Peter or Dilbert?

[Roadtoad]

If you may recall, years ago, Dr. Lawrence J. Peter proposed his now famous Peter Principle, in which he stated: "In a heirarchy, everyone rises to his/her level of incompetence."

A number of years later, Scott Adams proposed the Dilbert Principle: "In a corporation, the least competent individuals are placed where they can do the least amount of damage: Management."

Now, I must admit, I am thoroughly confused. At work, we have been informed that the man who was simply supposed to be our head mechanic is now the Straw Boss of our merry band of misfits, (aka, "truck drivers.") I would not object to this too much, except our formerly head mechanic has the manners of a rhino that's had a little too much Tabasco on his fodder.

Permit me an example of his manner:

I will list on my driver's report (aka, the "Bitch Sheet," a report of all mechanical failings on our tractors and trailers) something that needs to be repaired. In one instance, it was trailer that tended to lock up on one side of its brakes, sending that particular unit sideways-silly on wet pavement. (If you do not drive, keep in mind, this is considered a bad thing.) We want the trailer to stay nice an neat, tucked in behind the tractor. (This would be the safe way of doing things.) I listed this, and our then mechanic said, "I don't have time for this. What's this mean?"

"It means," I said, "that everytime I apply brake pressure on wet pavement, the trailer wants to cozy up to the side of my tractor. I think we have a problem."

"I'll get to it."

Right. He didn't.

Today, another driver took the trailer out, and came back, without his load being delivered. The same damn trailer. He said it's locking up. (Hey, sound familiar?) I get sent out to bring back some parts for this trailer. I get back, and one of the other mechanics has the wheels off, and the brake drum pulled. I could see why it locked up: the brake drum was lying on the ground in THREE PIECES! It had developed hairline cracks, and no one with the experience and skills had taken a look to see what was wrong! Which meant that it went out today, the drum shattered, and the brakes did not work with that trailer.

This is part of what I deal with when I talk with this guy. He wants you to make a note of what's wrong, but he screams at you when it becomes clear that you took him at his word and you wrote it up.

Most of the time, HE TALKS LIKE THIS, AND CAN'T GET A COMPLETE SENTENCE OUT WITHOUT USING "THAT WORD" THAT STARTS WITH THE LETTER "F"!

So, for example, I see a problem on a trailer. It needs a new light. I replace the light, and save the shop guys some time.

"WHAT ARE YOU F***ING DOING?"

"Replacing a light."

"ARE YOU A F***ING MECHANIC? I GOT F***ING MECHANICS SITTING ON THEIR F***ING @$$ES, AND YOU'RE F***ING OUT HERE REPLACING THE F***ING LIGHT!?!?"

"Well, they were busy replacing clutches on a couple of trucks..."

"ARE YOU F***ING TELLING ME HOW TO RUN MY F***ING SHOP?"

Of course, later on in the week, another light blows out. I report it. "WHAT THE F*** ARE YOU WRITING THIS UP FOR? REPLACE THE F***ING LIGHT!"

"You said you wanted your mechanics replacing the lights..."

"QUIT F***ING WITH ME AND REPLACE THE F***ING LIGHT!"

This is actually quite the norm for our former Marine turned Straw Boss. Mr. Sunshine, (as I like to call him), has generated a number of complaints from other drivers, and we're now starting to put them in writing. Of course, this has no effect. Mr. Sunshine likes to let us know it has no effect. He reminds us of this every time he starts screaming at another driver, usually with another driver standing nearby.

Of course, he's an equal opportunity offender. He does this to everyone, whether they're male or female. He laid into one of our female drivers because she was having a problem with a tire not holding air. (If you don't drive, this is considered a bad thing.)

"SO WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT?"

"Uh, if someone could replace the tire, that would be nice," the driver answered.

"YOU KNOW THIS IS OUR TIRE GUY'S LAST F***ING DAY?"

The driver, (who happens to be a friend), threw up her hands and said, "You know what, Dude? Whatever. The tire's flat. It needs to be fixed. I don't know how to do it, and I'm not strong enough to do it on my own, anyway. You figure it out."

Now, I am confused. Is this an example of the Peter Principle, and the owner of the company is now learning this guy is not competent, (and incapable of leadership?) Or is this an example of the Dilbert Principle, in which the boss knows the guy's not all together, and he's put him where he figures he'll do the least amount of damage? (Either way, the boss don't look too good.) It's gotten bad enough, several drivers are taking steps so they can leave, myself included.

Any ideas, gang? Any examples you would care to share? (I can't be the only person going through this.)

 

[peptoabysmal]

Wow he talks like a Marine, all right. I haven't had to go through something like this for a long time. Where I work, it's almost too PC to bear some times. There was once that I felt that the boss should have yelled at me. I inadvertently did a complete data delete of a complete database rather completely. Instead I get "Is there something we can do, so that this doesn't happen again?". ... No, I f*ucked up, just spank me and get over with it, thanks. TGFB (thank God for back-ups).

