Phoney Company Divisions / Workplace Politics - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: jubjub7
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: May 01, 2011, 11:34:09 pm
content: I work in a big R&D company, that tends to organize itself into divisions based on different competencies. I was hired to work in a division that specializes in sensors, but after about a year or so I've come to realize that nobody in the division seems to knows a damn thing about sensors, or even electronics for that matter. I don't know how they manage to stay afloat. I've since moved from that division to a new one, but, since I'm still performing the same kind of work, my management made it so that I'm still in my old division just merely "loaned out" to the new one.Has anyone else here ever experienced a similar type of situation working in a big organization? I'm not too comfortable with it in the long term, but I can't just outright switch divisions since "I'm not in their competency." Plus I like the sensor work that I do.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2011, 06:57:17 am
content: Don't let them know that you realise they are incompetent.In one job,I made the mistake of pointing out basic technical errors to my "superiors",& became "An Enemy of the State"(This firm had a similar management philosophy to the USSR!)The people who have a lot of prestige invested in being Experts don't like being shown up.VK6ZGOPS:- This was asmallcompany!

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 02, 2011, 04:07:20 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on May 02, 2011, 06:57:17 amI learned this lesson the hard way. My first job was working in a department with an idiot co-worker and an idiot supervisor. Both were hired by a manager who was a bigger idiot.I tried as hard as I could to not show up my bosses, but when your boss says X and you have to say, things like "well, X isn't exactly true in ALL cases...." instead of "that idiot knows nothing about X at all" eventually everyone learns, and the big boss realized that the best way for him and his cadre of idiots to look better was to get rid of the smart one.I have to say I took a better job with their competitor, who quickly passed them to be the #1 manufacturer of this particular product, and the first company went bankrupt. I like to say that every company that has fired me has gone bankrupt, but the truth is, the root incompetence caused both.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 03, 2011, 11:59:06 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on May 02, 2011, 06:57:17 amyes we have similar issues, a very silly system but the one that can change it is the one that devised it so won't listen

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2011, 08:14:51 pm
content: Stupidity and incompetence are diseases running wild in many, if not all companies. Remember, 50% of all people are more stupid than average. Think about it :-)QuoteSure. Such stuff is normal.QuoteWhat is the issue? That you aren't formally appearing in the organizational diagram where it would be logical and make the most sense? Forget about logic and sense. Your manager thinks it is ok. You job is to make it appear as if it works fine, at least if you like your current tasks. Your job is not to make or create trouble where your boss doesn't see one.When your boss or someone else important enough to matter starts to hint this setup isn't good you should start to think and act. But not earlier. When you act, don't create a problem, offer a solution. E.g offer to voluntarily change into that other division to help your boss to fix the problem.

author: xygor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2011, 08:09:18 pm
content: Quote from: BoredAtWork on May 03, 2011, 08:14:51 pmOk, I thought about it.1. The distribution isn't normal. An extreme example: Everyone where I work has more than the average number of fingers.2. Hopefully, the company does a good job at picking the high end of the distribution, though you may have me there!