> I also strongly believe a lot of what is perceived as "top-down" management is harbored by a "bottom-up" resentment - or just plain resisting authority.
As long as the people calling the shots still make more money than I do and I am the one cleaning up the mess that creates, I feel pretty justified in resenting them.
The first thing that comes to my head when talking about bad management are manager positions with the power of taking decisions they they either don't fully grasp the consequences at-large of, or will not be hold accountable of bad results for.
How do you know they don't have a bigger-picture view than you? How do you know that they haven't had to acknowledge your problems but have to compromise because the alternative would be more problematic? (It's been my experience from both sides that even simply telling people this is the case isn't enough.. I've seen peers get upset when management explicitly acknowledge and explain why compromises are made but some on the team still feel resentment to that manager - but not the reasoning, despite it being objective) as well as members of the team I am managing hold resentment to me despite my own objective reasoning, and even support from other members of the team, not being enough to, I quote, "show them I am a good enough manager."
I'm not going to pretend managers are automatically all massive value-adds. A bad manager is a bad manager. But a bad developer is a bad developer. A bad person is a bad person.
My previous rant is mostly about those who perpetuate this nonsensical adversary between managers and workers everywhere they go, often wearing their repertoire of conflict with management like some kind of accolade.
To assume any given manager is bad because of previous experience, or based upon your own misunderstanding of what a manager does? That is ignorance and prejudice, which is your cross to bear.
"Managers" (the collective/stereotype) don't deserve any resentment. An individual manager that is disruptive and/or a drain on the team's productivity then sure, there is a valid grievance.
Consider that you may be making messes that you are unaware of, and that layers above you may be cleaning up all the time.
The "bottom of the pyramid" is not all knowing and a reservoir of wisdom.
As long as the people calling the shots still make more money than I do and I am the one cleaning up the mess that creates, I feel pretty justified in resenting them.