I blame Picard.

[Titiuu]

Years ago I read somewhere that the US army were studying Picard's command style. I assume they found it to be a good thing.

Stargate's General Hammond has a similar style, I think, in terms of leadership.

I grew up watching Star Trek when I was young. Naturally I assumed that when I grow up all forms of leadership were done the same way. My two first employers certainly seemed to back up that theory, because they were excellent leaders of their own communities. Everyone loved going to work and interacted with each other.

Recently I've had a streak of employers who embarrass or threaten their employees. I just don't see how shouting to your employees or insulting them build up a good work morale.

Can you imagine Picard shouting at one of his junior officers for no good reason? Or having a hizzy fit when the shields fail?

(I suddenly remember a scene in ST: Nemesis, right after the "naked on Betazed" discussion. I felt the look Picard gave Worf after his panel gave the alert was rather... odd. Out of character.)

I think it should be in an employer's ability to be able to listen to other people as well, and be able to work as a team member, not above-you-all attitude that seems to infect all at the workplace. It's also strange how our society expects this moral high ground (no work bullying or sexual harassment, for example) but it's completely different inside the four walls of your workplace.

Picard is an excellent leader. I strongly think Star Trek should be mandatory watching for all, but I guess that's wishful thinking.

So I blame Picard, for he has spoiled me. I expect too good.

So I ask if there's anyone else out there who has grown used to the... civilized formality, for lack of a better term, of Star Trek? Do you practise it yourself?


This rant is the result of a rather unpleasant day at work.

 

[KayArr]

Back last winter my workplace was giving me absolute fits--I found season 5 of TNG at a used dvd store, bought it, watched it all in a weekend, and felt much better. Who wouldn't want to work there with that boss and those coworkers? Alas, I reside in the real world...

 

[saxarocks]

there was that book i think it was about business, Everything I Need I Learned From Star Trek...but it think it was based on TOS.

 

[T'Cal]

there was that book i think it was about business, Everything I Need I Learned From Star Trek...but it think it was based on TOS.

The leadership book is titled, "Make It So" and it is excellent. The author, Weiss Roberts, wrote it as though Picard was compiling the traits that he felt were important for a successful leader to possess. The format is a diary that is written to the Starfleet kommandant to use for new cadets in the Academy command track. "Picard" choses several incidents (synopses of episodes from TNG) in which he and his crew exhibited each trait. After that, he writes in more general terms so that any leader can apply these traits in real life. It's a fast read, especially for a Trek fan, and I have been successful in my career following its messages.

 

[Triskelion]

I think one thing he had done was assemble a capable staff. So he could trust them to do their jobs, and vice-versa. There was a good deal of dignity being exchanged.

As opposed to working for people who can't handle responsibility, and in turn treat staff the same way - as if the staff was also incompetent and corrupt and had to have everything explained twice, and whose work couldn't be trusted.

And whose way of thinking was that in the first place.... Sigh.

 

[C.E.S.]

Sometimes I think the characters of Picard and Sisko were too good of leaders. I wouldn't mind seeing a Starfleet captain who lashed out at the crew every once in a while. Not a despotic tyrant, but someone with real human struggles.

*shrug*

On the other hand, Janeway was a bipolar crazy woman.

 

[Red Ranger]

Titiuu, et al.,

Yep, in the real world, many bosses suck at their job. They're micromanaging little tin gods. In my entire work career, which spans more than 25 years, I've only had maybe two or three bosses I respected.

Red Ranger

 

[CaptainStoner]

So I ask if there's anyone else out there who has grown used to the... civilized formality, for lack of a better term, of Star Trek? Do you practise it yourself?


This rant is the result of a rather unpleasant day at work.

