by employing people with those skills to DO that particular task'.