I've known several executives and managers who, while competent on technical matters, often failed to strike the appropriate tone when dealing with others.Their comments were so close to being rude that it was not worth making the distinction. They held everyone but their superiors in contempt - they could be great toadies - and their associates stepped with care lest their anger be aroused.
The reason why they were kept on was unknown. My guess is that no one wanted to go through the unpleasantness of firing them, especially since years of non-confrontation and sloppy documentation would place obstacles in that path. The inaction, of course, was a mistake. It would have been worth the effort. Their tone was an eloquent expression of their inadequacy.
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They say, with respect to managing employees, that you can mandate behavior not attitude. You can make them *do* something, not *feel* something. With managers, though, mandating respectful behavior makes them appear insincere. If they lack real respect for others, nothing can hide it. So how do you deal with a manager who feels that others are beneath him?
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