2nd Grade managers. Lots of them are promoted individual contributors. Many years of service, slimy upwards, frustrated downwards. Playing manager, not being manager. Not interested in results, only in personal PR. Our weekly team meetings were exemplary for BBC's the thick of it. They usually start like: "I have met with X (team members should be impressed) and it's vital that we are visible here and here. Please produce this and this before end of business tomorrow." Team member: "But that entails a week of work with excell, I want to talk to my customers." Manager: "Prioritize this, it's important for our visibility in the organization" Team member: "All the asked information is in the crm already, and it is a problem that no one is talking to the customers in inside sales." Manager "Please stop making objections and do as your told before eob tomorrow I repleat. It that clear to everybody?". Goes on like this week after week, always about something else, but always about visibility and never about the business and performance. It is unbelievable how small a number of inside sales employees are actually talking to customers, and how toxic the management culture is. Managers are not standing for their workers, and they really don't care for the customer either. They are looking down on their workers and customers. The good people which perform, and care for the business, are considered dangerous. They are leaving as soon as they can, and they are even sacked. People who are among the top sales performers in emea are sacked because management doesn't like them.
