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I once had a candid talk with a manager. He said that his job was to "ensure that each team member delivers at least one verifiable deliverable per week, and to make sure that each team member has the required resources for this". Maybe, this is what your manager is trying by saying "get things done".
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Amarnath S wrote: He said that his job was to "ensure that each team member delivers at least one verifiable deliverable per week, and to make sure that each team member has the required resources for this"
I'm getting on top of the hill and screaming this : All you big bosses, do you see you can very well appoint an Engineering manager for the same purpose?
Our EM already does this. I feel completely okay being queried by person with technial background and who knows what he's asking.
But when someone who's completely non-technical and doesn't understand a bit about whats in, and sits on your shoulder and chant "Complete" "Complete". It's not gonna work.
The ugly scenario is , When I was about to say that we have completed something. This B.school junk rushes in to say , "Guys, lets complete this ASAP". He knows we have completed. But Just to exercise his nonsensical power to direct things. He fakes this type of "driving" commands. This is bullshit. And will not be digested.
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Nand32 wrote: This B.school junk rushes in to say , "Guys, lets complete this ASAP"
This is not correct. He should adopt a proper Project Management approach, with planning, estimating (including adding appropriate buffers), and then starting the execution. If this is not done, he is to be removed / superseded.
I know of a manager who said that "I want it yesterday". This is sheer rubbish.
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Saw this several times in the Army excepting we called them 2nd Lieutenants. Their real job was to learn to not get in the way, but nobody explained that ahead of time.
This isn’t seen as much in civilian world because unlike the Army, people can quit.
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Nand32 wrote: We have never missed a deadline nor there's an issue with execution. We do have an Engineering manager as well. We are all very happy to interact with him.
Having an engineering manager and a 'manager manager' does seem like overkill. One must wonder why this seemingly superfluous new manager has been hired. What problem did the higher ups perceive there to be?
Bear in mind that the problem does not need to be real; it could just be a matter of perception. Does the engineering manager not speak the same (non-technical) language that the higher-ups want to hear? Or could it be that the problem is, as others have suggested, that there was a 'nephew out of work' problem? Or is the company/division/project not performing as influential people expect it to, despite there being no problems that you can see?
Does the new manager have pointy hair, by any chance?
Nand32 wrote: Do you think I should write to the top boss and ask him be removed out of the loop?
Oh no! Not a chance. Dilbert and the PHB explain why: Dilbert Comic Strip on 1994-04-30 | Dilbert by Scott Adams[^]
Here are my suggestions for how to proceed:
(1) Start looking for a new job. Really, start now.
(2) As others have suggested, create contemporaneous logs of all instructions you receive (both directly from the new manager and from your existing managers/supervisors).
(3) Keep a log (like a personal timesheet) of all your daily actions, including links to show how your daily work links directly to instructions received.
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My best guess would be that the Engineering Manager is on the way out; you just do not know it yet. He/She might know it but not be allowed to say it. Or else this new manager might give them the incentive to leave now if that was not the plan before.
I have worked at shops where you have project managers and separate HR managers. You tend to float among the project managers, but do all of the HR stuff with your HR manager.
That approach made sense as an easy segregation of duties. Many HR managers were also project managers as well. (They were Roles)
That does not sound like the case here, but maybe that is where they are heading. You might ask for a clarification of the Roles at play here.
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englebart wrote: My best guess would be that the Engineering Manager is on the way out; you just do not know it yet. He/She might know it but not be allowed to say it. Or else this new manager might give them the incentive to leave now if that was not the plan before.
Sounds very plausible to me.
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I have dealt with bad technical management for a large portion of my 45+ years in the profession. With the exception of a very few people, the majority of such managers are morons.
The fact that you have some MBA BS-artist now in your project loop speaks to the stupidity of the people who assigned him in the first place.
My advice is to not go above your immediate supervisor's head in any manner unless you cannot critically document the problems this new person is causing. Even then, do not send up any memos to anyone unless you get an approval from the manager you do respect.
I have taken on a lot of bad technical managers in my career. They are always there because of office politics. And they will remain there for the most part as a result of the same office politics.
As a result, unless you are prepared to risk your own position, move very carefully and slowly in any regard in attempting to get this person removed...
Steve Naidamast
Sr. Software Engineer
blackfalconsoftware@outlook.com
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Well done, would be a good soundtrack for a SciFi movie 
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Instant soundtrack...just add movie. 
Although Amazon has it listed under Dance and Electronic. I defy anyone to dance to it. 
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Key element time particle result (8)
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SOLUTION?
T - Time
ION - Particle
SOLU - Key element? No idea ...
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Shot in the dark:
SOL = key (as in Tonic Sol-Fa)
U = a well known element
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
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Ya - I think I was replying to griff while you were posting - good on both.
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Your SOLUTION is correct.
Key - SOL (key of G major)
element - U (uranium)
time T
particle ION
Full marks though - 'element' was vague, and should have said 'with' time particle. Thanks for the save.
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When he goes fishing, does he become Darth Wader?
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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And when he goes shopping he becomes Darth Mall?
Socialism is the Axe Body Spray of political ideologies: It never does what it claims to do, but people too young to know better keep buying it anyway. (Glenn Reynolds)
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When he jokes, Darth Humor?
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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And when he uses public transportation to get there, he becomes Darth Citybus
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
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