Managers who lie and lack integrity

[WhyDidntIGetAnySoup]

I don’t really know what I want from this post but just want to get it off my chest I suppose.
I’ve been in my current job for a few months, am coming (hopefully, although no reason to think I won’t) to the end of my probationary period.

In my team, there are three team leaders. Mine has me and one other staff member who report to her. Recently the whole team (approx 14 of us in total) was tasked to do something, I won’t go into details but we were told by our higher manager that each team leader would be speaking to their team and telling them which part of the task they would have to do. I waited a while and heard nothing so messaged my TL on teams and asked when I’d be told what I was meant to do. She replied “oh you weren’t in the office, please do X (part of the task)”. So I started. The task is time-consuming and tedious but I plodded along. Last week (so, maybe 3 weeks after I’d been given X to do), I get an email from a different TL asking why am I doing X when actually I should be doing Y? I replied saying because my TL told me to.
It then transpired that, not only was I given the wrong task by my TL that in fact she hadn’t told the other person in her team either. So, the comment about my not being in the office (implying that it was my fault I didn’t know) just wasn’t true. So, she lied basically.
The thing that really gets my goat however is the whole thing didn’t really matter, all she needed to say was ‘sorry you two (me and the other person in her team), I forgot to have the meeting to tell you what to do’ and I’d have been like no worries, shit happens. And that would have been that. Instead she has completely ignored the issue: not once has she spoken to me, not once has she even acknowledged that I spent a good few hours/days working on X instead of Y (which was her fault) but she has also LIED to me.
There have been a few other instances of her not admitting fault (often over really silly small things) and she doesn’t seem to realise that this gives me less confidence in her/makes me respect her even less than if she just fessed up and acknowledged an error.
My job is public facing and we deal with tricky customers, often in some state of distress. I feel completely unsupported by management (although my fellow colleagues doing the same job as me are great) and don’t feel as though they have my back at all. It makes me think if they will lie and avoid over something so ‘small’ what would happen if something bad happens? I’d be thrown under the nearest bus, I fear.
Anyway, any stories of toxic workplaces and shit managers are welcome here. I know there’s probably a lot worse out there of course but it just really gets me down: I work hard and I’m reliable, I stay in my lane and get on with my work. But I’m being managed by complete muppets 😂😂

It doesn't read to me as though your TL lied to you or implied it was your fault you didn't know the expectation. It does sound as though there are communication issues though. If this is a group project with several teams working on it, is there a Teams channel, are there regular meetings to discuss progress, etc? It sounds as though there's a lack of clarity as to how the task is to be achieved. Also very often people who are good at their jobs get promoted to management roles without the skills or experience needed. And you never know what someone else is going through.

I get your frustration, but you need to discuss this with your TL and your other team member, not complain about her here. Ask how you can best contribute as a team to the overall project goal. Confirm the discussion in writing afterwards, who is going to do what by when and get on with it.

Thank you for replying. I know I need to speak directly to my team leader but I’m not very assertive (something I need to work on). It’s not that big a deal, I know.
mumsnet would be half empty if people didn’t post about people who they perhaps otherwise should speak to directly in real life.

Okay - so now's the perfect opportunity to have a conversation.

I agree it doesn't sound like she lied to you.
She sounds disorganised that can be hard to deal with.

If there is no work group for this could you suggest it?

I waited a while and heard nothing so messaged my TL on teams and asked when I’d be told what I was meant to do. She replied “oh you weren’t in the office, please do X (part of the task)”. So I started. The task is time-consuming and tedious but I plodded along. Last week (so, maybe 3 weeks after I’d been given X to do), I get an email from a different TL asking why am I doing X when actually I should be doing Y? I replied saying because my TL told me to.

It then transpired that, not only was I given the wrong task by my TL that in fact she hadn’t told the other person in her team either. So, the comment about my not being in the office (implying that it was my fault I didn’t know) just wasn’t true. So, she lied basically.

I genuinely don't get this.

Do you work part time? Because how can she say you weren't in the office when she delegated work? Could you not have said 'I was in the office all week' - if that was the case?

It seems as if there is a lack of communication between the Team Leaders which is now filtering down to you.

My advice is if you are so unhappy you ask for a meeting with your TL and ask how there can be more consistent allocation of work, because you were told to do two different tasks by two different TLs.

You need to speak up and say yes, you're new to the organisation but you are concerned about this incident.

Hmmm

Your post shows you are a bit passive aggressive.
When posters say you should talk to your TL you come over as huffy saying MN is full of posts that could just be solved by talking in RL.

Well yes- that's often the case and does apply to you.

You can either vent anonymously and get it off your chest or take control and try to stop this happening again.

If you think you are being managed by muppets maybe you should consider if you want to work there at all.

Saying they lie and lack integrity is a pretty damning assessment.
You have to decide if this is an exaggeration by you and if not, why would you stay there? Or, talk to your TL and make your point to her.

Thanks everyone, helpful to know I’m perhaps being over sensitive about the ‘lie’. I suppose it’s against the backdrop of other things so has made me more sensitive.
time for big girl pants up and a conversation. Thank you for focussing my mind everyone 🙏