Surviving through turbulences 10

[g2015]

Hello,

I have recently joined a new engineering company (Automotive industry). I have about 10 years previous experience in the same industry working mainly in multinational companies.

After about 4 weeks of work, the boss started to attack by blaming me for very minors things. This boss has now no complex in blaming me anytime. Currently I am working very hard to not leave any chance of finding mistakes. I focus all my energy to try to do a good work.
This boss is allergic to any contradictors (including other very senior people), and is always willing to impose their view on how to do anything (I really mean anything, like how to answer to the phone, how to organize my own desk, also commenting on why this short cut key is used instead of another, it really goes to this level of details!). What troubles me is that this boss started to criticize some very gentle people (at least I found them gentle) and do not tolerate to be contradicted. I just said I respect their view and tried to escape such conversations. Normally I would respect the experience of this boss, but unethical misconduct triggers a real alarm signal at this point.

When it feels like I sympathize with other colleagues who seems to appreciate me, could become good allies, this boss litteraly asked me to not have further conversation with them.

Lastly this boss rejected to validate a calculation because I did a mistake that I tried to recover (still possible) even at the price of running the risk that the wrong work calculation will be released to manufacturing center. So all in all this manager prefers to make sure that the mistake stays in the calculation so that it can possibly be used against me. It is the only explanations. Noone would be irresponsable to voluntarly leave a mistake somewhere.

I have really poor experience (5 months) in this new company but the atmosphere is very hostile and insecure and I feel there is a permanent threat on me. It creates lot of difficulties to concentrate and focus on the current work. There is really no efforts to encourage trust to develop.

I am trying to keep up and deliver a good work, avoid mistake/defects with all my forces.
However it feels like there a kind of abuse. Obviously I have started to look for other opportunities but with the current economy especially in the automotive industry, it is very tough.

Appreciate if you can share some strategies on how to deal on a daily manner with such context. If alreayd someome experienced the same trouble please kindly share how you succeeded to overcome or survive.

Thank you!

 

[IRstuff]

Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, says that all dog(people) behavior problems are owner(managerial) control problems in disguise.

There's a show called Restaurant Stakeout, where employees are stealing, being rude to customers, etc., and the inevitable question to the owners is, "Why did you let this happen?" And the owners already know they have this problem, because they asked the show to stake out their restaurants in the first place.

TTFN
faq731-376

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[g2015]

tygerdawg, what about Badboss3 ?

 

[MacGyverS2000]

IR,

You realize that Restaurant Stakeout is fake, right? Probably not the best basis for an argument... ;-)

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[Maui]

Geronimo, you have no way of knowing what relationships exist between your toxic boss and the other management personnel in your organization. He may be related to one of them through family, or may have been childhood friends with one of the higher-ups. You never know how deep these relationships go.

Maui

http://www.EngineeringMetallurgy.com

 

[casseopeia]

IRstuff, I've never seen Restaurant Stakeout, but there are a lot of shows like Undercover Boss that seem like a set-up. Cesar Millan is real, though, and right on the money.

If you are offended by the things I say, imagine the stuff I hold back.

 

[g2015]

Maui,

yes that is what I was thinking about today during a group meeting with the boss in front of me, when boss was speaking.
I could not concentrate on the speech of the boss but I was figuring out what the hell is going behind all that comedy.

Completely fed up.

 

[TenPenny]

Cesar Millan beats some dogs in order to make them behave; sounds like a perfect example of some current management theory.

 

[IRstuff]

"You realize that Restaurant Stakeout is fake, right?"

I'm shocked! Nonetheless, the shows are almost identical to videos we used to watch for management training.

TTFN
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Need help writing a question or understanding a reply? forum1529

 

[casseopeia]

TenPenny,

I would suggest you watch more of Cesar Millan because he does not beat dogs to make them behave. He disciplines them much in the way a pack leader would discipline one of the pack members. The purpose of this is to demonstrate to the dog that you are the pack leader. You are the alpha. There are instances where you must use a distraction technique with some very aggressive dogs, like a grab to the side of the neck or at their side.

While looking for regular employment, I have been doing quite a bit of dog sitting, walking and training. I use Cesar Millan's techniques. The problem with dog owners is that people think of their dogs as children and treat their animals like they are their kids. You cannot do that and have a well-mannered dog.

So for you, I have provided the full length episode of Cesar with Holly, the yellow lab that bit him. This is one episode where he had to use some very aggressive techniques to stop the dog's extreme behavior. But you can see that the dog is uninjured. Cesar does not fare as well. The second video is an explanation or why Cesar got bit by Holly. The dog was eventually rehabilitated, but did not end up going back to the family with the small child.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpPNhjD7Mg4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJyPPbZxyXw

If you are offended by the things I say, imagine the stuff I hold back.

