Many of us have had our ups and downs with bosses. Some have been good ones, some have been okay, and some have been downright horrible. I fondly remember the ones who were competent, motivating, fair and who held on to their integrity under all circumstances. I salute them. On…

One manager of mine had no clue how to conduct useful meetings. He never even put together an agenda, let alone action items. We would spend the first few minutes just staring at each other, until I'd jump in to lead the meeting. I couldn't understand how this guy became my manager when he didn't have basic management 101 skills. He did though do a lot of kissing up.

I am in agreement with you Ted. This is my take on the subject - https://medium.com/illumination/its-that-wonderful-time-of-year-7310a1e7ec6e

Being laid off is not a pleasant experience under any circumstance so I’m sorry that you’ve experienced it. But I feel that a lottery approach to layoffs may be a more respectable one. Too many times, layoff decisions are left in the hands of untrustworthy managers who take this opportunity to get rid of people they don't personally like. And in terms of meritocracy, everyone always thinks they’re the most hardworking of them all.

Effective and up to date processes and procedures are crucial for any business. Cross-training staff is also vital.

Many times when people are let go they think it's their fault and that there's something wrong with them. In reality, there are too many gatekeepers/bosses who are complete jerks and their decisions to "fire" people is all about self-preservation. As you stated, the best thing to do is to just move on.

"Executive coaches" teach those on the fast track how to climb the ladder by keeping those below them in line and kissing up to those above them. As you mentioned, they don't show them how to motivate their teams to strive for success together.

My last "manager" had no clue how to conduct meaningful, productive team meetings. He never even had agendas and I had to take over on many occasions due to deafening silence in the room. I was actually shocked that this guy was made a manager with these horrible interpersonal skills. But in the corporate world, incompetent management, many times, flourishes.

It's mind boggling that most companies don't invest in real hands-on training for new managers. If they did, the payoff would be immense.