I'll definitely throw some blame on D students. I worked with one who spent more time defending his job than doing his work. I tried to document on him to get him fired, but we were geographically separated in the building and I was on the way out the door to a better job. I absolutely believe civil service needs a "firing squad", but they need the power to also investigate whomever calls them in to do the firing. They need to check both sides and see who's not doing their job so they don't get abused.
I don't blame C students. You have to develop your processes for C students. If your mission requires A students to succeed, you're destined to fail. Use and reward your A students when you find them, but understand that even A students have C days - cut them a little slack but ask for better. Sometimes a squirrel finds a nut and a C student turns out A work - be sure and give them a pat on the back when they do. If your people respect you, they'll work harder for you, even if they aren't capable of A work.
Most C students want to be A students, but most people are in the wrong job. I can tell you straight up that I wasn't the best technician in the shop. I'm a B student there. I moved to scheduling aircraft maintenance, and I was a rock star in that job. But it didn't pay well for the stress and scope of the job. Now I manage engine parts. I'm a B student again, but it pays better with better hours. That's the rub, most people are in jobs that don't suit them for economic reasons, and because it's a pain in the butt to shop for another job.
I don't blame C students. You have to develop your processes for C students. If your mission requires A students to succeed, you're destined to fail. Use and reward your A students when you find them, but understand that even A students have C days - cut them a little slack but ask for better. Sometimes a squirrel finds a nut and a C student turns out A work - be sure and give them a pat on the back when they do. If your people respect you, they'll work harder for you, even if they aren't capable of A work.
Most C students want to be A students, but most people are in the wrong job. I can tell you straight up that I wasn't the best technician in the shop. I'm a B student there. I moved to scheduling aircraft maintenance, and I was a rock star in that job. But it didn't pay well for the stress and scope of the job. Now I manage engine parts. I'm a B student again, but it pays better with better hours. That's the rub, most people are in jobs that don't suit them for economic reasons, and because it's a pain in the butt to shop for another job.
When you've worked with both terrible and great management, it becomes plainly obvious that most management is C students. I've seen people get promoted for having done time in the trenches, not for management skill. I've also seen where they hire some "bright" kid who's a hard charger and acts like a bull in a china shop. I've seen that kind wreck morale before getting fired for incompetence. A lot of people get into management and then get lazy because they're behind a desk. You have to have a passion for paperwork, and that's just not most people. Management is usually just as bad as the line workers. You have to sell them on the mission as well.
