U.S. companies have a management problem. I specifically mean that the terminal career path for most professions is "management". Depending where you work, management can mean:
- giving orders
- delegating work (usually this is work the manager specifically doesn't want to do themselves)
- clearing blockers in front of your employees
That the third one is the rarest is a problem.
American corporate culture has devolved into: get promoted into management and coast.
There are obviously exceptions. But a lot of people will agree they've had their fair share of terrible managers. I dare say that's the norm.
Boeing is just the most current example of what happens when a company fetishizes management. That is, there comes a time when the leeches have sucked the body dry.
I admit that I've not and so in that regard, I'm speaking from the perspective of an outside observer. I have worked in middle management before switching back to IC for personal satisfaction reasons.
If I had to guess, this statement that I made is the one you are honing in:
> American corporate culture has devolved into: get promoted into management and coast.
Generalizations are what they are. There are always exceptions etc. And I fully recognize that there are talented, hard-working managers out there.
But, what I'm specifically getting at is that American corporate culture encourages far too many cooks in the kitchen. Managers are necessary. But I think most corporations have far too many. And part of that is because it's the norm to promote your top IC's into management. Eventually the structure becomes top heavy and overly bureaucratic.
To be honest, I don't think what I'm describing is particularly original/surprising.
- giving orders
- delegating work (usually this is work the manager specifically doesn't want to do themselves)
- clearing blockers in front of your employees
That the third one is the rarest is a problem.
American corporate culture has devolved into: get promoted into management and coast.
There are obviously exceptions. But a lot of people will agree they've had their fair share of terrible managers. I dare say that's the norm.
Boeing is just the most current example of what happens when a company fetishizes management. That is, there comes a time when the leeches have sucked the body dry.