XaREd..who or WHAT is a MANager?
and propose that a man who makes decisions is a MAN ..maybe a wo-man!..too!? ;)
Who or What is a “manager” //// … ? ……
with irony a Video..from…
I became a manager at 19,
< see 50 chapters & episodes , part mentioned & part posted via 13 chapters open for “any human being” to absorb at https://blockedchapters.blogspot.com
Went to London, first interview got the job of office/post/messenger boy in a shipping & forwarding company…. At 16 years old. .. an adventure… and within 3 years after starting by doing the “city round” and presenting documents at the “custom house” carrying wine samples to customers around the city, I was moved into the office and after less than a year as “assistant” the transport/logistics manager, responsible for a squad of lorry drivers & warehouse ..was fired.. I got the job not only because I was extra efficient, but more likely because I was a lot cheaper than the middle aged manager!
My first lesson in business life! That Most bosses think numbers not empathy!
… I was (am?) GOOD, VERY good, at school, although I missed a lot due to migraines… (had to lay on the bed ina dark room all day!) ..
I was TOP at mental arithmetic, organisation seemed instinctive to me, in those days before desktop computers & mobile phones or even using calculators, I was able to calculate routes, payloads & such in my head… or at worse , scribble an equation on a notepad.. I could keep international telephone numbers in my head.. so I think that helped…
Are managers born rather than made? I believe so, I was very lucky , gifted with a “visual” plan in my head when I was thinking about organising people or things, or both.. later when I was with Essel shipping or ISIS, and on my own wine “groupage” service.. I could calculate how many cartons, the route through , for example FRANCE, helped by my knowledge of the French “department” numbers.. and then the route for delivery in the uk, my brain “saw” the proposals , whether in London or say the whole of France, and often I was organising several containers loads each week.. hundreds of calculations, in my head,
And if I went shopping, after separation from my deceased wife, and sometimes whilst we were together, I would calculate the amounts in my head, and often have the exact money ready at the cashier!
(still do that, BTW!)
And when I became a global STRATEGIC manager .. I could walk into a meeting or a company and “SEE” their corporate structure , strengths & weaknesses, I am sure than many “little Johnnies” have been pushed by their parents into attending MBA courses, but equally sure many do not “fit” management. Which can also be a lonesome status. Its difficult to stay “friends” with staff once THEY know you have a “power”… !
An experience I often relate to people who visited me, mostly young , and often without good parental or teacher guidance… is when I was assistant commercial manager at ISIS shipping Ltd, (not THAT Isis!)
I was in my early 20’s and so KEEN & enthusiastic, I volunteered to come into their office almost every Saturday, weekdays I was first in, last out, I loved it.. and I learned so much about every department of that company, even the departments that had nothing to do with me, I accumulated “info & details” regarding shipping, logistics, processing taxes, accounting.. & management methods of the other managers… (I didn’t even think about my own methods, it was NATURAL for me!)
Anyway, one Saturday I had driven about 30 Kms in my old Mini-van to the office, and surprised, and angry, to find that all the chairs in my general office were on the desks, and the cleaners were using those big floor polishing machines. Impossible to do anything in that main office, there were 4 or 5 others there, and everyone started with complaints, about this & many other moans..
After about half an hour, such is my way… I asked; “ok, what NOW?what are we going to do about this? We wasted a free day, or rather the Directors had, by not telling us about the office cleaning!” some were worried as the 2 managing/owner-directors , John & Allen were against Unions, (tories, I never asked!_) …but I convinced Paul & Glenn, to approach John & Allen Monday morning, and to meet in the corridor, between the main office & theirs, at 07,45 am…
Well…I was there by about 7,30h & soon after Allen came walking through the short corridor ..asking me “Morning ChRiS <first name terms were usual in those days> what’s going on, why are you standing here. Do you want a cup of tea?” He was the “good cop” of the two, usually… my adrenalin was pumping …I replied “WE NEED to see you ! “ …Allen smiled & replied “ ChRiS, I don’t see “we”, I see you, come on, we can have a cup of tea before the phones start ringing” (his secretary obliged, and left us alone in his office)
I decided to start, I blurted out the Saturday “problem” and before I could get into my stride, John, the “bad cop” Director, came in, and glared at me, drinking tea in their office with “and what’s all this about, ChRiS?” … >>>???
I decided I was already “in it” so became a bit aggressive, almost verbally attacking them with a list of complaints I had made in preparation… “ and this & that “ ..” and wasting my Saturday” etc..
