Does anybody else feel like they're in prison with the amount of micromanagement they're subjected to? I've been here long enough to know full well how to do my job but that doesn't seem to matter, my every move has to be directed. It's stifling and it has been driving me crazy for months. Funnily enough, I've lasted through all of the usual T shenanigans for years, but if anything gets me to quit, this might be it.
21 replies (most recent on top)
Please do us all a favor and quit. One glaring concern i notice is that you can't read (reading is fundamental).
This is a LAYOFFS site, not a complaint site. Move on, please!
It is bad when you get micromanaged by someone who does not know your job or ever done it before.
Lots of that going on. And the IT part of it never works right or has bugs in it. They were too stupid not to develop their own computer programs and have to pay someone to add/modify a feature. The person modifying it is overseas with an inflated resume.
Micromanagement ate me alive when I was there. Then they use it as an excuse you are overpaid. . ..here Billy you lick the stamp and then Cindy can put it on the envelope. Sam can count how many are done in a day. Raysheila can take them to the mailroom........and all this is managed and measured.
Micromanagement is the result of line managers having nothing to do. They get the sense of role importance by telling workers to dot the I's and cross the T's. Just had a org meeting with the 4th level AVP, she basically said we did good job and have the directors take turns talking about their teams . Meanwhile, 4th level probably is compensated in the range of 200k per year.
Hate being told what to do. Just wanna getting paid.
“ Next time the employee survey comes out, be sure to indicate that decisions are never made at the correct level. We have AVPs doing 1st and 2nd level work regularly, but being paid that bloated AVP salary. Must be nice.”
I always use the survey to let management know they have too loose of a grip on employees. They are asleep at the wheel and have no clue what their minions do every day. Most departments are running at 40% of their normal productive ability.
The difference in my case was when I realized and stopped being emotionally invested in anything beyond what my position has control over. Do what is expected of your abilities and then clock out. Life/work balance eventually kicks in and common sense returns. Keep collecting the checks until you decide when to stop.
Like another poster said, it’s about where you are. Access-C&E (NEO) is not a stressful place to work. Go ask anyone in that department. CNIO (Core Network Infrastructure Ops), which also part of NEO, is comprised mainly of 2 groups, DEG and CO. The CO folks have always had it easy. They did have a short stint in TFS (Previously BSIM/NIBS and SD&A/IEFS) for a few years where ultimately, consumer field folks were calling all the shots and they were probably under more scrutiny because of it, but since they were moved into NEO last during the report, my guess is that all is back to usual for them. You will rarely hear C&E-construction, DEG or CO (power included) techs complain about metrics. That’s because they are not customer facing organizations (for the most part) and the ways that performance is measured is completely different from consumer. The consumer side (I&R, Cable Maint, U-Verse, CFO, TFS, IEFS, etc.) is a meat grinder by comparison. If being threatened with performance metrics, PIP plans and forced Overtime every day is your thing, that’s the right organization for you. Everyone can agree that performance metrics are key to measuring business performance and exposing opportunities for process improvement, but the consumer folks take it to such an extreme that it causes a tremendous amount of unnecessary employee churn and makes people just buckle down and do just enough to not get fired. Corners are cut and every opportunity for reduced spending (even if it will be detrimental to the business in the long run) is taken, no matter what. AT&T really did buy in 100% with six sigma back in the early to mid 2000’s and I can guarantee you that no organization felt the six sigma thunder more than consumer (maybe supply chain). You have to experience it to really understand.
Welcome to China!
It all depends on what division of this company you work in. If you work in a customer facing position such as sales or customer service, or in the field as a UVerse slave, you will experience so much micromanagement that you can barely do your job or keep your sanity. In other departments, management doesn't know or care what is going on.
This place is truly a dumpster fire.
"prison" eh? That seems a bit melodramatic
Not any more. Minimal if any micromanagement in the CO. We still have metrics of course, but they are nonsense and management knows it. Still, I try to make my numbers because my manager is a good guy. Numbers are only ever brought up at appraisal time and then just a passing mention.
If I could vote this up 10 ten times I would. The frightening thing about the company is they have no idea of what we do in the CO. They do know when we don't do it due to staffing issues though. I'm the same as you, I jump though hoops, make sure the next shift has what they need if I have to hand off anything and otherwise work to keep our crew of off the radar of "Leadership" because our supervisor came up though craft and has integrity.
truth - was one of the big reasons I left. after I left I found from my former colleagues that there was surplus. so they are probably looking at surplussing your group and want to try to measure stuff in their little brains.
Sounds like a troll . AT&T has its issues micromanagement is not one.
in construction we had a tutorial on how to use a hammer
Not any more. Minimal if any micromanagement in the CO. We still have metrics of course, but they are nonsense and management knows it. Still, I try to make my numbers because my manager is a good guy. Numbers are only ever brought up at appraisal time and then just a passing mention.
so i dont put in a transfer to your group and avoid di-ktatorship what group are you in?
Next time the employee survey comes out, be sure to indicate that decisions are never made at the correct level. We have AVPs doing 1st and 2nd level work regularly, but being paid that bloated AVP salary. Must be nice.
OMG..this!!!
Stinky thinky that he can save $$$ by regiments of indian contractors. But as usual, his brain is unable to embrace whole picture - those guys need to be micromanaged 24/7, if not they are able to destroy everything with smile and 'sure sure yeees'.
The more rules they make, the less actual work you have to do.
Take time to ask lots of questions, get all directives by email.
Play stupid.
Say "Yes sir" a lot.
Smile, wave.
They make the rules, use these same rules against them by following them to a "T".
Profit.