Imma keep it 100, will you do the same?
So, was on a zoom call and was watching someone who, by all salary surveys and things, likely makes near, or over, 200K base salary a year. Also very likely has a company pension (news flash new employees, the old heads employed ~circa 2005 have big bombaclat nest eggs).
Anyways, they were clearly struggling with...I'm not sure how to say this without making boomers upset or just sounding like a typical "rant." I don't want to just "cook" inept employees, particularly senior, graying employees. I really don't. I just want to be sincere and share things that shock me. Things that anger me. Things that will galvanize objections, agreements, maybe "amens!", and most hopefully, explanations.
Confession: Anecdotes abound here, generalizations will be made without qualification or empirical evidence, yadda yadda, I'm just genuinely curious to hear what others in the company think. Alright, there's my 'brace for impact' speech.
So, back to what this post is about...
Watching "them" in Excel, like - there is no way they can do any analysis or perhaps more scarily, any fact check whatsoever on something sent to them. Like posit the question, "How many of product [X] did we deliver to the customer this month?" They obtain the answer by asking their assoc. director / sr. mgr direct report, who asks their guy, who asks their guy, etc. Time comes to report, the "leader" reports the answer with literally no substance behind it except source: trust me and my bros, bro.
Message servers - maybe that should be the title of this post. Some directors/assoc. dirs/sr. mgrs. and such seem to be nothing more than like, an LLM, just trying to ingest data from nodes (their direct reports and cross functional partners) and then they roll that information into a stinking ball of PowerPoint slides like a dung beetle and present it to VPs and SVPs.
Where is the expertise? Where is the savant? Where is the decision maker? Who has the balls to come in and say "Do this. Don't do that." I come from the cream corn (USMC) and one of the things that was, well really never noticed, because it was ubiquitous, was that a higher rank in the job you were in, not only knew how to do your job, but they were seasoned. They knew the edge cases, they knew the "how", but more importantly the "why." (Before you guffaw vets, yes some NCOs, SNCOs, Officers are bad and some are lat-movers, got it, check rog, now let me cook).
I'm speaking generally. What was special about this was that you had confidence in your leader's competence. What do I mean? Your boss knew how to do your job, and do it better than you. That's why they were the leader. Anyways, forget the military, it's just an example from personal experience. I've seen it in places in my professional career, even at Raytheon (a tiny bit).
So back to my complaint / observations of leadership behavior.
The first category I observe are "Charismatics." These middle/upper management folks compensate for a lack of fundamental competency in the domain they lead in (a data analytics senior manager who can't unzip a zipped file without 2 google searches) by exercising an above average ability to communicate and present facts. These leave you feeling good about what's going on. These are folks who you want in your meeting. They ask how your kids are doing. Their PowerPoint slides are CRISP. Their vocab is exceptional: synergy, ROI, Efficiency, CORE! Do they build solutions, solve real problems, commit to actions in spite of risk, etc.? Don't know and don't really care, they seem very smart, and eager to drive the mission, and they make me feel good.
Another group I observe is the "Loyalists." Their laurels are well-earned. Their most favorite and prominent one is: I've been working here since before you were born. To hell with the value they give or their current skill set being relevant to the needs of the business. Their blood (time-in-seat) sacrifice is worth their weight in frequent M6 rotations. To discuss laying-off one of these is akin to discussing cannibalism. It's unthinkable. Their only exit is a self-determined retirement or a RIF pronouncement from Mt. Olympus, where the executioner of active employment is so far removed, he's nameless and faceless like a pagan god. And in such cases, their departure is accompanied by feigned grief offered by a fresh MBA grad who is secretly happy to see them leave. Now real change can happen! But such occasions seem rare. (Don't worry about these "Loyalists", they have their nest eggs to keep them warm)
I want to take a short break and state that, if any of this sounds foreign. Ask yourself this question: have you ever attended a quarterly meeting, town hall, observed the plans leadership has, the promises they give, and think: "What the hell? Do these guys have any idea what is actually going on in this business?"
Yes, at these rare intervals when heavenly, executive transmissions descend like lightning to the serfs (like during town halls), the serfs say - I don't think this guy has ever seen a grain of wheat, yet he tells me how he's going to crush an entire field with the strength of a single man!
The last group I will arbitrarily note are the "Firefighters." It's said their beauty is so ephemeral, so stunning, that to look upon one, you will immediately gain 200+ RStars. Their appearances are rare, but who would be surprised? These heros stand resolute, program-branded oar in hand, ready to battle the nearest alligator to their EAC boat. There are 100s, nay 1000s of alligators. Are any of those reptiles your mid-year review? ROFL. Delegate, delegate, delegate, that is their creed. They know what problems need solved, and they know who to ask to solve them. Are they truly qualified to be making 200k+ a year? Ope! Too late. They are on an international flight to [X] country to fight the next prehistoric beast.
Wait, you have the once in a lifetime opportunity to catch them on a teams call? Amazing! You watch their black, faceless digital square with bated breath! But wait, as they speak you can't help but note that all they do is agree with statements that would be obvious to a freshman in a supply chain class at "Who gives a *" university. But it doesn't matter, they flee the meeting early, the next fire is surging elsewhere and threatens to overtake the entire program! Godspeed hero. Oh, what's that? You are skeptical about the real value they provide? Well, until I see your MS Team's icon set to green on Christmas day at 10am, shut your mouth and bask in their glorious rays.
It's at this point, I'm asking myself, what's the point of this post? Shout into the digital ether as an anon for upvotes, jeers, or the terrible realization "no one really cares?" [insert Jurassic Park meme here].
I share this because...well, for one thing, it's cathartic. I can speak with an honesty here I don't have the courage (or stupidity) to speak with at work. I will confess that I write this because deep down I care. I like Raytheon (please don't tell my friends - I won't sound cool anymore!) I really do, despite my constant jokes to the contrary. I'm exceedingly grateful for my employment and many of the people I've met in this company.
The problem I've stated with leadership is evident. I could have shared McKinsey and Company surveys to substantiate it (Gay) but no, just wanted to share my candid opinions (keep it real). I think the problem can be fixed. It's the "will" of those in power to do so, that concerns me. Consider this: isn't it a pretty freakin sweet deal to know, that there are multiple paths (see aforementioned categories) to the top of that sweet, big, delicious AIP, many of which DON'T require the years-long hard work of building competency in a particular domain until you are a true expert? Yeah, I thought so. I feel it too.
People (including me) respond to incentives. As long as I can climb the ladder / get paid alot despite lacking expertise, I'll friggen do it. Who decides what's possible? Leaders do. It starts at the top. I'm talking to you big C. Raytheon can be great, but it has to change. Show that leadership is earned, through the hard-fought-for expertise, over years, in specialized domains, which creates leaders who know processes, can improve processes, who can build, who can solve problems, who merit respect from subordinates not because of who they are, but because of what they know. Leaders who don't have to hide behind "risk-aversion" as a mask for incompetence. We need less "let's circle back later" and more "Share your screen and I'll show you what to do", and then watch the magic happen.
Alright, let's be corny and tie this out with a manifesto:
Building over broadcasting
Solving over 'statusing'
Credentials over credence
Value over vibes
Masters over messengers
"Share your screen and I'll show you" over "Let's Circle Back"