Job Preservation / Obfuscation?

[Signstein]

Not sure what the correct term is for this practice -

What do you call it when someone in an organization operates in such a way as to artificially make themselves a gatekeeper of a given procedure/operation/practice? They're usually micromanagers, never delegate, and often inflate their given role. For instance, when you hear things like "oh, you gotta go through the warehouse and talk to so and so if you want to order in bulk" or "just get with such and such and they can schedule it for you". It's as if they know they hold no real power, and their only skill is their tenure - so they apply influence over others in order to preserve their job. They hide the fact that a given task can be done by anyone and insist that 'only they' can help.
Case in point: I'm about to start work on a pretty large project for one of our parking lots and so I've been coordinating with our Millwork shop to make sure we order enough posts and MDO. Hoo-boy, did our warehouse manager ever get butt hurt when he found out we ordered materials on our own. He just sent out an email to my boss and department manager letting us know that we can special order treated posts and plywood through the warehouse. Wow - thanks! We also have hands and mouths and know how to use computers and telephones.
I guess I'm just surprised that he would broadcast a defensive posture like this, literally trying to claw back his relevance.

 

[Boudica]

I used to work with people like that... Insecure and toxic with no business managing anything, much less people.

 

[Stacey K]

I've run into several of these. Most of them are 55+ year old's that lack self-esteem in their skill set and are frightened by change and threatened by people who introduce change. The boss often overlooks this as they feel guilty because the person has 20, 30+ years in with no disciplinary issues.

In 2 separate jobs I replaced 2 retiring women. Turns out after they retired their 40 hours of work was actually only 20. That could be part of it too - they KNOW they don't have 40 hours of work but they milk it out to make it look like it. The one job I ended up quitting because I literally worked my way out of the job. There wasn't enough work in the Wisconsin office for me as I worked for Minnesota office in Wisconsin - long story. The second job there was plenty of extra work I took on.

And I'm still mad 15 years later the one lady through me under the bus as much as she could. Told everyone I would never make it in payroll because I used Excel and not the adding machine with the paper roll. I didn't know how to use the adding very well - well sorry, I can do IF statements, etc. in Excel so big hairy deal about the stupid adding machine. Rant over.

 

[StarSign]

I love it when people take the initiative and order materials on their own! Does your company have a system as to who orders what? Can anyone in the company order?

 

[Solventinkjet]

I just ask our guys to CC me the PO so I know what's in the pipe line and don't get blindsided. But if they want to order instead of making me do it, more power to ya!

 

[Gino]

Isn't it better to follow the rules and policies of your company, than to just go off willy-nilly ?? The difference between insubordination and a team worker is kinda what you just frowned upon and made fun of. Perhaps, YOU could talk to your superiors along with the butt-hurt employee and voice your problems and come up with a method that might not duplicate such a large order for not following protocol.

 

[Boudica]

Isn't it better to follow the rules and policies of your company, than to just go off willy-nilly ?? The difference between insubordination and a team worker is kinda what you just frowned upon and made fun of. Perhaps, YOU could talk to your superiors along with the butt-hurt employee and voice your problems and come up with a method that might not duplicate such a large order for not following protocol.

It doesn't work that way with people like he has described. This type of person creates their own arbitrary "rules" and they are not necessarily the company rules. at the end of the day, that person has just made themselves look bad, and it will be noticed and remembered. (hopefully)
However if the OP was in some way insubordinate and what they did was problematic - the higher ups should address it and let him know, there is a reason blah blah blah... moving forward you should do it this way blah blah blah...
Because they are important and tried and true reasons, not because of some insecure individual who is overly protective of their role because deep down they are aware they aren't as important as they wish they were.

 

[Gino]

Understood, but we're only getting his point of view...... not the other guy or the company's. There's always both sides of the story and the OP is giving both sides. Now, let's either see the rule book or talk to a person higher up the ladder.

 

[Stacey K]

It would be good to know what the company policy is. Is this guy making up his own rules or is he following the rules.

 

[Signstein]

Can anyone in the company order?

For the most part, yes. So long as we have a PO# and room on our purchasing card. We're each responsible for ordering what we need for a given job (we charge internally for time and materials).

Isn't it better to follow the rules and policies of your company, than to just go off willy-nilly ??

Of course! Our rules are that we each need to charge for and purchase what is needed, on-demand, for each job. Our warehouse stocks the basics and we can get some things there, but when they don't have enough to fill an order, we're instructed to source materials ourselves. Plus, in this case, it's a large project that was coordinated with multiple departments and it was decided to order everything and have it delivered straight to millwork.
I'd love to see the rule book too! That's the thing - there is no book, no written policies. If you asked a person higher up the ladder they'd say "oh yeah, you gotta go talk to so and so and he can order it for you".

