Elon Musk sparks backlash after issuing 48-hour assignment to employees: 'This is due by noon on Thursday'

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Elon Musk once again wants workers to justify their worth.

The billionaire CEO of xAI sent an email to the artificial intelligence company's workers giving them 48 hours to submit a one-page description of what they did in the past month and what they plan to do in the next month, CNN reported.

"This is due by noon on Thursday," instructed the email, which was sent Tuesday.

Requiring workers to quickly justify their roles has been a recurring theme of Musk's management style. During his short-lived foray into government, his Department of Government Efficiency made similar demands of federal employees in multiple agencies, NPR reported.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/elon-musk-sparks-backlash-issuing-235000699.html

This is the asshole who wants a trillion-dollar compensation. Justify that Ketamine creep.

[Blues Heron]

1. Heeeeeee's baaaaack

He needs to be admired or feared, but NEVER ignored.

[Aviation Pro]

36. He never fucking left

That lover’s quarrel was staged.

[niyad]

2. Damn. He had, mercifully, slipped to the very back of my mind for a blessed

moment!!!

[maxsolomon]

3. Is he going to read their essays and issue a letter grade?

Zorg would just fire 1 million, he wouldn't pussyfoot around with little games like this.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

33. It's a prelude to job cuts, I think. Cash flow problems? Investors getting skittish?

He'll run it through his AI and fire the lowest 10 % of scores, regardless of actual merit.

He fired a lot of X engineers, but the platform has not collapsed. Some new features, I hear, but really, not much advancement. Seems stupid to apply the same management technique to a highly competitive industry that depends on advancement.

When there is so much cash sloshing around AI companies, it really makes me wonder why he is mucking around like this. Oh, his name is Muck.

[Disaffected]

4. I dunno, Musk is a dork and a jerk but,

if someone couldn't provide that sort of information to justify his/her employment, I'm not sure I would want him/her as an employee.

[leftstreet]

6. His people should already know this

If he has employees who aren't necessary, he needs to fire his mid level management team

Just one more narcissist looking for the day's supply

[Disaffected]

8. He needs to fire both (IMO).

Narcissist or not...

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. If the CEO doesn't know that this kind of action really isn't in his scope of work, he shouldn't be a CEO.

[Disaffected]

9. Huh? nt

[newdeal2]

10. CEOs cannot and should not be involved at this level

Not at a large company at least.

[mr715]

11. I think the point is at levels that Elon Musk is operating

the CEO is so removed from individual personnel that is more than a little unusual for him to be handing out homework assignments.

He should trust his operations officials, who in turn should work with human resources, etc. - not top level executive work.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. CEOs generally should not be involved in the minutiae of every employee like this. It's called micromanaging, and it's a

waste of time and money.

[Disaffected]

17. I don't think it is actually "micromanaging"

because the entire work force (or at least most of it) is apparently the subject of the directive and for that to happen the CEO would have to be involved.

I would also expect the CEO would not be directly involved in the evaluation of the replies (at least for the non-management employees).

Again, if an employee cannot justify his/her employment, it needs to be evaluated - either the employee is reassigned to a more productive role or is let go. It may also be an exercise in self-help/awareness for some employees - some may realize they are not performing a particularly valuable role at the company and therefore choose to look elsewhere for something more suitable. Or, maybe the company would do that for them...

[Blues Heron]

19. It's the very definition of micromanaging, just like the shitty putz attempted with doge before he ran off

[Disaffected]

42. If Musk had issued a directive

stating that each employee must be given a 10% raise instead of each employee must describe what their duties and accomplishments are, would that also be micromanaging?

CEO directives that affect most or all of the company are NOT the very definition of micromanaging (unless you are using the cynics' dictionary).

[Blues Heron]

44. Asking each person for exactly (micro) what they did (managing) is not like giving a raise. Come on man

[usedtobedemgurl]

27. How about this.....

Do I did the same thing to government employees. At the time, they had so little time to put together all the requested information, and it honestly came across as sadistic on his part. It was so far out of his jurisdiction, I believe even Kash told his people not to respond. I believe there may have been lawsuits over it. This is a repeat of an illegal pattern he did before and you are backing him up?