In a galaxy long ago and far away, I was a machinist at a water softener company and I had a boss who was like you describe, only add creepy and perverted. He liked to show naked pics of his wife around and called the girl who worked in the office the "c" word a lot.

There is usually not much you can do, except seek work elsewhere. It might be that this straw boss was brought into this position to fulfill the real boss’s fantasy of being a drill sergeant, that the real boss lacks the spine to do himself.

I vote for the Dilbert Principle, just because I like Dilbert.

 

[Ove]

I'd say the Peter-Principe, the guy is just blatantly stupid. Unfortunately it happens in a country where unions are a dirty word. If it happened over here the drivers would quickly get their union to do something about it.

 

[Roadtoad]

I'd say the Peter-Principe, the guy is just blatantly stupid. Unfortunately it happens in a country where unions are a dirty word. If it happened over here the drivers would quickly get their union to do something about it.

Interesting: because when I was a shop steward for our Teamster's local, they wouldn't so much as lift a finger to help a driver in trouble. Trust me. Even our Business Agent was irritated with that crowd.

 

[Roadtoad]

Think Cleo would loan me a croc or two?

 

[Zep]

Peter Principle. NOT Dilbert Principle. The guy is involved in and affects the front line of work, even though he isn't actually one of the prime workers.

It would only be if he had been moved sideways to Warehouse Management where he had to count the tyre valves each day to see if they had been multiplying in their boxes overnight that he would qualify for the Dilbert Principle.

I'd suggest that a cure is to organise to have him promoted another level - into the office somewhere preferably, away from the front line entirely. (That's the Dilbert Principle at work!) As long as it isn't payroll, you should be safe. Of course, the Peter Principle means that one of YOU guys gets to be promoted as the next despatch boss - and it could be YOU, Roadtoad!!

 

[Ove]

Interesting: because when I was a shop steward for our Teamster's local, they wouldn't so much as lift a finger to help a driver in trouble. Trust me. Even our Business Agent was irritated with that crowd.

Well i don't know much about american unions but the little i have heard is not reassuring. The thing is ALL truckdrivers over here belongs to a union(well 99%), the unions do care and are able to put pressure behind. Mostly it isn't nescessary though. This kind of behaviour is simply not found acceptable over here. Such a man simply wouldn't last two weeks in a Danish compagny, honestly.

 

[Pyrrho]

Short form: becoming a boss makes people nuts. You can't make sense of insanity. Do what you need to do for yourself. This guy is a complete jerk and management is nuts for letting him work there.

Long form:
Probably the most common mistake people make when they are put in a position of authority is to believe that they have to control people. Believing that they have the authority to control, one of their greatest fears is the loss of any of that control. Because it is impossible to control an adult human in the way they think they have to control them, the person in authority enters a state of constant stress. Every issue becomes an issue of control, and is seen as an attempt by the other to undercut authority. This, to the person in authority, is a direct threat to their position. This gives rise to contradictory behavior (replace the light/don't replace the light) and a certain amount of paranoia.

Also, when people need something from the person in authority, requests are seen as a role reversal; the person making the request is, in the mind of the person in authority, telling them what to do. Because the person in authority thinks it's their job to tell the others what to do, it is again seen as a direct threat. Likewise, if the others do not do as they are told, it is again seen as a direct threat, especially if upper management has the same attitude as the person they have put in a position of authority.

It is not that people rise to the level of their incompetence, or that they are promoted to positions in which they can do little damage. It is that people are often poorly trained for their new positions or not trained at all. Persons promoted to positions of authority should be properly trained regarding correct ways of dealing with their fellow workers. It is not difficult to learn; most good supervisory practices are grounded in basic psychology and make good sense. One of the worst things you can do to a person is to put them in a position of authority over the people they work with. Without proper training, a nightmare result is very likely.

Some people, however, cannot or will not do anything other than the basic, "I'm in charge, do as I tell you," mode of authority. A good manager does not manage the people; a good manager manages the environment in which these people work, gives them the tools they need to do their jobs, takes any blame and give them the credit, and keeps upper management off their backs. Some people are not capable of doing that and do not belong in positions of authority.

Dealing with a bad manager?
Document everything. Keep a notebook with you -- and don't leave it anywhere it can be found by someone else. Don't let anyone know that you are documenting anything.

Upper management is more impressed by things on paper than by the spoken word. If you're ever required to explain your position to upper management, you can whip out your notebook. You won't have to rely on memory. Do not surrender the notebook unless by legal order. You can offer to make copies for them, but hang on to your written evidence.

 

[Roadtoad]

An update on this: Today, Mr. Sunshine and I got into it. And I mean, big time...

