I have been contemplating a conversation I once again had with my mentor in an organization. He says that when I am in a role of authority, I should tell people to do things instead of asking them.

Thinking on this lead me to consider that I generally prefer asking politely because to me it has always showed respect between individuals. This also lead to the question of if I see those in subordinate roles as worthy of respect. The problem is: kindness is equated to deference and submission.

@DoubleD your mistake is that you think in line of person vs person. the reality is that it is rank vs rank, like in the military. you don't salute the person, you salute, or address, the rank. if you are in charge, you better give orders and not polite suggestion or we're all fucked because nothing will get done. i had a female "boss" and we were all speaking on first name basis, but she kept her distance as a boss and we always addressed her formally. in time, i realize how much sense it made.

@Justicar Yes, I understand that you respect the office/the rank and not the person in such a situation. I perhaps should have been more clear that I was taking the information about specific roles and attempting to apply it broadly.

@DoubleD in the end, the best advice i would give in this context, in addition to what i have already said is simply - read the room. many people, in general, lack this ability because most people, believe it or not, normies predominantly, are incredibly egocentric and selfish and almost incapable of thinking about the other people around them.

@Justicar @DoubleD

Managing in a corporate SME these days is an absolute nightmare. Startups are easier places to deal with since the culture is usually obvious and clearly set by the CEO/CTO etc..

SME's today on the other hand are rife with HR, DEI policies, mixed teams etc.. so it's vital to get a clear handle on the company culture before you step on any landmines.

Assuming you've figured that out, and as long as you're doing the hiring/firing you can be as generous as you want.

@Justicar @DoubleD

In exchange for high expectations I tend to give people all the space, training and support they need.

They know I will shield them from upstream shit and arrange mentorship for those who need it, but in return they deliver to their best ability.

They've seen me fire people before and I only hire people I believe in. When all that has sunk in, it's pretty smooth sailing. Typically, personal interactions just naturally fall into senior/junior mode thereafter.

@UncleIroh @DoubleD i expect next year to be in a position to be leading a team of people(forming a new company) and because of all the modern bs i it will be fully digital team an absolutely no women will be hired whatsoever. even though i am not in usa, my mouth would get me in trouble in no time and i have no patience to self censor myself.