 

[Gino]

So, maybe then it would be a good idea for some of you to request a meeting, so things don't get overlooked down the road. It sounds like someone just wants a part in things, insterad of sitting on their thumbs outta the loop.

 

[Boudica]

That's the thing - there is no book, no written policies. If you asked a person higher up the ladder they'd say "oh yeah, you gotta go talk to so and so and he can order it for you".

Gawd this sounds familiar.
So, there is probably no real accountability. It could be fun to inundate so-and-so with order requests, make HIM do it ALL, then when he starts dropping balls it's all on his self-righteous ass. But I think I understand how it probably works, and will have no accountability for dropping balls and not getting people what they need when they need it and the whole operation suffers.
Almost feels like I worked there, but in my past situations (oh so much like this) it wasn't in the sign industry.

 

[Signstein]

Yeah, we have several of these types here. Like the guy in engineering who thinks he's the only one who can contact the city planning office or apply for permits. Or the carpenter who tries to have a monopoly on calling in locate requests for underground utilities. Or the IT guy who hijacks a service request because he's the only who knows what serial port I have on my Edge1. I could go on...

 

[Gino]

Well, if there's too many chiefs and you feel smarter than the rest of them, perhaps it's time to take yourself outta the equation and find a worthwhile job where you'd be appreciated. It's one thing to whine about everything, but another thing if you know their job better than they do.

 

[Johnny Best]

Well you just have to go and talk to So&So and get the rules straight.

 

[Boudica]

Yeah, we have several of these types here. Like the guy in engineering who thinks he's the only one who can contact the city planning office or apply for permits. Or the carpenter who tries to have a monopoly on calling in locate requests for underground utilities. Or the IT guy who hijacks a service request because he's the only who knows what serial port I have on my Edge1. I could go on...

Sounds like you work for a very large operation, and taking any initiative outside your assigned role is not a welcomed thing. roll with it, or like Gino said move on to where you are appreciated.

 

[JBurton]

it's a large project that was coordinated with multiple departments and it was decided to order everything and have it delivered straight to millwork.

So, just an alternate pov, maybe he's peeved because he'll have to drive the forklift clear across campus to unload a big ole shipment for millwork, who won't get to it for numerous days, and doesn't have the storage capacity for the order, so he'll be hauling pallets to the warehouse for half a day.
Not saying this is true in any way, just sounds like if you have a warehouse and a millwork dept, then you probably have some reason for two separate departments. Here, I can drop a pallet in my cutting room and just walk around it, other shops make more efficient use of their floor space though.
I'm with Gino, there's a reason for everything, it may be artificially created by a lazy/time thieving/conniving sort of employee, or it could be that delivery straight to millwork is a one way road that will take the semi 45 minutes to back out of...

Hoo-boy, did our warehouse manager ever get butt hurt when he found out we ordered materials on our own. He just sent out an email to my boss and department manager letting us know that we can special order treated posts and plywood through the warehouse. Wow - thanks! We also have hands and mouths and know how to use computers and telephones.

Did he word it any differently than 'let frankensign know that next time they can ask me to get what they need and I'll do my job as far as pricing, procuring, and stocking'. Sounds less butthurt and more 'let me correct this in the laziest/easiest way possible, an email!'

But I have no clue on your operation's size and scope.

 

[Signstein]

Thanks all - yeah, I think I'm just exiting the honeymoon period here and beginning to see the shine wear off. The past few weeks have been eye opening. It's definitely a large, top heavy organization, but you guys are right.
Gotta just go with the flow or move on.

 

[Stacey K]

If you have a problem, you should try and come up with a workable solution. You don't seem like the kind of guy is going to just "deal with it". If the company is overall a great place to work, perhaps you can lead a team and create workflows. Maybe you have a few co-workers who agree with you?

If you focus on saving the company time and money and can show them a workable solution, they are typically receptive. I've done this a couple times with things as simple as instead of paper invoices being signed by 50 people, we scanned them and used electronic signatures then saved them on the cloud.

Some company CEO's or managers are very receptive to change and (I can't think of the word now...Japanese word for work flow, it's a program lots of companies implement). Some are not.

Change can be forced on these people but it has to come from the top down.

 

[Signstein]

Some company CEO's or managers are very receptive to change and (I can't think of the word now...Japanese word for work flow, it's a program lots of companies implement). Some are not.

Is kaizen the word you're thinking of?
And you're absolutely right - thanks for this perspective! This whole place is built on preservation. We're not going to preserve our future if we don't think forward and begin to modernize our processes.