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Thread: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

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    Ceroc N.I. Franchise Owner drathzel's Avatar
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    Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    I wonder......

    I have just spent the day answering questions for our managers that i have never been trained in. I am using common sense and getting things sorted. These managers get paid more than me, should they not be able to work it out and leave me to my job?

    This got me to thinking, my mum always says there are acedemic smarts and common sense smarts, is this true and can you be both? I think you can be, but todays episodes have told me otherwise....

    or am i just having a crappy day?

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by drathzel
    I wonder......

    I have just spent the day answering questions for our managers that i have never been trained in. I am using common sense and getting things sorted. These managers get paid more than me, should they not be able to work it out and leave me to my job?
    A fairly universal pattern I would say...

    A key management skill should be 'problem solving' - but it seems that 'delegation' often ranks higher in the skill set.

    Of course instead of them sorting out the problems themselves they are getting you to do it, so maybe they are smarter than they seem...

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    Registered User KatieR's Avatar
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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    I work in a Team Coordinator role assisting a team of people ranging from the Marketing Executive to the Graphic Designer. What I find interesting is that they cant do the simplest things for themselves like make a simple phone call, send a fax, put a box away, etc when it would probably take longer for them to explain to me what is required than actually do it themselves.

    I appreciate that the nature of my role is team support but I think that it can be taken advantage of.

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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Ah good! Other people having a whinge!

    Well, I'm a Managing Director and I've just spent 30 minutes sorting out a low level issue for someone which just required a bit of common sense (everyone else is too busy it seems). After that I listened to one of my Senior Managers rehearse the arguments for a particular course of action and nodded my head - he just wanted his hand holding. All this when I should be sitting here having devastatingly brilliant thoughts on strategy and development or, better still, taking the afternoon off. I knew that training people to delegate up, down and sideways was a mistake - particularly the "up" bit.

    The thing that really irks me is that this excellent team, most of whom have oodles of common sense, seem incapable of changing loo rolls or putting the little seals from the water cooler bottles in the bin. I mean, they don't drop litter anywhere else - what's the problem with putting a seal in the bin? As for the loo rolls, well I'm resigned to being the "loo roll fairy" for the gents.

    Oh, and when I suggested that one of our Client Account Assistants might like to make me a cup of tea I was told that I'd only get one if I provided chocolate in exchange. You just can't get the staff ........... fortunately I've got the chocolate.

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    Registered User El Salsero Gringo's Avatar
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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn
    Of course instead of them sorting out the problems themselves they are getting you to do it, so maybe they are smarter than they seem...
    And doubly so, because now it will be your fault when it goes wrong!

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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by drathzel
    I wonder......

    I have just spent the day answering questions for our managers that i have never been trained in. I am using common sense and getting things sorted. These managers get paid more than me, should they not be able to work it out and leave me to my job?


    Dilbert Principle - companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management, in order to limit the amount of damage that they're capable of doing.

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    Registered User El Salsero Gringo's Avatar
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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn
    A fairly universal pattern I would say...

    A key management skill should be 'problem solving'
    The more I think about this, the more I disagree. Management should be about problem-avoidance. Problem solving is easily delegated ... as Drathzel has found out!

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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by Clevedonboy
    Dilbert Principle - companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management, in order to limit the amount of damage that they're capable of doing.
    Thanks very much!

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    Registered User doc martin's Avatar
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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    I think the main problems are that common sense is not common and it is not a sense.

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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by clevedonboy
    Dilbert Principle - companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management, in order to limit the amount of damage that they're capable of doing.
    Which is itself an adaptation of the Peter principle, which says something like this.

    Organisations will continue to promote staff as long as they are doing well in their job. Once the individual reaches a position in which he or she struggles, they won't get promoted again. But neither will they be demoted to the job at which they were doing superbly just before the last promotion.

    Ergo, the world is full of people who have risen just one promotion above their competency level.

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    Ceroc N.I. Franchise Owner drathzel's Avatar
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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo
    The more I think about this, the more I disagree. Management should be about problem-avoidance. Problem solving is easily delegated ... as Drathzel has found out!
    Technically it was not delegated. It was managers not having a clue what to do and looking for some who did know. Instead they found me, and with my common sense was able to give them the answers!

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    Registered User jacksondonut's Avatar
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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    I found this to be an very interesting thread.. made me think..

    I have not been in the work force for about 16 years now, (at home and very lucky to be able to do so), but find that when faced with all sorts of situations, ie.. everyday occurances at home, out and about, emergencies, etc., I tend to act intuitively and follow, what I call, my common sense.. it mostly turns out to be the right thing.

    Whether this is part of becoming older and more confident in my own decisions I have yet to decide, but I do remember having to ask for approval, answers, etc., when in doubt as a younger person.. maybe common sense, instinct is something we acquire over time?

    I also recall (vaguely) being in situations, whereby those of 'higher intellect'(!) where unable to solve simple everyday things. Maybe they have had a life of being 'educated' to a higher level, which prevents them participating in normal everyday stuff.. mmmm interesting..

    Yes, an interesting subject..

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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by drathzel
    I

    or am i just having a crappy day?
    No but you find this interesting


    http://www.adstockweb.com/business-l...20of_Power.htm

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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov
    Which is itself an adaptation of the Peter principle, which says something like this.

    Organisations will continue to promote staff as long as they are doing well in their job. Once the individual reaches a position in which he or she struggles, they won't get promoted again. But neither will they be demoted to the job at which they were doing superbly just before the last promotion.

    Ergo, the world is full of people who have risen just one promotion above their competency level.
    Peter Principle + extension

    The original book was hawked around all of the publishers, and rejected. In order to salvage something from his efforts Laurence Peter submitted bits of it as articles to magazines. He was duly approached by the MD of one of the publishers who had previously rejected it suggesting "Why don't you write a book?". It was a best seller.
    --------------------
    Common sense - isn't

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    Registered User Magic Hans's Avatar
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    Re: Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

    Personally, I feel that the Project Management skills of so-called managers and team leaders are generally woeful. [Most operations can be considered projects - eg making a coffee has it's materials, end product and process] In a mere 15 years of working life and and about 8 different companies, I think that I've come across about 10 decent managers.

    An a lighter note.

    For any mathematicians out there the work equation:

    Work Done = Power x Time

    Now we all know that time is money, and knowledge is power, substituting and rearranging gives:

    Money = Work Done / Knowledge

    From this, we can see that as knowledge tends to zero, Money tends to infinity, irrespective of the work done.

    And that's why managers earn more!!!

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