A Bad Manager 16

[casseopeia]

I have a bad, bad manager. I have decided that I will most likely leave the company as soon as I can, but need to survive until that is possible. This senior manager is almost 70 years old. I've worked with people older who were quite competent, but this one is not. The only reason I even mention age is because he uses it as an excuse for 'being forgetful.' I have been told because he is an old man, that it is my duty to make sure he is doing his job, even if it means I have to put aside production work needed to provide a work product to a Client. I am not the only one to notice that this he is having some serious difficulties, resulting in behaviors that are nothing short of shocking. This affects most, if not all of the Project Managers, of which I am one. Over the past three months or so this manager has;

completely forgotten entire conversations occurring sometimes only minutes before;

made highly inappropriate comments including ridiculing another Project Manager at a staff meeting about her accent (she is Asian), saying he thought she said, "I need a f*ck" when she said, "I need a fork;"

has made statements, or jumped to a technical conclusion, without first checking his facts even when I have diplomatically tried to stop him doing so;

claimed I did not follow company protocol for 'senior review of technical specifications' when I had;

taken credit for research or work that I did, much of it to correct or provide future reference for several of his mistakes caused by a rush to judgement.

This has lead to some very bad feelings and has put the company at risk. I have pled my case and provided proof to HR and my Boss that I am in fact doing my job properly. The bad manager makes claims that I did not do something, or did not follow protocol and I have provided emails and other proof that I had. One difficulty, however, is that this supposed 'company protocol' is not written anywhere, changes day to day, person to person and situation to situation. I have asked for a written policy only to be told that I need to be more flexible. I've tried to keep Clients happy, but find I am sabotaged by the Senior Manager's turmoil-inducing back-stabbing and by HR's reluctance to go against this individual, and by a Boss afraid to take him on himself.

So what are my options?

Give up, suck up....and get out.

Fight openly and continue to document...and get out.

Fight subversively, enlist support, and then get out taking some clients with me.

Hide from the Senior Manager as much as possible, and blast the Company's competitors with my updated resume.

The sad thing is I really like the work and all of my co-workers, with the exception of Mr. Bad Manager.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[sreid]

I must admit that my solution a half dozen times in my life was to find another job or to transfer to another department.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Being nice to people goes a long way.

Sometimes it's just not worth the trouble...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[Murec]

The Good Book (of Murphy's Law) says:

You never know who is right. You always know who is the boss.

I put my resume on Workopolis for less than that.

 

[IRstuff]

Cass,

Have you thought about doing a movie treatment? They have made movies called Bad Lieutenant and Bad Teacher; Bad Manager shouldn't be far behind. I'm only asking 5% for suggesting the idea ;-)

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[lacajun]

I sat in a meeting with my plant manager and a bunch of other engineers during which one complained about never knowing who was going to communicate with him or how. The plant manager told him to figure it out because the rest of us were not to account for his problems and all forms of communication are to be used. I call that a good manager and one who has certain and valid expectations of adults with college degrees in engineering.

When that plant manager moved to another plant, he sent an email to the whole plant, which was so interesting I kept it. He wrote about the problem people essentially admitting he didn't do his job by getting rid of them. In that sense, he was not a strong individual.

The problem isn't necessarily the BM. I view him as a symptom of the larger problem of management unwilling to handle an undesirable situation with BM. Sometimes, you have to have a BM or get off the chamber pot.

 

[casseopeia]

IRstuff,

I had not thought about a movie. That's not a bad idea. I even know the character model for the Bad Manager. I saw an old TV show (Andy Griffith) over the weekend and the Bad Manager is JUST like Floyd the barber. Lovable but inept. I'll have to come up with a suitable character for me. Nothing springs to mind right now, but I'll work on it.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[patprimmer]

If I was a really horrible person, I would say Rosanne Barr.

Says Pat while ducking for cover ;-)

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

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for site rules

 

[beej67]

Pigtail girl in True Grit?

Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East -

http://www.campbellcivil.com

 

[btrueblood]

Run, Pat! Aus is not far enough away...

lacajun, I had to retype this twice, I was laughing so hard. Nice setup, good punchline, A+ for comic genius.

Cass, I haven't replied, and still can't formulate one, as I think I see both sides too well, ala Pat. Keep your head down, document like crazy, and update the resume. Like all BM's this too shall pass.

 

[IRstuff]

Colin Farrell might be a good choice for BM; he is one in, "Horrible Bosses," replete with comb-over, etc.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/horrible_bosses/trailers/11145453

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[JedClampett]

Just wait until July 8th and you can see "Horrible Bosses." From the previews, it looks pretty close to your situation times three.

 

[lacajun]

Like all BM's this too shall pass.

Compliments to you, too!

 

[casseopeia]

Pat, Rosanne is too loud and crass. I can be arrogant, but I almost never get loud.