Let's say I agree he should be handling low level things (with his stock and brand being what it is, you would think he would have more important things to do), you totally agree he will get the best essays from employees by setting a date of two days to turn it in? Maybe giving them until Monday may be better for the morale of employees.

These folks have seen the shut show he did with the government. They saw him fire essential employees but this is all good? If I was a shareholder and stock went down because of the way the company is being managed, I think I would sue. Who wants to work for a person who Fires essential nuclear employees on the same whim he see.s tone trying with his own company? This guy is really unstable.

[58Sunliner]

13. I think management is supposed to do that. This is just bullshit.

Suddenly you are supposed to justify your paycheck to the ceo when it's a mid-level or lower manager who directs your work?

[Irish_Dem]

15. Self report is not a good way to measure performance and value to company.

Gold bricks will just lie and fabricate things.

The direct managers are the ones who should be evaluating
their employees' performance.

[Johonny]

24. Musk's business survive him,

He doesn't inspire, innovate, or motivate his workers. Most are passionate about their company and its mission, but everyone tries to avoid Musk and his abusive nature.

[Irish_Dem]

25. Yes it is amazing how such a badly run company survives.

There must be a second in command who actually runs the company.
And everyone puts Musk on ignore.

[Johonny]

29. For SpaceX it is absolutely true

I assume the same for Tesla.

[Irish_Dem]

31. Yes has to be the case.

Musk is mentally ill, quite unbalanced.
And a serious drug abuser.

Someone else must be providing day to say management.

[Disaffected]

46. Sure they should,

should being the key word here. There is often a big difference between "should" and "are", especially in a large organization. A directive from the CEO serves to enforce the matter.

And sure, gold bricks will lie and fabricate but it is also the job of management to filter that out (if they hadn't done so already).

If Musk also personally evaluated all the responses or even a significant portion of them, that would be micromanagement but giving a broad company-wide directive is not.

[Autumn]

18. If you are hired by a company and have been working past any probation period.

Management or HR has had no problems with you or your work. Why the fuck should you have to justify your job? Fuck that authoritarian bullshit. Fuck eloony muskrat

[pcdb]

20. Compared to what I have to do to keep my job, this is minor

Not sure why anyone is making a big deal out of this. Companies everywhere have been "flattening" their org structures to get rid of middle-management and give CEOs better visibility and control over operations. I have to provide reports like this on a weekly basis. It's a waste of time, and annoying but that's how it's done nowadays.

[ProfessorGAC]

22. Isn't That What Managers Are For?

I had to report to the execs as to what WE were working on & the financials showing impact YTD.
My 7 subordinates didn't have to do that.
We were worth 10x what the department cost in savings or added margins every year, so it was a low stress report.
But, only I had to do that, and it was 4x per year.
I also didn't provide details of what was planned the next 30 or 90 days.
Those plans were dependent on what the data showed, so couldn't be accurately predicted. I wasn't going to guess.
And that was how we operated for 19 years over a period when the company grew by over 4x & net income by 7x.
Tells me such requests from upper management are unnecessary.

[Disaffected]

43. Of course it is what managers are for.

A CEO is also a manager and has the authority to undertake such action on a company wide basis rather than leaving it up to middle management or lower discretion.

[ProfessorGAC]

45. Well, Duh!

I never said a CEO can't.
I'm questioning the wisdom of doing so.
Tesla is not a model of operational efficiency, so presuming Musk is a manager whose methods should be followed is folly.

[Disaffected]

47. Heh, for a "Professor",

you do not state your case with a whole lot of clarity IMO.

What BTW are you a professor of anyhow?

In any case, this whole thread has become a pointless argument (as happens all too often here) so enuf said from this end.

[ProfessorGAC]

48. Convenient

You ask a question and run away.
My PhD is in chemistry, but I also have an MBA and worked for large multinationals.
I will bet $100 I know far more about business & management than you do.
Now, we're both done.

