Page 2 | To think hierarchy doesn't work at work?

Scarlettjune · 2026-05-26T21:27:22+00:00

I have a boss that is currently making my life a misery. She is very hierarchal and she wants me to see her as above me in status. She micro manages constantly. I have had a couple of bosses like her before and it always made the workplace extremely miserable. Hierarchy leaves workplaces open to abuse of power The best bosses I ever had were the ones that saw themselves as being on the same level as the rest of us. I remember one great boss who said "I'm th same as the rest of you guys I just have different work responsbilities". We all worked really well with hk,

Original poster

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:41

HisNotHes · 27/05/2026 09:32

Mostly people arrange interviews for when they’re available! So they’d hold the interviews before or after their annual leave. Most people want to interview their own direct reports.

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Yeah I don't know why she didn't.

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MrsShawnHatosy · 27/05/2026 09:38

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 00:12

One of my friends killed herself after being bullied at work by a manager. I never understood at the time why she didn't just leave.

Now I have a terrible manager myself, I understand her. She was broken down mentally. It's like a abusive relationship. The managers constantly wear us down by telling us that we are useless, stupid etc. And we have no power whatsoever to stand up to them, as they have all the power. The last woman that stood up to my manager got made redundant. And then we worry that if we try to leave they will give us a bad reference. It can feel like being trapped in hell.

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I’m very sorry about your friend. But every workplace should have mechanisms in place for raising a grievance in the case of bullying.

Feis123 · 27/05/2026 09:33

Hierarchy does not work? Our world is still around today because there are various hierarchies. The only thing that does not have hierarchy is a pile of rubbish (not my words, I think it was some philosopher) - everything else, animal, human groups, etc. immediately organise along hierarchy lines. This is what helps the world saved from anarchy.

HisNotHes · 27/05/2026 09:32

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:29

I don't know. What if the line manager is on annual leave and they need to interview someone. I presume that's what happened

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Mostly people arrange interviews for when they’re available! So they’d hold the interviews before or after their annual leave. Most people want to interview their own direct reports.

Original poster

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:29

Islandofmisadventure · 27/05/2026 09:27

That’s not normal. Well, not in any job interview I’ve ever had in my 55 years.

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I don't know. What if the line manager is on annual leave and they need to interview someone. I presume that's what happened

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pontipinemum · 27/05/2026 09:29

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:27

See my answer above. I wish she had sat in on the interview as maybe we would have both realised it was a bad match. Her not doing the interview also shows how unorganised the place is. I thought one of the people interviewing me was going to be my manager. That wasn't the case. I regret taking this job. I mean I'm grateful that they hired me and they pay me money. But it has destroyed me emotionally and mentally in many ways

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If it is destroying you then you are right to look for a new job. I've had two jobs that were killing me. I stayed in 1 for way too long and the impact on my MH was profound

Islandofmisadventure · 27/05/2026 09:27

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:16

Is it strange? In my last job, my line manager didn't interview me either.

I dont know why she didnt sit in on the interview. Maybe she was on annual leave
. The people that interviewed me in this job are heads of different departments here, but their departments are connected to my department. Like our work is interconnected a bit. But I don't interact with the people that interviewed me that much.

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That’s not normal. Well, not in any job interview I’ve ever had in my 55 years.

Original poster

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:27

HisNotHes · 27/05/2026 09:14

Who interviewed you then? Seems strange, especially as there’s no HR department.

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See my answer above. I wish she had sat in on the interview as maybe we would have both realised it was a bad match. Her not doing the interview also shows how unorganised the place is. I thought one of the people interviewing me was going to be my manager. That wasn't the case. I regret taking this job. I mean I'm grateful that they hired me and they pay me money. But it has destroyed me emotionally and mentally in many ways

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pontipinemum · 27/05/2026 09:27

There does need to be a hierarchy, but your manager sounds like a terrible manager!! Micro managers are terrible and you are right to look for a new job

My manager lets me do my job without any interference. But ultimately I answer to her. Or if there are decisions to be made I defer to her - I usually tell her my opinion/ solution but will run it by her.

Islandofmisadventure · 27/05/2026 09:26

This sounds like a problem with your manager than with hierarchy per se. You need hierarchy to stop everyone looking at each other when difficult decisions need to be made!

TENNISGRANNY · 27/05/2026 09:19

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:00

My boss criticises everyone on my team and never gives any praise. We all had a team meeting with her a while ago and said that we would like some positive feedback. She couldn't think of one thing that any of us were doing well. We then showed her reviews from our clients thanking us for doing an excellent job.

She is a very negative person and likes to dominate

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She sounds controlling and useless. Not a leader. Have seen the type, gross.

Original poster

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:16

HisNotHes · 27/05/2026 09:14

Who interviewed you then? Seems strange, especially as there’s no HR department.

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Is it strange? In my last job, my line manager didn't interview me either.

I dont know why she didnt sit in on the interview. Maybe she was on annual leave
. The people that interviewed me in this job are heads of different departments here, but their departments are connected to my department. Like our work is interconnected a bit. But I don't interact with the people that interviewed me that much.

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HisNotHes · 27/05/2026 09:14

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 08:46

You don't often meet your line manager at interview. My current horrible manager didn't interview me. I only met her after I started the job

In my last Job, my line manager didn't interview me.

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Who interviewed you then? Seems strange, especially as there’s no HR department.

pimplebum · 27/05/2026 09:12

Scarlettjune · 26/05/2026 22:52

Exactly!

