@jph Amen, brother. Been there, done that. The sociopath part is not an exaggeration.
@mike-marks I knew I had to leave when my wife would find me in the bathroom staring at the mirror and trying to get up the courage to go to work. Not good, not good at all. I still have nightmares about the time cards. Starting my own business was a life saver, literally and figuratively both.
I understand what you were experiencing.?ÿ As I put it following an MRI for similar seizures: They X-rayed by brain about 100 times and found absolutely nothing.
Had a new baby at home and the wife was going through post-partum depression while I was tackling a new job with unfamiliar challenges every day.?ÿ Those were the days when I was using my knowledge of plow shares to make swords.?ÿ Sort of the opposite to the recommendation in the Bible.
Part of my problem was I felt I was regressing in my career.?ÿ Our department was largely funded by special projects.?ÿ It was possible to complete everything very well and significantly under budget.?ÿ What that meant was that you did nothing for weeks on end until your wages spent every last penny of the budget.?ÿ You could not assist someone else on a different project.
I wish I could offer you some words of wisdom but I can't.?ÿ I have worked for two large Engineering & Surveying companies as the Survey Department Manager.?ÿ One company appreciated and rewarded their employees with parties and bonuses, the other threated their employees like numbers with no care or compassion.?ÿ Both had entirely different management styles, on was run by spreadsheet reading investors and the other by Professional Engineers and Surveyors.
If you don't understand the lingo, ask to have it broken down for you, you'll pick up on it quickly.?ÿ If the work flow feels overwhelming, mentor your people and delegate some of the tasks.?ÿ The most important thing, when running the department, is to be consistent.?ÿ Set up a system that works for you and have everybody in the department follow it.?ÿ This may take time and tweaking but it works.
Listen to your people and their suggestions.?ÿ If somebody suggests something that you think won't work, don't just dismiss them, explain to them why you think it won't work so that they take something away from the conversation.?ÿ If somebody does a good job, tell them so.?ÿ If somebody is slacking or not performing to your expectations, have a private conversation with them, one on one, and suggests ways to improve the situation.
I've been in management of Survey staff for over 20 years.?ÿ There are two things that I've learned,?ÿ you learn something new regularly, and, just when you think you have seen it all, you quickly learn that you haven't.
Good luck in your new position, I wish you nothing but success.?ÿ Keep in mind that we are all here if you would like tips or suggestions.?ÿ?ÿ
Good comments on this thread for you.?ÿ Get involved with upper management about the "multiplier" which is the number used against the cost of labor to determine the charge out rate for the employees, sometimes called "overhead".?ÿ How companies use this varies widely, some even have different multipliers for different departments.?ÿ With some clients, particularly government ones, they will audit the firm and determine an "allowable multiplier".?ÿ The reason is all of the non-producing costs have to be in this overhead multiplier, like the cost of the buildings, utilities, receptionists, principals, marketing personnel, computers, IT costs, Presidents new Mercedes and Golf Country Club dues, corporate jet, etc.?ÿ ?ÿWhat you want to do is make sure the things for survey department are in there such as equipment purchases and upkeep, employee training and development, and non-chargeable work for you as the manager to attend to corporate interaction.?ÿ A very good question when starting is "what is the expected chargeability of my position?".?ÿ ?ÿIf you as a department manager are expected to be 60-100% chargeable to projects, that is an clue that you are in for a collision course with impossibility.?ÿ In fact depending on the firm and required duties, it might be lower than that.?ÿ Smart business strategy is to recognize the?ÿ needed amount of overhead costs, and include it in the overhead multiplier so that the charge out rates for the production staff recoup the overhead costs.?ÿ This all gets complicated with labor charge out rates and working up cost estimates if you are in a market area with competitors that don't?ÿ realize the real cost of (profitable) business and low-ball charge out rates.?ÿ If that is prevalent in your area, it's a rock-and-hard place situation to acquire work against a low-balling environment.?ÿ Knowing what the regional charge out rates are of others is good intel.?ÿ Get to know your management and other business line managers.?ÿ ?ÿAsk questions when you are not sure of what is expected by upper management or if there are business terms or directives you are not familiar with.?ÿ Welcome to the machine.?ÿ ?ÿ
I went solo 15 years ago because of my inept ability to manage 4 employees. No advice.
@bruce-small I can identify!?ÿ I never thought time cards would be the stressful part of surveying.
Best management advice I ever received:
My cousin is a retired marine aviator. He told me a story that, at the Naval Academy, when graduates were given their initial career assignments a representative from that community gave them their insignia. For example a Submarine Officer would give the Midshipman the dolphin insignia and say something like "welcome to the silent service".?ÿ The Marine Officers always say the same thing to Midshipmen getting the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor: 'Take care of your men"
Second Best:
There are two ways to look at a change in position like this.?ÿ One is as a reward for your experience and the time you've put into your career.?ÿ The second is as a brand new career with a new set of often overwhelming responsibilities (for example, if you are expected to participate in a portion of the departments business development goals, then the livelihood of your staff is in your hands).?ÿ You are almost guaranteed to succeed with the second approach.?ÿ?ÿ
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Did much the same thing a year ago. I jumped into a big corporation. Large corporate structure made it hard for me to build team (I had to start from scratch, then got saddled with the wrong personality for my XO, assigned by corporate). The political and budget structure matters, and it isn't always obvious. I think it was a great company, but I bailed when I felt it was likely that I was going to be one of the scapegoats on a project that had already been completely worked over by other goats.?ÿ
Moved to a small company, but basically the same job that you describe. I don't have enough experience in yet to offer a lot of advice, but I have learned this:
Delegate. Delegate. Delegate.?ÿ
Delegate. Delegate. Delegate.?ÿ
This. This. This.?ÿ
I bailed when I felt it was likely that I was going to be one of the scapegoats on a project that had already been completely worked over by other goats.?ÿ
This is what I call the "bayonet the wounded" phase of project management.
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Part of me wanted to stick around and see if I could make it through the Survivor "vote off the island" phase, or as you called it the "bayonet the wounded", but I don't have a lot of experience in that. Politics is a strange thing, and a unique skill set.
I actually think that I could have made it in the company, it wasn't a bad company (in fact I have zero bad to say about it), but the project was a bit strange, and they had never had a survey manager on a project from what I could tell.?ÿ
I do miss the amazing benefits!
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