[Disaffected]

49. OK, one last post, I promise:

You know zilch about my background but you are sufficiently conceited to think you know "far more about business & management" than I do.

And I ask again, what exactly are you a "Professor" of or it is nothing more than a self-appointed affectation??

BTW, I did not ask you what your CV is (nor do I care much). Also BTW, you might want to look up the definition of "argument from authority".

[Torchlight]

26. An employer should know that info without resorting to employees for instruction

If an employer didn't know what what my job was, I'm not sure I'd want him/her as an employer.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

35. It's a time-wasting exercise leading to big personnel errors. It's like the old "lines of code" metric.

It is not uncommon for the replacement of a 1,000 lines of code with 50 to have greater value than adding 1,000 lines of code to a heap. I can easily quickly add a thousand lines of code if it doesn't have to to much or work in every case. Someone may have been tasked with spending a month reading and thinking about a particularly knotty problem needed to be solved for the next product version. How do you "justify" that existence?

Like someone wrote earlier in the thread, the front line managers know who is productive or not.

[drray23]

40. We do this in my team but not in an adversarial way

Like Musk seems to be doing.
We have a SharePoint where we all write short updates every two weeks of what we were working on and what's the plan for the next two.

Its invaluable to us because often we find ways to interact or help another team member by finding synergies.

Its also very useful for both me and my direct reports when we write end of year appraisals. This insures your higher up does not omit or fail to acknowledge your work.

[Coldwater]

5. Elon, Take this Job and Shove It

Said, with all due respect to Robert Hayes.

[hlthe2b]

14. And I challenge him to justify his damned existence in even ONE sentence!

(and infinitely long dribble is not accepted)...

[Kid Berwyn]

16. Sounds like Musk is out of ideas.

Gotta shake down the team for inspiration is not a good look, Elon.

[fujiyamasan]

21. How about they justify before hiring in the first place?

Or having managers that know what their employees are working on? That’s the whole point of accountability and leadership — to give direction and guidance.

Instead this clown just issues these edicts. It’s all for his ego. Pathetic.

If you have a good work culture, there’s no reason for employees to “justify” their employment. Their performance and that of the organization would show itself.

[Totally Tunsie]

23. Many years ago when I lived in Rhode Island, we had a wonderful broadcaster on WPRO radio

who took great delight in announcing school and business closings for our numerous snowstorms. Walter "SALTY" Brine was a long-time gem of the airways. "NO SCHOOL FOSTER/GLOCESTER" was the opening call that myriads of school children waited to hear at 7 a.m., hoping for the chance their district would be closed also.

I recall one particular storm when Salty read a company's announcement: "Only essential employees need report". The following day it was reported on the News that for the first time in the company's history, ALL employees had made it in to work. 100% attendance during a raging storm. No one was willing to admit they were not "essential"!

Elon woulda' been proud!

?t=72

[mdbl]

28. You can always tell when he wants to do layoffs

He pulls crap like this.

[AllaN01Bear]

30. should that include him as well.

[progressoid]

32. Um...questioning my life choices because I'm working for a megalomaniac?

[twodogsbarking]

34. Sorry for the poor bastards that have to serve him, unconditionally.

[Aviation Pro]

37. This tells me that Eloon the crazy South African

Has no productivity system at any of his fucked up businesses. Even a medium-sized tech company uses Jira or Azure to track employee productivity.

[CaptainTruth]

38. A sure-fire way to lose your best employees.

The best performers get tired of crap like this & there are competitors who will hire them.

It's happened at other tech companies.

[blue_jay]

39. Thanks for posting, I saw a refence to a different email last friday to VA workers

but don't know if it was old thing recirculating, it also had a short deadline with consequences. Seemed to be current but don't want to spread disinfo, just caught my attention. Pretty sure it was from OPM ostensibly.

[LS0999]

41. what has this piece of s*** done in the last month other than destroying our government and cheerleading Nazism

If there was any justice in this world every single penny he has would be confiscated and he would be locked up for life.