Don't Let the Monkeys Fly the Plane

Don't let the monkeys fly the plane. Now, this is a simple adage about not letting people who have no idea what they are doing take control of a situation. But, I will be damned if I do not see this taking place quite often. Why? Usually because some corporate exec does not know enough about the subject at hand to know that he is appointing someone who does not know their ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to that very subject matter. Wow, is there a better way to waste time and money than ceding control of a department or project to under-qualified employees and then continuing down that same path even when it becomes obvious that is what has occurred? With little or no practical experience in the given field, self appointed know-it-alls and control freaks manage to crash projects with out even realizing what they are doing and all with the blessing of those higher up. This is a brilliant strategy for execs who want to get themselves fired or, at the very least, exposed for lacking any modicum of management 101 skills. The saddest part is that there is, 9 times out10, usually a far smarter and better qualified person ready and willing to step up to the task. Why is this better candidate not chosen? Well, I will throw two words out for you to chew on. Ego and fear! Ego: in the sense that, I know what I am doing better than anyone else. Fear: because I don't want to look weak or "stupid" when I have to make the necessary and beneficial changes to correct my first mistake. So, if you are going to let the monkeys fly your plane, strap yourself in because "You Are Going To Crash".



Go Full Throttle Media! Share the experience, sell the dream...
FTM
Seth Horne