The shop guys were supposed to be doing some extra work today, so I made up a little something for them to eat while they worked. (Okay, I admit it. I love to cook, and this was an excuse to cook for friends.) I got to the yard, and no one is there.

Turns out, Mr. Sunshine had sent everyone home. No work. (Except, of course, the stuff I had listed that needed to be looked after...)

Mr. Sunshine is there, and he calls me into his office, and lets me have it with both barrels. HE is the shop manager, and he is the one who will determine what work is done, and what isn't done. IS THAT CLEAR?

I try to leave, (after all, it's a Saturday, and I'm here on my own time), but he wants to have it out. "Why are you not talking to me? Why do you insist on avoiding me? If there's work that needs to be done, why not talk to ME?"

"Dude, I'm not telling you," I answer. "I need to keep my job."

"If I tell you you won't lose your job, will you tell me?"

"No."

He keeps at it. He wants to know what's going on, why he has a problem with me.

Now, a little background on this: Yesterday, we had new driver training with us. The driver/trainer introduced me to the new guy. I made sure no one else was around, and I introduced myself: "Hey, I'm Toad. I'm the company p****."

Everyone, of course, laughed, with the trainer saying, "Well, at least Toad admits it."

This made Mr. Sunshine a little mad.

Today, in regard to this I told him, finally, "Look, I said that, and you got upset. There was no customer around, and we all laughed. You didn't. You didn't get the joke. Get a sense of humor, get a life, but at least GET OUT OF MY FACE!"

"Look, that's fine. But what does that have to do with you not talking to me?"

"Because every time I DO talk to you, you have a complaint, or you bitch, or you yell, or you have a smart remark, or you have a put-down, and you usually do it in front of other people. Frankly, Ace, I'm tired of it. I don't need the bullsh**, because I get enough of it as it is."

He asks if I'd rather have it from the company's owner. "Been there," I answer. "More often than I like, and I would rather not."

I've been chewed out by our dispatcher. Ed is a quiet guy, and when you blow it, he'll tell you. His voice never goes up above a conversational tone, but there is no mistake, you have blown it. You're @$$ is grass, and the word "TORO" is right there across his forehead. You still have your dignity, but you've also got respect for the man after the fact. I told Mr. Sunshine this, and he agreed, he should not be running people down in front of others. So, he'll work on that.

At the same time, here's a bit of what HE'S got to deal with:

(1.) One of our drivers broke down on Interstate 80 during a snowstorm. He parked under a tree, (huge no-no), then did not turn on his flashers, did not place his triangles behind his truck, and did not notify dispatch. The company only found out he'd broken down because the CHP called the office, demanding to know why our driver didn't have his triangles out, or his flashers on. (And what in the hell was he doing under a TREE?)

(2.) Another driver has a load of raw steel aboard. He has it STRAPPED to the deck. Not chained. What's going to be tougher, the steel, or the strap? (And do you want to be on the outside, next to the truck on a tight curve?)

(3.) Yet another genius showed up on a construction site without his hard hat and his safety vest on. EVERY construction company in the area will eject you from the site RIGHT NOW if you're not wearing both of those. Not only is it a matter of safety, but insurance regs come into play here.

Further, with companies like Granite, Teichert, Rados, and others, if you don't have them on, THE WHOLE COMPANY is ejected from the site. And you don't get back in. Ever.

(4.) The piece de resistance: One of our drivers hit a car. The company found out about it because the car's driver called the company to notify us about it and make insurance arrangements. Of course, wouldn't you know, it was a worst case scenario: the car was a rental.

The driver never called in. (Big mistake.)

Mr. Sunshine had to go locate the driver and the truck. He found them both, around 60 miles away, with the driver asleep in the cab. Mr. Sunshine rousted the driver out, got him into the service truck, and drove to the medical lab. (Federal Commercial Motor Safety Administration regulations state unequivocably that if you have an accident, you WILL have a drug screen. Right now.) At the lab, the driver said, "I'm refusing the test."

"Don't tell me!" Mr. Sunshine told the driver. "You refuse it in there. And don't complain when you get fired."

The driver told the lab. The company fired the driver. He's lost his job, and his license. (HUGE mistake.)

So, yes, I can understand Mr. Sunshine is under some stress. The big boss has some headaches to deal with. I would rather not give anyone any headaches, and I'm trying to stick to the regs. I fill out my logs legal, I don't cheat on my hours, I keep my speed down, I secure my loads, and I try the best I can to do a complete pretrip inspection before I roll out of the yard.

Mr. Sunshine has said he'll try and do a little better. I've told him the same thing. We'll see where it goes from here.

 

[Badger]

Congratulations! It sounds to me like you made a ton of progress.

Don't forget to nurture this relationship. It could work out well for you, him, AND the company.

Best of luck to you!