They looked at each other, and I was sure I was out! …instead they BOTH smiled (unusual) and John said, “we are PLEASED you came to us, we knew there were murmurs & moans but even George, the general manager could not explain much!” (well George was as useless as “colonel Blake” was in the TV series M.A.S.H, popular at that time)
…but I waited for their next words, becoming much more confident, as Allen said “ChRiS would you like to form, not a union, but , with another staff member, a “Staff Association” meeting with us on a regular basis and solving any problems between us & the employees?” .., now I was very confident, and a little bit proud of my courage, and replied, “only if I have some “authority” to filter subjects raised by either side, I am not going to be your messenger” … John & Allen said “ that’s fair”..
Anyway, I did this, and learnt much more about managers & the attitude of them and the opposing mentality of some of the petty staff members,… and I learnt how to be the “AGENT” in some way “absorbing” and protecting the staff from the bosses & vice verca, as my career escalated, I became an exceptional “non secret AGENT” and probably one of the best Strategic managers worldwide…before I was in my mid thirties..
PLUS, the books I had read at the age of 10 about wartime generals , their ideas, strategies, methods & tactics helped my background later on, because the psychology & problems to overcome , are similar, in an office or a market, a battle, or a world WAR! .its “logictics” and although later on I “invented ecologistics” most fun is in sport , particularly football.. ..
Football managers … comparing..
Shanks
Well, my mentor, Bill Shankly was able to apply himself to ever aspect of not only the club, but to the people of Liverpool… one of Shanks methods, was to virtually make the BIG small & the small big… BIG hearted , strong willed , he eventually got tired of “fighting” the boardroom, an that’s a damnation of fools I have met who own or are C.E.O’s of major corporations, many of whom are lacking in vision & awareness, hiding behind a mask… Shanks was HONEST ..a socialist, man of the people, not of politics… Bill took Lfc and pulled it out of the 2nd division and made it into a global entity, was loyal, as our supporters were loyal enough to have gone to war for him!
Rafa..
I met him briefly in Rotterdam airport, when he LEFT Lfc he gave a donation of 1000 GBP for every victim (at that time; 96,000 pounds) of Hillsborough murder of our Red brothers & sisters, I was AT the 20th memorial event at Anfield in 2009. .. when he was praised & moved to tears, acknowledged by true Red Supporters as one of the best Managers we have had in modern times, turned the Team into European champions in 2005, Rafa was excellent at European matches, his tactics over-achieved, but he was his own man, still is & has had several jobs since then, because Rafa insists on managing the football (inc transfers & youth) club, in total!
I enjoyed my visit to his swiss pre-season training camp, one summer, and enjoyed being in an audience, when Rafa explained his “Instanbul miracle”
But Juergen is a coach, not a manager? Well more of a coach than a manager, I like Klopp, but I am not a “Kloppite” I feel he was fortunate that Brendan made a decent basis JK could build on, I get a bit annoyed that he rotates CB’s , which for me , should only happen, due to injury or significant lack of form, Klopp is a motivator, they say he is like Shanks, NO one compares with Shanks.. for me. JK , who claims to be a socialist, should stand up publicly against the boardroom sharks.. However, he is a media man, a likeable sort of diplomat, shows his love for Lfc fans, but not distain v the yan kers!
Paisley, Bob was a one club man, player, coach, trainer, assistant to Bill, then manager when Shanks retired in 1974…arguably , in terms of trophies won, the most successful British manager of all time, but , were it not for Bill, no one would have noticed Paisley. Quiet, but a winner, all the same, clever in the detail, with a fantastic “boot room” , with Joe Fegan, Ronnie Moran, Bennet & Evans, Bob led a backroom staff that no other club could rival, and rarely talked tactics, kept it simple, because he had a squad of players who could beat anyone, and did so!
Busby, Matt the manager, a scot , also, of man utd, Liverpool’s traditional rivals.. was previously club captain at Lfc! … survived the terrible munich plane crash (1958?) which killed many of their great “Busby Babes” squad.. was the only manager of theirs that I respected.. he rebuilt a great & attractive team with the likes of George Best, Denis Law, (discovered by Shanks, btw) & Bobby Charlton, I have to whisper it, but in 1968, jus 3 years after Liverpool were cheated out of winning it, they won the European club champions trophy and I applauded them & him, for that… he deserved it.
Jock Stein & Kenny; best ever player-manager!
Stein, Shanks used to say that when the 3 Scots, Stein, Busby & Bill got together & talked football, a 5 years old boy could have understood, s all 3 were honest & direct & spoke strongly but simply…Stein ruled Scottish football via glasgow Celtic FC, playing attractive football and maintained a level of quality football comparable with the top of the English league..
A great Scot, well loved, as were his friends ; Shanks & Busby…
Fergie ( Sirmaa) Now,here we have the “exception that makes the rule” …
Fortunate to have come into English football & Man Utd at a time when LIVERPOOl’s crown was slipping…ruled by the fist, boot or flying tea-cup!