 

[g2015]

Have you guys experienced a situation where you cannot withstand to stay one minute more with your boss ?
Cause I think at this point all this will begin to hurt my health and mental sanity.
The job search is giving no outcome yet, so I was looking for some extra orientations here, just to manage and survive few days more.
Thank you guys.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Whatever you've been doing for a job search ISN'T WORKING.

DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.


Meanwhile, at the job site, you must continue to do your very best work, so as to not give your boss any ammunition.

It's okay to mentally sit back and reflect on what a crazy slave ship you're tied to, but do it all in your head. Do not mention your situation to co-workers. Do not engage in idle chit-chat, especially about the workplace.

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[g2015]

Thanks Mike. Basically I stick to that and to what you are saying. Helps a lot.
Regarding job search, I will try to change strategy until I find my way back.

Boss try provocation, so that I get nervous and make a fatal mistake. I know that. If I fight back, I loose. Risk is to end up with lot of rework and overtime. If I maneuver to keep an ultimate line of defense, maybe doable but it is tough.
Complaining to HR not a good idea. Complaining to one-over-one is lost in advance. So basically complaining will not work out.

What I learn from that is that after I take the hit day after day, I continue moving forward. So its like being physically beaten but ignore the pain and continue moving forward. However you don't fight with physical force but with your brain, so the tactic of the boss is to get you mentally exhausted so that you don't have the strength to oppose enough resistance and that will reflect upon your work and performance. So the response is to keep the brain in a state of strength to have sufficient spare capacity and resources to continue executing the work in a proper way, means with minimum defects.

Very different to what I was used to on previous companies where I have experienced pressure from leadership but with some sort of minimum mutual trust and understanding so basically a descent amount of energy went into dealing with the work instead of dealing with negative/self destructive stress.

What don't kill you make you stronger. It is also an experience where you have to trust yourself.
The line between real abuse and any justified remark coming from experience and know how is very tiny, and smart people maintain it as such. You need to see that and stay objective. There are signals to help you. Boss criticizing, insulting some other colleagues, not good. Boss being completely careless about how you feel and using one communication 100% of the time also not good.

 

[g2015]

Hello Guys,

Currently I have a fixe/ definite term contract (temporary contract of 2 years duration).
Suppose I will find a new job opportunity and proceed with next step to leave my current company.
I have heard that a fixed term contract cannot be terminated before its term expect in case of mutual consent.

What if the employer will play dirty up to the point that they reject a resignation from and oblige me to stay to the full extent of my contract duration. Have you been in such situation before ?

As I am really not willing to stay in this hell where I am now for such a long period.

 

[tygerdawg]

I was on a 2-year "contract" or agreement to pay back substantial sign-on bonus. I made the mistake of signing the agreement and believing what the CEO told me in the interview, but did not get THAT part in writing (never again). CEO lied to me, and it turned into a hellish affair, being shipped off to hostile customer sites and stranded there with no company support. After 16 months of this silliness, an unsolicited offer found me and I took it. CEO demanded his 50% repayment, but offered to let me work on contract basis at my convenience to pay it off in-kind. My wife (always smarter than me) commanded me to just write the d**n check and be done with it. Did so the next day, and did so very professionally and got the heck out of there. One of the best decisions ever. They still called me back to do contract work for my specific skill, and I charged them enough to make them bleed (fiscally) from the ears, and made back much more than the original sign-on bonus.

As for that, BadBoss3 made the workplace an absolute hell hole, everybody hated working there. But the pay & benefits (with a pension, fercryinoutloud!) were fabulous. Tried to find a new path within the larger company in order to maintain the lucrative lifestyle, could not. Funny thing about those Golden Handcuffs: you begin to think it is the most important thing in the world (assuredly, is not). Working there affected my health & family relationships. SmartWife said I need to get away from it so she could "get my husband back". The Big Man Upstairs provided me with an out, and I decided after much prayer to take it. I hunkered down for several months, stayed as professional as possible, passed my 5-year anniversary date (in order to get my pension benefit), then gave my notice. Walked out 5 days later. I would have rather tried to work out a smooth transition (once again, I had a critical skill set), but I am convinced BadBoss3 would have terminated my position before the 5-year date. Life became so-o-o-o-o-o much better. Another one of those best decisions ever.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[MikeHalloran]

Much of the advice you've received here should be universal, but much of it is USA-centric, and I get the impression that you're not. You should speak with a lawyer about your contract.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[g2015]

Mike, I work for an US company but my contract is governed by French law where basically you can terminate a fixed term contract if by mutual consent. Thank you again for the precious advice.

Tygerdawg,
I think your wife has been indeed very smart and helped you very much to get out of this hell.
You managed to survive with three bad bosses with a family to worry about. You deserve lot of merits for all the resistance you have opposed going through that.

Lately I have been upset by boss and lost patience. I am disappointed by my behavior as I want to avoid arguing with the boss, just shut up my mouth and stay professional as much as possible if I want to get out of all that s**t.