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The chain of command works both ways , you can off load things on people who are paid more

i pass on safeguarding issues daily then its off my plate immediately , the consequences for those i pass ip to are life altering

what you have an issue with with is mot hierarchy but shit management on power trips

SanctusInDistress · 27/05/2026 09:11

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:00

My boss criticises everyone on my team and never gives any praise. We all had a team meeting with her a while ago and said that we would like some positive feedback. She couldn't think of one thing that any of us were doing well. We then showed her reviews from our clients thanking us for doing an excellent job.

She is a very negative person and likes to dominate

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In that case the problem is the person, not the hierarchy. Hierarchy done well can work very well.

SanctusInDistress · 27/05/2026 09:10

Imdunfer · 27/05/2026 09:01

You've just got a useless boss. It's nothing to do with hierarchy.

Every boss you have is above you and usually paid more than you. All organisations have a hierarchy otherwise they don't function.

You boss is a rubbish manager.

This. It’s the people, not the structure.

Thepeopleversuswork · 27/05/2026 09:09

Humans respond better to respect, than they do to being dominated and treated like crap

Of course. But having a hierarchy doesn't automatically require that people be "dominated and treated like crap". A hierarchy simply means a chain of command with the most powerful/responsible at the top and the least powerful/responsible at the bottom.

In a well run hierarchical system people understand their role in the organization and it shouldn't be necessary for people to bully and micromanage. Bullying, control and micromanagement aren't intrinsic to a hierarchy, they are a sign that the hierarchy isn't working.

rrrrrreatt · 27/05/2026 09:09

I agree with others, the hierarchy isn’t the problem. The buck has to stop with someone and hierarchy defines who that is.

Given you didn’t have this issue with other managers in the same hierarchy, the problem is the person. Some people can turn a tea kitty into a power trip given half a chance, that’s their nature - removing the hierarchy wouldn’t change or stop them.

mondaytosunday · 27/05/2026 09:07

No but bad management doesn’t work. They are not above you as people obviously, but they do have more authority . It’s how they use that authority to motivate and help get the work done that makes them good or poor managers, not the structure.

Original poster

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:06

I was absolutely dreading going into work today. I've actually started having panic attacks before going into 1-1 meetings with her. I need to get out of there.

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HisNotHes · 27/05/2026 09:03

It’s not hierarchy that’s the problem here, it’s micromanagement.

My line manager is definitely my “boss” but very rarely ever gets involved in or checks on my work, she trusts that I’m in control of what I need to do and that I’ll get it done on time and to a high standard.

Imdunfer · 27/05/2026 09:01

You've just got a useless boss. It's nothing to do with hierarchy.

Every boss you have is above you and usually paid more than you. All organisations have a hierarchy otherwise they don't function.

You boss is a rubbish manager.

Original poster

Scarlettjune · 27/05/2026 09:00

SanctusInDistress · 27/05/2026 08:57

Of course I can. If somebody doesnt doesn’t do their job properly and has zero interest in improving, that’s exactly what they are: they expect to be carried by the flow.

sounds to me perhaps you’ve been pulled up on a few things, or perhaps your boss is trying to do something differently and you’re pushing back. Your reaction to people not agreeing with you wholeheartedly is very telling.

as I said earlier, it’s impossible to answer your question. It really depends on the work ethic of the team. A flat strategy in a team with little work ethic woukd be a disaster. A flat strategy in a team with strong work ethic could work. You’d still need a manager somewhere.

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My boss criticises everyone on my team and never gives any praise. We all had a team meeting with her a while ago and said that we would like some positive feedback. She couldn't think of one thing that any of us were doing well. We then showed her reviews from our clients thanking us for doing an excellent job.

She is a very negative person and likes to dominate

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Judevalentine · 27/05/2026 09:00

Monty36 · 27/05/2026 06:55

I am in favour of structure. People are paid differently because they carry a different load in terms of responsibility. I like to think that a surgeon in a hospital theatre is in charge and doesn’t have to have a consensus of agreement with all and sundry while doing the operation. Ditto in the army, or a pilot. Or loads of jobs.
Getting your team to function relies on not being friends but on being task focused. You can have someone who says ‘I’m the same as you’. Except they aren’t. Or their job in the organisation is not. If rubbish hits the fan they should take the flak. If things go well, the team get the praise.

As to micro managing. You have to be sure that it is. Asking someone how is something coming along is probably because you have not kept them up to date. And their boss is asking them how it is coming along.

Someone once said to me that structure doesn’t matter, personalities do. I could not have disagreed with them more. Both matter.

The pilot and the surgeon might be in charge but they shouldn’t also be operating the kind of system like the OP’s boss where people become scared to speak up. There was a spate of air crashes years ago in Korean airlines. It turned out that the first officer had noticed problems but didn’t feel confident in raising them which led to the crashes. Similarly my surgeon had got the wrong side to operate on. She was collaborative so it was easy to tell her.

An extremely rigid hierarchy like the OP’s boss wants is invariably because the bosses are insecure and don’t really want anyone noticing that they don’t in fact add any value, so they micromanage everything.

CaesarAugusta · 27/05/2026 08:59

Scarlettjune · 26/05/2026 23:31

It applies to everyone. We have a group email that we all can see in our team, and we also all have a private email . If we don't see anything from our private email to the group email, she goes mad.

For example, she accused me one time of not contacting a customer. I said that I had done it and I forwarded the email on to her, she then went mad at me that hadn't sent it to the group email .

I feel like I'm in an abusive relationship, some of the things she does is unbelievable sometimes. She also watches us on cctv a lot

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How much of her own work is she doing if she is spending her life reading your emails and watching you on CCTV? Have the people above her not noticed?