Yes, there are some very good Line Managers whom I have never lost respect for and to whom I have sought advice and supported whenever appropriate. It's true that everyone's experience is personal and everyone's experience is different. Mine was mixed with two extremes, intelligent Line Managers with whom I could have an intelligent conversation with (with-out prejudice), and un-intelligent, self-serving, power-obsessed Line Managers who don't understand people and don't like being told by qualified specialists that they're wrong.
Without writing an essay, during my final year with Airservices I observed the following occur in my Centre:
1. A Manager being removed from the operational environment apparently due to aggressive behaviour towards a controller.
2. An alleged act of defamation that was protected from prosecution by two Managers. One of whom I gather is no longer a Line Manager.
3. A document that was signed by a controller, subsequently altered by a Line Manager and a HR Officer and presented to a third party as being a true and accurate document as endorsed by the controller.
4. The HR Officer resigning after the matter was referred to the Fraud Control Officer.
5. The Manager involved stating in a formal meeting "I thought I could do that".
6. A deliberate breach of CATSOAM by two Line Managers. One of whom I gather is no longer a Line Manager. The other denied being involved but subsequently supported the action.
There always different sides to a story, but in these cases, it did not appear to have been handled well by anyone involved. There were, however, other Line Managers who were not involved who provided support, advice and assistance behind the scenes. It is those Managers who give hope to those who remain within Airservices and those who may want to return some day for whatever reason.