Yes. But this is because we have organizations where people survive by placating the higher-ups instead of producing value to the product and their team. Hence, these people survive.
It's human nature to find the best way to survive so we can't really blame these PMs for doing what they need to keep their job. Suck up to the people that will ultimately give them their paycheck.
The issue isn't the PM or shitty employees that aren't producing actual value, the issue is with the ego of the higher ups that rather keep people that agree with them on all things than have people who will constantly challenge them.
I have seen many CxOs (that aren't founders) who are very good at befriending the founders and thus they are more prone to survive. They are not necessarily doing anything useful to move the needle though, so this gives people the impression that the best thing you can do to survive is just be liked by the higher ups. Telling founders that they are wrong on a day to day basis because you work so closely with users and the engineering team, is not a good way to keep your job. If you are very smart maybe you can navigate this in a way that works, for awhile.
If my point is muddled, I'm saying that if you have a shitty PM it's because of the organization that employs people and keeps people based on the wrong criteria. Good leaders aren't threatened by getting challenged or feel the need to constantly get their egos validated.
Or maybe I'm wrong there too and it's just human nature to want to keep people that you always get along with.
It's human nature to find the best way to survive so we can't really blame these PMs for doing what they need to keep their job. Suck up to the people that will ultimately give them their paycheck.
The issue isn't the PM or shitty employees that aren't producing actual value, the issue is with the ego of the higher ups that rather keep people that agree with them on all things than have people who will constantly challenge them.
I have seen many CxOs (that aren't founders) who are very good at befriending the founders and thus they are more prone to survive. They are not necessarily doing anything useful to move the needle though, so this gives people the impression that the best thing you can do to survive is just be liked by the higher ups. Telling founders that they are wrong on a day to day basis because you work so closely with users and the engineering team, is not a good way to keep your job. If you are very smart maybe you can navigate this in a way that works, for awhile.
If my point is muddled, I'm saying that if you have a shitty PM it's because of the organization that employs people and keeps people based on the wrong criteria. Good leaders aren't threatened by getting challenged or feel the need to constantly get their egos validated.
Or maybe I'm wrong there too and it's just human nature to want to keep people that you always get along with.