My Boss...

[expos]

I’ll make this brief and concise as I can.

I work at a very large company, great salary, higher-level position. Things are generally “OK” here but I’m pretty unfulfilled. I feel I’m a lot more creative than they work I have to do. I also have six people who report to me plus a manager who also reports to me. They are all really good people and they love me.

My problem is my boss.

When I first got hired, I was working under a guy I really respected. He’s talented, confident, believed in me, etc. I really enjoyed working for him. He’s based across the country so I had to correspond with him via email and teleconferencing. It was going pretty well until our department grew so much that we had to hire an individual to oversee me and my team.

Enter micromanagement….

I immediately did not like him. I saw his resume prior to him joining us and I did not feel he was good enough and lacked talent. After meeting him, I felt he lacked the interpersonal skills in order to handle the job. I’m not able to learn much from him because my skill levels are far beyond his. I’m now stuck, because there is very little chance that he’ll get promoted and I’ll be able to move up in the ranks. It’s hard for him to look good.

Today, I got into an argument with him regarding a trivial issue regarding compensation. Several people were CC’d on the email and he took offense on how I phrased something regarding him. I told him that it was not my intention. There was nothing malicious involved at all and he was oversensitive.

Jump to 30 minutes later and he sends out a mass email regarding Project Status issues. He included what was essentially a confidential report. My team had some tech issues last week, which he was aware of, but he felt the need send this to everyone and passively “call out” my team.

I’m at the point where I want to have a discussion with my former boss about this incident and how it was a little uncalled for and not very tactful. I’m not sure if I have the right to go around my boss and talk to the guy he reports to. I don’t want to come off as a whiny brat, or oversensitive.

TLR - I want to call out my current boss to the guy he reports to for being unprofessional.

ETA: I plan on finding a new job in about a month anyways. Maybe I should just drop it and move on.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

If you're as good as you say you are, and you live in a reasonably sized city with good job market, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a new job. Just curious though, did you apply for your current boss's job before they filled it? If not, why?

 

[expos]

If you're as good as you say you are, and you live in a reasonably sized city with good job market, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a new job. Just curious though, did you apply for your current boss's job before they filled it? If not, why?

I arrived at the job last year, so I was a relatively new hire. I spent time building my team over the winter. When this was happening, my boss let me know that they were going to hire someone to look over me. They moved me to my specific location to oversee a major account (General Motors) in their satellite office.

My current boss moved to the headquarters on the Pacific coast, so they were not going to relocate me twice in one year. So, I kind of got screwed over.

Looking back it this now I'm going to let this slide. There would be no sense in picking battles now if I'm planning on leaving on good terms. Part of me wants personally set a precedent of not being disrespected by anyone.

 

[BetterCallSaul]

... my boss let me know that they were going to hire someone to look over me.

Did you take any initiative to let him know you'd like to be considered for that position? Yes you were still new at the time, but that was the first you'd heard of it. You should have spoken up about this.

 

[expos]

Did you take any initiative to let him know you'd like to be considered for that position? Yes you were still new at the time, but that was the first you'd heard of it. You should have spoken up about this.

Hey Saul,

My boss, the one I planned to work under, was hoping to take my department in a different direction in terms of intent and usability experience. This is why this guy got the job. He had those qualifications. He is not strong creatively.

I work in creative, so he put me in charge of that team and had me report to this guy. IF I would have interviewed for the position and met with my current boss, I most likely would have not taken the job because we don't see eye to eye. I did not like him from day one. It was almost a bait and switch scenario.

None of my team seems to really care for the guy either, but I work for him and this is the way it is. He started managing me in late February, and he's already had a Lead Designer quit on him. I would be the first director to drop.

 

[Blistex]

expos, I think you rightly concluded that calling out your current boss to your former boss would be pointless, for you at least, since you are planning on leaving. Now, that isn't to say your employer at your next job might be any better.

 

[Tenacity]

In situations like this, if I'm having an issue with a co-worker (staff or management) I just setup a time on the side and speak with that individual or those people about the issue to workout an arrangement.

Higher management is usually VERY busy (especially in larger corporate structures) and dealing with a lot of stress in relation to the business, that they really don't have time for issues such as this unless it's something very serious that violates legal codes, regulations, etc.

We all get our feelings hurt from time-to-time, it's going to happen. At times we might all experience a little workplace bullying as well, but what we can't do is allow this to affect our performance as well as the rapport with our teammates. As a result, pull them off to the side before work or after it, and have a discussion with them. Be open and honest about the situation, let them know how you feel, they might even give you information on something you might have done that made them feel uneasy.

Normally you both can workout the situation and focus on the thing you are there to do, GROW the company

 

[expos]

Higher management is usually VERY busy (especially in larger corporate structures) and dealing with a lot of stress in relation to the business, that they really don't have time for issues such as this unless it's something very serious that violates legal codes, regulations, etc.

You bet we are. I feel that my manager is just a little oversensitive, maybe a little insecure. I'll write more later. I've dropped the issue.

 

[mandyoi]

re:

Did you take any initiative to let him know you'd like to be considered for that position? Yes you were still new at the time, but that was the first you'd heard of it. You should have spoken up about this.

yes you should do it now..

 

[Desdinova]

I'm currently working under a woman with OCD who got the position a couple of months ago. She's been constantly trying to organize our work agendas, which isn't possible due to the highly variable aspects of my job. Sometimes a job will take ten minutes or two hours. It's really dependent on the situation. There is no way in hell that my job can be scheduled, but this OCD bytch is trying everything under the sun to make it happen.

Now, I have a good relationship with most of my clients and I've been there for quite some time. Some of my clients are on the board of directors. Recently, I did some work for the head of the board. He mentioned that he was aware that there were problems going on in our workplace, and wanted to know if it was due to the immediate management, or higher up. So I filled him in. If anybody has the power to get rid of the bytch, this guy does. Now all I have to do is wait...

There is lots to be gained from establishing good relationships with the right people.