The closest personality/character I thought of is Hunter in Disclosure. Kinda quiet, doesn't take over the discussion, but when she jumps is, it's usually a cutting, sarcastic remark that's right on target. Capable but invisible. That's more my office style. I think it usually surprises people when I fight right back. I guess it's the fighting style that I should change.

example;
Me: Does every piece of this (drawing) require an arguement?
Loudmouth leader: We are people with strong opinions.
Me: I think you are mistaking snap judgements for rational thought.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[FeX32]

Cass, you remind me of one of my ex gf's.


Fe

 

[MacGyverS2000]

cass,

While it may not do any good for your career, don't change who you are.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[lacajun]

example;
Me: Does every piece of this (drawing) require an arguement?
Loudmouth leader: We are people with strong opinions.
Me: I think you are mistaking snap judgements for rational thought.

What's wrong with your communication? ;-) Depending on the situation that would be acceptable. We've become such coddled people through political correctness we don't have much stomach for truth we need to hear sometimes. My Dept. Head at the master's level was an outspoken advocate for the truth and not wording truth so ambiguously the recipient couldn't determine the meaning.

 

[cpretty]

Some of these engineering ethics posts make excellent reading. Like Dilbert but worse, because it's real, and sometimes hits quite close to home.

My last 3 jobs have had situations similar to that described in OP. Describing them may provide an insight to how it can work.

1) Work on a project and coddle a person with terminal brain cancer who had made a significant previous contribution to the company. This one was quite a challenge to do in a way that acheived anything worthwhile on an important project while dealing with some bizarre decision making processes. End result was a project that got run into the ground and another victim of cancer ufortunately. At least in this case I had the support of others,so didn't get run down with it, and in fact achieved a lot through respect gained and the ability to work at a level above my years to carry someone else. I learnt a lot from this project including how the application of bizarre thought processes can sometimes create brilliance.

2) Accountant running an Engineering company making Engineering decisions. Best moment was being taken upstairs to the engineering office to be knocked down a peg in front of the team. The description of perpetual motion / free energy in front of an audience that saw it for what it was didn't quite acheive the desired effect. My comment of 'why are you making _______ when you have discovered the holy grail of free energy' did not exactly help
BUT I let my work speak for itself. I had the respect of the rest of the team for standing up to the boss, got things sorted out that needed to be done, tried to fix it from inside and then left. I left on very good terms as I would never want to burn any bridges. Having kept it touch I wish I had stayed on in some ways but trying, then leaving was the catalyst for a lot of the changes that have improved the company.

3) Much the same as above. Starting a review with the phrase 'I am over it' was a little fun and probably best left to after the salary reveiw. Once again I had let my work speak for itself and had tried very hard to fix problems from the inside. What was interesting is the comment of 'no-one has ever complained, yet we know this problem exists, but not how big it is'. Sometimes people cannot see what is in front of them and need a fresh set of eyes to enlighten them. So 6 months of trying to fix the issues and now I am leaving.

From all of my experiences, the chances of finding obstacles such as this are high. Letting your work speak for itself, gaining respect through this, having respect for others but still speaking your mind can be a challenging game to play, but if you have the best intentions and keep it from being personal, then you should come out better than just keeping quiet.

And then you leave.



Craig Pretty

 

[patprimmer]

Cass

Re Rosanne Barr, I was just messin with ya.

Maybe Harry in Harrys Law or Olivia in Law and Order Special Victims are more fitting characters. Strong forthright up front no BS types.

Craig. Last 3 jobs, maybe you need to determine the only common factor in 3 out of 3 cases.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

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for site rules

 

[cpretty]

Pat, Cass,

I have been debating whether I am the factor myself sometimes.

My first job was a 10 year excercise with a very good experience overall. A good company with good people and a strong work ethic. I only mentioned that one from the point of view that geing asked to coddle someone can actually turn out for the best if done well. It may also be considered flattering that you are being asked to do it, even if it appears demeaning.

The last 2 jobs I think the common factor is my expectations based on the previous company and an inability to settle for mediocrity. I have pride in my work and want the entire organisation to be working to its best. I also know from the benefit of hindsight that I did not do my due diligence on each company before accepting the role. I now interview the company as much as they interview me.

My example was more about how easy it is to find these issues, how you can work within them to improve things and possibly if you can't be fully satisfied with your work you can move on.

I may be young(ish) and naive but I think there is the perfect job out there and if you get that magic team together the sky is the limit. Heres hoping.



Craig Pretty

 

[FeX32]

the sky is the limit

The few words uttered that sum up what all engineers do and ever will. Your limit is null.
Although, I hope literally that the sky is not our limit. The ends of the universe is more appropriate.

For Craig, it seems that a bit of an attitude in portraying your work as superior to others may be a problem. Even though your work may (or may not, i dont know) be better you have to put yourself into the other persons shoes first and then speak up.
I too am young. It is also very common for young engineers as you do. Lots of them with attitude towards others ect.
(I say none of this fro controversy, but for your thought)




Fe