(according to heresay) a cheat & a bully (albeit a successful bully!) he won by force, by threats, by conning referees, by bullying his players, and he still goes to the game, and its one of my joys so see the TV camera pan to Fergie’s seat at old toilet (old Trafford) when LIVERPOOL are winning THERE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1yWSePMqsk ( Al Pacino best speech - Any Given Sunday _)
Pachino…? The joker? My idea to bring a bit of humour into this … Al Pachino plays a n(USA rugby,) “american football” coach in a film made maybe 15-20 years ago..? … “any given Sunday” …and , certainly for me, the highlight of this fiction, is his HALF-TIME motivational speech to his players, its earthy, honest, self-mocking, inspirational and passionate! I am pretty sure that many a coach of a sports team has watched the clip, and attempted to emulate Pachino, all over the world..
ADVICE?
I rarely give out “general management advice” unless I am opposing a glaring mistake… commenting perhaps with sarcasm from my “dark side”… however, recently there was discussion regarding a possible move to a Kenyan project which Involved kids, & community, a subject close to my heart & SOUL… because...of;
My Freedom e Union n.g.o.
“since my coma at a young age in 1995, I have been “voluntary” however, also the VERY active manager of "Freedom e Union" < F & U> n.g.o.
registered at the Justizministerium Stuttgart on may 1 , 2000"
primary to support people falsely arrested by the state, any state, where rights are violated.. since that date we have also provided other services & initiatives which include: * Humanitarian issues, * Equality campaigns
* Personal evolution * Youth sports sponsorship & management plus ;
* Free courses on Eco-logistics & co-operatives”
Just to finish this page off… I would find it easier to manage a nation like “Monty” (Crna Gora) or a district like Merseyside , or a football club & its global reach, as LIVERPOOL fc , than a small company or youth team..
If you “know how” then you could APPLY that ability to just about any managerial situation…as, I was the best or one of the best global strategist managers , pre 1995 coma, & although I quit “the business/political system” it’s the same “wizz kid” brain that wirrs & clicks inside my head, plus 28 years of alternative adventure with the know-how & spirit of that phase added to me!
230925
https://chrisenergy.livejournal.com/16379.html
question your "2000 year old "civilization"?
on verge of ww3 & global tsunami, U must improve our world now, no one else going to save your kids, everyone must take responsibility, take back community, local & global & LIVE again in free & fair society!
We must make a Med1A correction , tere was no plan for “Russian invasion” BEFORE USAcorp & NAzTO decided to use their corrupt puppet govt in Kiev as an excuse to provoke war with the russians breaking a treaty not to seek NATO candidates east of Berlin>? … this was contrived by known c1a agency (classified) report to promote WARbiz and the major US weapon suppliers profit, and the gullible or corrupt western leaders joined the scam…& media followed like puppies,
<video I am a
human Being>
…………
" on verge of ww3 & global tsunami, U must improve our world now, no one else going to save your kids, everyone must take responsibility, take back community, local & global & LIVE again in free & fair society! " https://chrisenergy.livejournal.com/16379.html > We must make a Med1A correction, there was no plan for “Russian invasion” BEFORE USAcorp & NAzTO decided to use their corrupt puppet govt in Kiev as an excuse to provoke war with the russians breaking a treaty not to seek NATO candidates east of Berlin>? …
this was contrived by known c1a agency (classified) report to promote WARbiz and the major US weapon suppliers profit, and the gullible or corrupt western leaders joined the scam…& media followed like puppies, this draft of chapter 1./09 (draft) from 50 chapters & episodes of "the Anti-ChRiS in Monty-land" is an insight into our "LIVERPOOL SPIRIT" .... banned by Fake Book; www.blockedchapters.blogspot.com/2023/09/chapter-one09-spirit-johns-imagine.html
.... WHY wouldn’t you LOVE the LIVERPOOL SPIRIT synergized in the 60’s by John & the Beatles, Shanks & true Red SUPPORTERS of that generation, ..creating alocal & global phenomenon still appreciated by so many worldwide 60 years on…? ???????
watch these 2 videos & tell me if you honestly UNDERSTAND why we live for “LIVERPOOL way” football & our songs, banners & TEAMS.. …WHY wouldn’t you LOVE the LIVERPOOL SPIRIT synergized in the 60’s by John & the Beatles, Shanks & true Red SUPPORTERS of that generation, ..creating a local & global phenomenon still appreciated by so many worldwide 60 years on…? ??????? watch these 2 videos & tell me if you honestly UNDERSTAND why we live for “LIVERPOOL way” football & our songs, banners & TEAMS..
and,,,you could claim the fictional James, was a decisive MANager ;)
…..
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