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Panel 4:
“But you inspire 6 people to work at peak capacity so that the team is as effective as 9 people, and they all say you give a shit about them, their growth, and doing the work that actually matters with guidance and appropriate comp adjustment. Be a manager.”
If you work with incompetent middle management, move. When you work for a great manager in a great team, you feel bulletproof.
I'm a manager, and this strip nicely brought out my main insecurities about the role. Thanks for pointing out that there are other things one may contribute with, despite losing (or never having) abilities in the three mentioned aspects. It's not easy to let go of depth, and exchange it for width and longer term thinking.
If you work with incompetent middle management, move
Really wish this notion would die considering how fucking hard that is to do.
I’ll bite.
So one way of reading this is that you’re surrounded by incompetents. Early in my career I thought this. As a corollary to Chesterton’s Fence, it turns out I wasn’t so special and most weren’t so dumb. In a high-density area, being truly surrounded by bozos is just unlikely. So my advice here wouldn’t seem to be folly. If one tries several roles and every one is just full of bozos, it suggests that the one is in error.
Another way of reading this is that you are not in a high density area and perhaps the monopoly-oligopoly players who offer the work to which you are called are so few that the incompetent middle management is entrenched in these few spots and you’d love to leave but burning bridges / no proof the grass is greener suggest stay put. But with so few businesses, theoretically they have their pick of market and would not hire bozos. So, again, moving seems viable and not folly.
Lastly perhaps the factor is life/circumstances/education for you. Like if these desired roles require retraining or expensive certification. I feel for you if this is the case. But since you see those skills’ value, perhaps current-job learning/practice opportunities on-the-job could level you up to be able to hop to greener pastures. Most companies etc of even meager size have some tuition assistance program. Maybe that’s your way.
Regardless, this is your one precious life. I hope you’ll find access to your truest calling. It might be harder than what I said: “move” (such dismissive tone probably resultant from the ignorant perspective of the comic), but I’m confident your creativity and capability can point you in a path toward your flourishing.