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Communication Listening Atmosphere Organization Corporate Culture

Our company backs its managers 100%, whether they are right or wrong. There are no checks and balances to see if a department needs attention by someone in senior management. What can an employee do about this?

When companies back their managers 100% of the time, they are 100% wrong. While it is important for managers to be provided with autonomy, responsibility, and trust, they also need feedback on their performance, both positive and negative. When every managerial behavior is condoned, a company can easily end up condoning behaviors that are self-serving, unethical, immoral, counterproductive, or even illegal.

Some senior managers will respond that they are merely practicing effective delegation. This reaction points to a lack of understanding of the difference between delegating and dumping. When responsibility is effectively delegated, it is accompanied by regular monitoring, feedback, and coaching. Anything short of this is not even mismanagement; it is non-management.

The problem is that this practice is part of your company's culture, and that is not easily changed, especially by one employee. It is possible that you and some of your co-workers can approach senior management with factual descriptions of questionable managerial actions that cry for a senior level intervention. However, in light of the culture, you are likely to be rebuffed.

At some point, the culture will change, most likely as a result of a major event, such as a downturn in the business, a lawsuit, an upheaval on the board, new ownership, or new top management. Until then, the culture will stay, and you have to decide if that's what you want to do, too.




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