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Return to Article: Lawmaker renews push to improve management training

• 22008
  

  My ex-supervisor basically liked to play favorites and systematically torture those he didn't like. Like others in the command, he received incentives from higher ups for denying training, or finding ways to intimidate underlings from taking advantage of training opportunities to keep the budget down, while the likes of him collected around $15,000 a year in "performance" bonuses. Of course, we're not supposed to know this. The government is dealing with bottom feeder type managers like him, who are there for other reasons besides leading our workforce into the Millennium. I've found many to be not only incompetent, but not as well informed or educated as many of their underlings, and/or mentally ill. Training is not going to solve anything.

  GovExec.com reader Posted March 28, 2007 9:40 AM
• 21991
  

  Dear Senator Akaka
  You are wrong, very wrong.

  "Good leadership begins with strong management training," said bill sponsor Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, in a floor statement. "It is time to ensure that federal managers receive appropriate training to supervise federal employees."

  Good leadership begins with persons with strong integrity and honor. There is no amount of education and training into a toady and come up with a good leader.

  Additionally, in most cases the leader needs to be competent in the task that the team is doing. Far too often we have folks put into management or "leadership" positions that cannot do the job of those that they are supervising. Here we just say that we can hire a contractor that is technically competent, and then the manager will just lead. I was once asked by a political operative if I knew of any black, female military veterans that the new incoming party could put into a leadership position. When I asked what the position would be doing, I was asked "why would that matter?"

  No Senator, start with integrity, honor, and capability. Then you can put training into that person.

  GovExec.com reader Posted March 27, 2007 3:12 PM
• 21985
  

  If Congress seriously means to improve the quality of federal supervisors and managers by statutory mandate, Congress will need to ensure fenced funding for the training and a method for holding the departments and agencies accountable for compliance.

  Malcolm Nason Posted March 27, 2007 12:44 PM
• 21952
  

  Finding a competent manager is rare. Most are playing upper management's game, which is step on everyone to get up the ladder, i.e. with retaliation, denying training to save money, favoritism with incompetents, the list goes on. Many are not as educated as their cohorts, and have absolutely no people skills whatsoever. The problem is also employees usually are held accountable for their "performance" and "behavior" but there is NO accountability for the managers. I've had a few good managers but they are far and few between and as time goes on I see much less competence.

  GovExec.com reader Posted March 26, 2007 10:32 AM
• 21951
  

  I believe Senator Akaka has hit the nail on the head. Leaders and managers should be required to attend formal (standardized) training and orientation within their first year on the job. Where I might differ with the Senator is the time period between follow-on training.

  I would prefer a two-year refresher (reorientation) plan that refocuses leadership on their core functionality while openly discouraging political partisanship. As a mid-level manager, I am forced to suffer through the personal politics of my immediate supervisor.

  GovExec.com reader Posted March 26, 2007 10:17 AM