Re: RE: present day admin skills

[George Capehart <capegeo () opengroup org>]

On Sun, Jan 13, 2002 at 02:26:42AM +1100, Darren Reed wrote:
> In some email I received from George Capehart, sie wrote:
> [...]
> > What we have here is a failure of management.  What I mean is this:  If
> > the managers of the sysadmins that are described in this thread a) had
> > a clue about what skills their people needed to have and b) provided
> > leadership and actually developed the skills of their people, this problem
> > wouldn't exist.
> [...]
>
> I know at least one large, Australian company (they'd call themselves a
> multinational company) where it is the company policy to NOT send staff
> on training courses.
>
> Why?  Because they fear that in doing so they provide the staff with a
> better resume and its easier for them to find another (better) job.
>
> That sort of problem doesn't start "in the middle", but at the "top".
> Really, it indicates a "rotten core" (if you think of the people at
> the "top" also being at the "core".)

Heh.  Despite my best intentions, I feel a rant coming on.  But I'll
save it for an off-line thread which I'd *really* like to continue with
all who would like to participate.  I just don't want to risk taking
too much of mjr's time unless he thinks the thread is useful/appropriate.
I will, however, say here that you're absolutely right and that that
very point is where the rant that I wanted to avoid would go.  IMHO, to
a certain extent, *all* people-related problems are management problems,
and *all* management problems start at the top.  I do not mean to imply
that all top-level management in all companies are completely clueless
or negligent.  What I *will* say is that in companies where people at
the C level and board level do have an appreciation for the value of
competence and manage appropriately, there is a much better match between
the skills of the people who are on the job and their job requirements.

Now, after having covered myself with the above caveat, I will say that
I enthusiastically and wholeheartedly agree with your position that
the problem does start at the top and it really does indicate a "rotten
core" as you so succinctly put it.  And, IMHO, the worst consequence of
this is the effect it has on the enthusiasm and desire to excel in one's
work.  There is no support for that in the kinds of organizations you
describe and it ends up killing the willingness of people to take some
initiative and accept some personal responsibility for "getting stuff
done."  It ends up "dumbing down" the whole organization.

Enough!  The rant was starting.  As I said, I'd really like to continue
this discussion, but, unless the moderator explicitly says it's OK
to continue on the list, let's take it offline.

George Capehart
> Darren


-- 
George W. Capehart

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