Bosses have no obligation to correctly guide or train subordinates.
In many companies, "correct guidance" or "training subordinates" is not included in job definitions or performance appraisals. Even if it is, it's only a few percent of the evaluation.
Most management evaluations look like this:
Performance Evaluation 60%
- KPI Achievement: Team's overall numerical targets.
- Strategic Execution: Implementation of measures aligned with mid-to-long-term policies.
Organizational Management 30%
- Process Improvement: Efficiency and cost reduction.
- Team Building: Motivation, communication, engagement, retention.
- Human Resource Development: Support for skills and career. ← Just a pinch here. Usually gets a "pass" just by sending someone to a seminar.
Discipline Management 10%
- Compliance, mental health, harassment prevention.
But isn't "improving team results" part of the goal? Doesn't that require training?
No.
To improve team results, it's faster to concentrate work on yourself and capable subordinates.
If there's 100 units of work:
- Self (Boss): 45
- Capable Subordinate A: 35
- Subordinate B: 15
- Subordinate C: 5
This distribution finishes faster.
It's a waste of time to spend energy on someone who shows no sign of improvement after a few attempts.
It's not about being "annoying"; the ROI doesn't add up.
The ROI of Training
The team might change in 2-3 years. Even if training goes well, it takes a year for results to show. And honestly, I might already think, "This person probably won't make it."
Even so, you have to push yourself to give feedback, review, and mentor. You prepare in advance, providing things a capable person wouldn't need.
You have to delegate to help them grow, but if you do it when they can't handle it, they'll break. You have to gauge their situation and give them "stretch" challenges.
Naturally, things often go wrong, requiring recovery. You take over the work without hurting their pride, and go behind the scenes to apologize to those affected. You point out mistakes carefully to avoid harassment claims. You ask others to help care for them.
This is the cost of training.
In short, it's High-Risk, Ultra-Low-Return.
Bosses know they'll be in trouble later if they don't train successors.
But there's work right in front of them.
It's an investment decision: how to allocate resources between living expenses for today and hope for the future.
Bosses Who Train Thoroughly are "Super Rare"
A boss who spends time and effort holding your hand.
Personally, I think that's how it should be.
But structurally, it's difficult.
It's impossible for someone evaluated 60% on team results to go all-in on training with its terrifying ROI. If they do it for those few evaluation points, they'll focus on the capable ones and send the others to paid seminars or external projects.
So, who are the bosses that still train?
Saints, people who enjoy training as a hobby, or natural mentors.
In my experience, that's about 1 in 10.
What You Should Know
Before complaining that "my boss is incompetent and won't train me" or "gives bad instructions," it's important to understand this structure.
A boss being "sloppy" isn't necessarily laziness.
It's a rational decision within the evaluation structure and time constraints to work intensively with those who understand with low resources.
If so, waiting on the "assumption of being thoroughly looked after" is a risky strategy.
If you meet a 1-in-10 super rare boss, you're lucky. Absorb everything.
But if not, have a system to train yourself. That is the most realistic strategy once you understand the structure.
I have a complete guide on how to "conquer" your boss on Note, so please take a look.
Note: The Encyclopedia of Boss Conquest - How Aces Use Their Bosses
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