to think that this is crass and bad management

[ReallyOverThis]

I have a manager who seems to think that the way to motivate staff is by fear eg "this is a really important client, we can't mess this up" or "we have to collect these debts otherwise we'll be in big trouble with the Board".

Recently we had a team meeting (attended by some quite junior staff) which he began by saying "Look, this job we all do is really stressful and you WILL be stressed, in fact I will probably die prematurely because of this job. I am under serious pressure and it's your job to support me". We do not work in a life or death field, it is frigging financial services.

AIBU to think that the only possible reaction of staff to this is (a) to conclude that he is a twat for continuing to do a job that he thinks will kill him, and (b) to say to oneself "well, I don't want to stick around if that's my future" ? I also found it crass as he is well aware that my own father died young.

well he does sound like a bit of a tit but then middle managers often are aren't they?
also no offence but i do not think that your dad dying young is going to be on his mind on a day to day basis really

It's not good management, and unsustainable in the long run, though what NigellasDealer said about his consciousness of your circumstances is probably true.

Ace username, Nigella.

For reasons I won't go into, the subject had come up not that long before the meeting. But I suppose that my point is less about me and more about whether making flippant comments about premature death can in any circumstances be an appropriate motivational tool?

I think I've seen your manager on TV. He does a funny dance right?...

He's just a crap manager with no motivational skills at all.

I think many people who work in financial services have an over inflated sense of importance. Particularly the more senior they are.

Don't worry Really - if you think that about him, others will too. Draw up a bingo sheet of crap things he says in meetings and cross them off as he says them . He's one of those people who say things for dramatic effect and who have no empathy.

I once worked with someone who thought he was the salesman of the year and spouted all those really dire 'management speak' phrases all the time. I came to the conclusion that he was so dim he didn't realise others were taking the mick out of using phrases like 'thinking outside the box', 'singing from the same hymn sheet', etc and thought it was seriously a requirement for his role. He was once so bad in an initial meeting (think heavy pressure sales techniques from 30 years ago) that the colleague with him practically had a stand up fight in the street with him afterwards because he had truly awful listening skills and wouldn't be told he had seriously misjudged things.

Unfortunately, the boss thought he was wonderful because he was Mr Positive and always full of shit enthusiasm