I do find a Trek-like attitude to be very beneficial to one's professionalism, and a good way to keep one's nose out of the muck of work politics to some extent.
One thing that makes Picard such a good leader is, he is still willing, even eager, to work. Kirk was like that, too. Where I work, the Management almost never dirties their hands, never pitches in on the day-to-day stuff. And that involvement is needed. They literally leave everything for the night staff (it's a direct care house). Grocery shopping, work orders, med orders, you name it, we do it second shift. We run this place. What that creates is a lack of respect for the management. The higher they're paid, the less work they do.
So, I'm keeping myself open to a transfer, and I suggest you do the same. Working for bad leadership is disheartening.

 

[WillsBabe]

The thing I like about Picard is his respect for his employees. He is always respectful and curteous. I remember Lower Decks when he says some pretty near the knuckle things to Sito. It came as such a shock. So out of character. But he did it for a reason. It worked so well because it was so unlike him! Even at other times when he's had occassion to speak to his staff he didn't do it in that manner. Made me think what an intimidating boss Picard could have been, if he had got that balance between leadership and authority down so well.

 

[BillJ]

Let's move him from the flagship of the Federation to say... a retail store. Where only 20% of the employees are remotely interested in doing the job, Human Resources is a roadblock to getting anything done and upper management is leaning hard on lower management to get things done. See what type of attitude he carries then.

I always found these ideas' that Star Trek captains' are sometype of inspirational leaders ludicrous. They have the best of the best and should perform that way.

 

[Red Ranger]

Let's move him from the flagship of the Federation to say... a retail store. Where only 20% of the employees are remotely interested in doing the job, Human Resources is a roadblock to getting anything done and upper management is leaning hard on lower management to get things done. See what type of attitude he carries then.

I always found these ideas' that Star Trek captains' are sometype of inspirational leaders ludicrous. They have the best of the best and should perform that way.

Interesting points, but I don't agree that seeing ST captains as inspirational leaders is ludicrous at all. Why not, even in the dead-end retail situation you cite, try to be professional and even remotely interested in your job, whether you're the boss or employee? I know I did a good job of faking it when I had a few retail jobs early in my work career! I saw it as necessary because having the other kind of bad attitude can stick with you even when you achieve the kind of job you desire, which I did when I became a journalist. -- RR

 

[TheProphet]

Picard was a shitty leader. He never even fucked that Deanna chick. A good boss would have had his dong up in that during the first episode.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Picard didn't act like an immature ass, okay. Sorry that you have such poor excuses for bosses. But as a military leader, he was way too cautious. Sometimes you have to have the cojones to think fast and act decisively, and just whomp those aliens and not cry about it.

Among the Trek captains we've seen as main characters, Kirk, Janeway and especially Sisko are the ones that stand out as the best leaders for military missions.

Going further afield, I'd also recommend Bill Adama.

I'm not sure I'd actually want any of those folks as bosses at work, though. I don't work in the military and I don't have to worry about my boss' excess of caution actually getting me killed.

So I really don't buy the notion that Star Trek is a good metaphor for life. Very few of us have jobs where we have to whomp the aliens before they whomp us.

 

[TheProphet]

Temis......are you gay ?

 

[Cyke101]

Funny, this just happened today...

...anyway, I was working on this project and outside factors were beginning to make the project spiral out of control. My Executive Director notified my immediate Director that she wanted to speak to me directly about the project. I really thought I was in trouble and was about to bite a big bullet.

As it turns out, though, my Exec. Director was well aware of the situation. She instead thanked me for doing everything I did and being creative with proper priority. She patted me on the back, reassured me that everything would be okay, and together she and I came up with a plan of action to tackle the problem and get the project done.

But wait. She wasn't finished.

She identified the most difficult new development in the project and decided that as the head of the organization, only she would be the one who could get us out of that jam. Not my manager, not my immediate director, but she herself, the top of the command chain. She said there were some things would be beyond my power, so she stepped in and took over that one aspect of the project, much to my relief.

The closest parallel I can think of is something like Ensign Kim trying his best to solve something and being completely exasperated, only for Janeway to take him by the shoulder and give him a sly, confident grin that says, "Take it easy, you've done your part. Now I'VE got it."