After 2+ years of working for the worst manager I have ever worked for, I stepped down as manager myself. It should of been my manager stepping down and DB can attest to that too.
It has been a long time since I have liked my job and I came to loathe coming in every stinking day of my life.
I will now be in the hourly ranks and make as much money as an hourly as I was a manager.
Last thing I want to say, my cancer ordeal made me realize that I was no longer going to give my life to my Company. My time will now be spent with family and friends.

My question to you guys...... How many of you dread going into work daily or have a manager a dumb as a door knob?

I've always lived by the philosophy that, "when the bad days outnumber the good days, it's time to move on."

Good for you Jim. Life's too short to hate what you do.

Good for you, Jim. I did the same thing 2 1/2 weeks ago, except it was totally leaving the company due to the same reasons plus quite a few more. As we get older, life becomes more important than work.

Probably why I am not working full time now.....all the time I spent in the Army. Long days, gone to the woods alot plus the little field trips. Kids grew up without seeing too much of their dad.

It sucks when you really enjoy what you do but have to work with horrible management, I did it for a while as well. But I am now working with some great people!

Good for you Jim!

It's kind of sad to know Boeing is in such a sorry condition that its lost two (that I know of) quality managers back to the rank and file.

I'm glad you both have gotten your priorities in order.

That's one of the great things about being in the Army, there will always be a change sooner or later. Unfortunately, the good changes too.

When I was up there at Lewis, I held about 3 different positions and I worked for some great people who taught me a lot and were a pleasure to work for. Where I'm at now........well let's just say that I went to Afghanistan to get the hell out of there for awhile.

Boeing must be really screwed up if you and DB told them to shove it.

Finding the "Balance of Life"
Good for YOU!!!

I've had managers/supervisors "a dumb as a door knob" and have outlasted them all. Of course I've seen the good ones come and go too.

I enjoy what I do and don't remember any manager that made me consider quitting.

Jim, Good luck in you decision.

i had one manager at my last job who was "old school" and would make me be the spotter as he went down into 100 foot wells via a wet metal ladder... without fall protection. yeah i left that job to go to the big B and he was fired shortly after i left. that place really sucked. my manager now is cool, he is into racing so he has let me kick out early to go to bremerton :thumbsup:

A big weight will be lifted off your shoulders. I've been so happy since I came back. For the most part I liked being a manager but the boeing company treats their first line managers like crap and don't consider them part of the leadership team.

The first lines at Boeing are the guys in the trenches working to try and help their crews build these airplanes that pay everybody's paychecks. With all the viariables in the build process it's the most demanding job I've ever had but also by far the least satisfying.

You know it's bad when nearly 50% of our 1st line managers have gone back in the last 5 months.

Fact is, the first lines are just punching bags and are held accountable for ALL shortcomings in the build although they have the least amount power to influence any of it except for the work their crews perform. Of course even that has their hands tied with today's new liberal MIT style leaders who have absolutely no idea what it's like in a production environment.

Jim, you will have an unbreakable smile on your face for the first month, every one that has gone back has felt this way.

Did I mention I'm going to kick your a$$ opening day at the track. :D

Ok, I'm out, heading out for the boys wrestling tournaments.

You did the right thing Jim IMO. The company I just left had a new superintendent that I didn't respect or get along with. The one he replaced was the best boss I ever had and loved to work hard for him and the company.
Anyway I'm glad I left. I have always always put family first over my job. I work to live not live to work. I have seen guys sacrifice time with their kids,wife ect for the job and I never understood it. In the end it only got them alittle more money and a wife and kids that may resent them.
I hope your feeling better Jim and cant wait to see you break into the 8sec club.

I know where your coming from too. I worked for a really good HVAC company in Bothell for a few years. All the working guys and most of the managment where good knowledable people. The service forman there is the biggest POS I'v ever met in my life! I jumped through to many hoops and sacrificed way to much personal time for that place. I'v never felt so free in my life as the day I left that job, life is too short fella's.

My manager is a butt also.... no- wait, I AM the manager!

He's a great guy!

Seriously, I have had terrible managers and great ones..... I try to treat my guys with respect, I take time to learn what they like to do and listen to them when they want to talk. I like them all and, should one of them want to leave the job, I try to find out if they are bettering themselves or if they are unhappy with something. It takes time to train a crew so the guys are valuable to me.

There has been a big weight lifted but I am also saddened that it had to come down to this. I really did like doing what I did and I know DB and the other managers did as well but when you are treated like a second class citizen and not given an once of respect then there really is no choice but to step down. I wish that someone at our work place would see that there is a high rate of GOOD managers dropping out and question why but I doubt they ever will.

The truth is that all workers in "Big" corporations are treated as a commodity. Until this attitude changes, the outlook for our country is bleak :(.

The truth is that all workers in "Big" corporations are treated as a commodity. Until this attitude changes, the outlook for our country is bleak :(.

The same is true at many small companies too. I'm just cheap labor at mine. Unfortunately there are so few jobs...

Fast Jim, it sucks that you had to do it but man, life will be so much better. There's no reason to take a managerial job if you aren't making more money and aren't able to use the position to actually make a difference.

There has been a big weight lifted but I am also saddened that it had to come down to this. I really did like doing what I did and I know DB and the other managers did as well but when you are treated like a second class citizen and not given an once of respect then there really is no choice but to step down. I wish that someone at our work place would see that there is a high rate of GOOD managers dropping out and question why but I doubt they ever will.


The people that our running our company are so out of touch with the production world..We have loss a lot a GREAT managers in the last few months. The people they are hiring as first lines have no clue. One of the new ones asked me a question the other day, I gave them the answer they were looking for but had no clue what I was talking about (they looked like the deer in the headlights)..I asked her if she knew what I was talking about and she said NO...I said "Good Luck" and went back to work.
Im hoping the company last long enough til I can retire..Still have a long ways to go. But after 21 yrs there i dont want to go look for another job.

Jim,

With the stuff that has changed for you recently, this sounds like a great move, especially if works out for you financially as well. There are a lot of people who don't realize that life is a lot better when your a "work to live" instead of "live to work" type of person.

"work to live" instead of "live to work"

AMEN Brother, AMEN.

AMEN Brother, AMEN.

Truer words could not be spoken. I sacrificed a lot in my job in the first 14 years in my job and slowly came to learn over the last couple that there is much more important things to life than my 'profession'. I still enjoy things about my job, but I certainly will only give so much.

I work because it allows me to do what I like to do, and be who I am. Work allows me to provide for my family, and for that I am grateful. I've had good and bad bosses, and they come and go. At this point in my career I'm 13 years away from retirement elligibility and I'm laying low, getting the stuff done that needs to be done, and moving through the problems...I'm done at 53 and I'm going to kick back, race my car, and maybe work a little on the side.

Thanks for bringing up a topic that has been on my mind a lot lately.

I work in the office area where Darryl and Jim's boss is located and can attest to thier (boss) lack of ability in people skills and to take responsibility for their shortcomings, I've seen first hand how this person has have treated personel, even those not under their ranks!!!! Jim, good for you to take the stand you and I have talked about!!