Management Styles

I have found it very interesting being an employee lately, rather than the manager or owner of a business. I suppose, in some ways, I have forgotten that businesses are still run through Tayloristic and Machiavellian means means. That was never my style. But that seems to be the case in some places, such as the one where I am now. Unfortunately, there will most likely always be people at the level on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that will respond to this sort of management. They need a job (as we "all" do), and will do whatever the boss tells them to do. It does not matter if it is a demeaning task... because they do need to be done. However, when someone crosses an entire room to ask me to do something that they could have already had done five minutes ago (but that they feel is "below" them), there is a problem. Is any task truly below anyone? Of course, if the "boss" is too busy catching up on neighborhood gossip, then I am sure that person would need help doing menial tasks rather than accomplishing them herself/hiself.

I guess I did not realize that some managers had people who would gladly cover ther inadequacies and make sure that they were performing all of the tasks they needed to perform for that day. I have always been the last one responsible for every task that was on my plate for the day -- no matter how many or how often those things changed. I suppose this is why I am no longer cut out to be an employee. Perhaps the bar I have set for myself is too high for some others to reach. Or perhaps it is their lack of trying. I'm nothing special. I don't think that what I ask of myself is anything out of the ordinary compared to what every manager should ask of themselves.
Interestingly, this particular person that I work for now seems to think that she is in this position simply to have other people do her grunt work. It is very hard to have respect for someone who, obviously, married into the position they are in, and have decided to take advantage of that. Does this person put in a lot of hours? Heck yes!!! More hours than most normal people ever would. However, if any of these hours were used to their capacity, rather than chatting with friends and gossiping about other owners and the like, this person could cut her work time in half! It's about actually working when you are at work. It's about working smarter, not making it look like you work harder. Maybe I am wrong. I just think that work ethic speaks volumes more than so many other things when it comes to how you are perceived. Maybe not. That's just the way I was brought up. It's what I know.