Why haven't I yet met my new boss?

[livingston]

Hello all:

I am currently reporting to an out of town manager. My position is such that it is basically just me performing the tasks of this department. My boss recently told me that my department will be reporting to another division and that my new boss is a new hire. I am apparently his only direct report. Fast forward...he has now been at the company for a month and has yet to acknowledge my presence. It is currently unofficial that I am reporting to him but I am a little offended that he has made no effort to contact me.

I trust that my old/current boss would not give me bad information so the fact that the new guy has been to visit several plant sites but hasn't met me is a little strange to me. Am I overreacting or overly concerned?

 

[MikeHalloran]

If you're doing your job right, no boss has a reason to visit you or to bother getting acquainted.

Don't give him a reason.

Count your blessings; he could be one of those atomic micromanagers who looks over your shoulder all the time, and makes continuous 'corrections' that make you look stupid.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[MintJulep]

Or, he might not know that you work for him.

 

[debodine]

Considering the level of communcations in most of corporate America (although you might not be working in America), I would guess that MintJulep is right. )

 

[Latexman]

On the other hand, he may be testing YOU.

Good luck,
Latexman

 

[MikeHalloran]

Okay, in the interest of future cordial relations, I suppose you could invite him to share a beverage when he's in town.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[KENAT]

I thought this was normal in corporate America?

When my previous boss got canned the Director of Engineering said I'd report to him temporarily until he worked out where what was left of my department would fit. He mentioned that he thought we'd end up under the hardware director but that wasn't finalized. In practice I barely saw/heard from him more than before my boss was let go. A couple of the other senior staff occasionally popped by to see if I was still breathing but that was about it.

Well, several weeks, or maybe months later the hardware director comes up and told me he's been approving my timesheet since my old boss got let go and pending official word from the Engineering Director he figured he may as well start actually managing me.

A few months later I saw my name on an organizational chart showing that I reported to the hardware director.

Never did get an official "Ken, you are going to report to the Hardware Director".

So, there may well be nothing to it. However, I'd still dust my resume off just in case.

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[mechengdude]

If your perceived new boss hasn't contacted you how do you know what your tasks/priorities are? I assume at some point after you were hired someone approached you and said something to the effect of "your desk is over there and you need to make sure project X is going well and completed on time".

Until someone tells you different, that first guy is still your boss. Count your blessings. Come in late and leave early till someone approachs you about it.

 

[livingston]

Thanks everyone. I guess I am looking a gift horse in the mouth. My old boss made sure we set my objectives for the next 6 months so that is not an issue. Onward and upward.

 

[ctopher]

My last company, my boss was in another state (and the entire department) and I was alone here in So Cal.
Met my boss once for a couple minutes because he was in the area for a mgmt meeting.
Was very frustrating never to have met my group and boss once briefly.
I think working virtually is becoming more common.

Chris
SolidWorks 09 SP4.1
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[MadMango]

I sit 4ft from my bosses door, I think we've only exchanged about a dozen words in the past 4 months. Most of that was on my first day, "Hey, welcome. You'll be sitting there, you're computer should be ready." A really strange organization here, everyone is a direct report to the Engineering VP.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

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[CanuckMiner]

You mean Stanley hasn't stopped by with a "Dr. Livingston[e], I presume?"

Sorry...couldn't resist.

Cheers,
CanuckMiner

 

[livingston]

Canuck: I've never heard THAT before!;-)

 

[MechEng2005]

Could also be that your new boss spends more time at the golf course than the office. He/she may realize that he is technically your manager, but hasn't had any issues come up with the way things have been going so far. He/she could pick up the phone for a "How's it going?" or get in a full 18 holes instead of 9 today.

 

[PeterStock]

Are you recieving and delivering work with no problem? If so, then while I suggest you should try to contact your new boss on your own, I would not worry about it just yet. My wife once had a review with her supervisor and asked her if she remembered the last time she saw her in person. It was at the previous years review. You dont have that much to worry about just yet.

Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services

http://www.infotechpr.net

 

[racookpe1978]

1) If you continue to get paid for doing your current job at your current salary, don't worry about it.

2) To continue getting paid next month, next quarter and next year, you need to worry about where your "next-job" is coming from, and the one after that, and the one after that .... so you'd better worry that he (your apparent current boss) is going to keep giving you work.

So YOU need to be sure HE knows that YOU are getting the work already assigned done. That way, the next work coming will get assigned to YOU (not somebody else, and that YOu will continue being viewed as important and worthy of getting paid.

Unless you work for the government, I don't know of any engineering company that can afford to let people "coast" without new work coming in.

 

[MedicineEng]

Maybe he doesn't like you.
Or maybe is already dead in his office and some conspiracy, seems to keep him alive just for the rest of mortals don't know (I think I saw this in a movie)...
Maybe he is from another planet and just passes by once in a while.

You see, there can be plenty of reasonable explanations for you not to be introduced to your new boss.

 

[livingston]

I finally did meet him. He seems perfectly normal medicineEng. He just has his focus on a lot of things and was under the impression that I had plenty to occupy me in the mean time. I now have new direction and feel much better. Even better, I still don't have to see him and only talk to him once every couple of weeks!

 

[ykee]

Good to meet him, just remeber that despite the fact that he doesn't require regular contact, you don't want to become the invisible employee, otherwise you'll drop to the bottom of all priority lists.

 

[KENAT]

Yeah, my old boss (and hence my department) became the invisible employee when his boss was based in another site. It wasn't all bad, maybe better than a micromanager, but far from perfect. While he was assigned a new boss before he was let go, I think being invisible for a year or more didn't' help his cause and was related to why he got let go and only 2 from my department survive.

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