Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

AIBU to resign from my job in a massive rage

74 replies

WoodBurnerBabe · 13/10/2018 08:33

I was asked to do a significant piece of work for a client. Time sensitive, lots of issues around it. I did the first bits and then arranged a meeting with two of the clients to discuss so far as I needed their input to complete.

Got to the meeting yesterday to find out my bosses boss and his boss (so way above my pay grade) had had a meeting with them on Thursday without telling me, and had totally trashed the work I was doing, said it wasn’t worth it, they needed to think again about what they wanted and that it wasn’t feasible to offer what they needed.

So I turn up yesterday with my study showing how it would be done, what the next steps were and some plans of the site to show how it could work operationally (which was what I wanted to check that I had understood their operational needs before I went any further). I looked like a Total. Fucking. Idiot. The client was bemused, and then a bit angry, and although I got some good input for the project going forward, I have no idea what to do now.

AIBU to go in on Monday and tell them all to fuck off and and take their poxy job with them. This was supposed to be my first experience of project management, moving sideways from my normal skill set (there is a big overlap, I’ve just not done specifically PM before), supposed to be lots of support so I get it right and then hopefully do more. The need for my skill set is diminishing so this was supposed to be me “reskilling” to stay relevant to the business as it develops.

I’m alternating between tears and raging. Although I accept I might be being unreasonable.

OP posts:

BarbarianMum · 13/10/2018 10:22

Your job is to support her and encourage her, not to rescue her from her mistakes or decide what's best for her.

BarbarianMum · 13/10/2018 10:23

wrong thread please ignore

bevelino · 13/10/2018 10:32

I don’t understand why senior management would rubbish an employee’s work to a client. OP did the client tell you what was said?

Original poster

WoodBurnerBabe · 13/10/2018 11:27

The client did tell me what was said and it was very contrary to the last meeting I had with our management about this project.

I accept that this may be me being rubbish at the job. Run has calmed me down. I’m going to meet with my immediate boss on Monday and see if we can unravel where the miscommunication has happened.

My skill set is a technical discipline, my work have decided they don’t want to offer this in house any more, but wanted to retain some knowledge to help manage subconsultants hence my move to project management (of my own discipline). I know it sounds complicated. I have to now decide if I want to be a PM of other people doing technical stuff or if I want to stay doing the technical stuff (there has never been any question that I’m skilled and effective at that but). That would require a new job.

Lots to think about.

AIBU to resign from my job in a massive rage

OP posts:

lljkk · 13/10/2018 11:27

I think Tinkobell might be right, harshly said but need to not be so sensitive.

The question is whether corporate culture expects you to always be thick skinned and to tolerate being kept misinformed & things always changing/shifting goalposts (lots of private sector jobs are like that). Did management apologise for THEIR lack of information when OP trotted out her presentation, or did they blame OP for wasting their time? That's the crux how to decide whether OP stays in this job or looks elsewhere.

(Apols if I havent read thread carefully enough, but not sure OP explained what I asked).

lljkk · 13/10/2018 11:28

Aside: Bloody hell, OP, I envy your run!

CinnaMessala · 13/10/2018 11:35

“my bosses boss and his boss (so way above my pay grade) had had a meeting with them on Thursday without telling me, and had totally trashed the work I was doing, said it wasn’t worth it, they needed to think again about what they wanted and that it wasn’t feasible to offer what they needed.”

Who is they? The client or your company?

The senior executives of your firm apologised to their client that the work you’ve produced was rubbish and they can’t put their company name on this and need to start again?

And you’re raging because they said your work was terrible and forgot to tell you?

Am I understanding this right?

llangennith · 13/10/2018 11:54

Read the full thread again Cinna

Original poster

WoodBurnerBabe · 13/10/2018 11:59

As far as I know they haven’t seen my work. They told the client that what we had all agreed should be done wasn’t now possible. I don’t really totally understand myself.

The client wants something technical done. We all had a meeting. I was asked to PM the project which would start with a scope of works. This scope would then be agreed and I would then go out to procure the works from subconsultants on the clients behalf. Senior management then met with the client, said the brief I was working on wasn’t now possible and suggested something else. Without telling me. So I turned up, with my immediate bosses knowledge, with the work I had done on the original, agreed by everyone, brief. Only to be met with confusion by the client as they had been told it wasn’t possible. And I was sat there with a scope of works saying it was possible.

Something has gone wrong somewhere, but as far as I know there is no technical issue with the work I’ve done. Maybe there is, but I won’t know until Monday now.

OP posts:

Needsmorebeans · 13/10/2018 12:02

Is your skill set not in demand generally or just in your organisation? If its the former it makes sense for you to stay, reskill as a PM and then jib it. I've worked in an organisation where senior management had to be 'managed' as well due to poor communication and lack of knowledge
It's very difficult. Ultimately you have to do what's best for you.

Original poster

WoodBurnerBabe · 13/10/2018 12:05

My skill set is hugely in demand outside this organisation. I wanted to stay where I am as I’ve been there a long time and have a good flexible working arrangement that suits me while the kids are small. My plan was exactly that, reskill with PM skills, stay another 2-3 years until my youngest child goes to secondary school and is on school transport rather than needing taken and picked up from school and then look for something else. Then I would have both technical and PM skills to offer and I had hoped that would make me more attractive.

OP posts:

Maidsrus · 13/10/2018 12:06

They made the company look bad. They wasted company money letting you do work that wasn’t needed. They are in the wrong.

It’s only work.

Keep going in. Find another better job.

Jaxhog · 13/10/2018 12:13

I'd be asking for a meeting with your boss first thing on Monday and demanding an explanation.

NEVER resign in a rage. You will always regret it. Wait and see what your boss says, then decide what to do.

BTW, what your senior managers did was despicable. At the very least they should have given you a heads-up and an opportunity to state your case.

TonTonMacoute · 13/10/2018 12:23

Agree with PPs, if I was the client I would be very at your senior management, not at you. A good management team wouldn’t undermine their own people in such an amateurish way.

Parpulous · 15/10/2018 09:53

Any updates OP? Hope today goes well and you get an apology from management!!

Original poster

WoodBurnerBabe · 15/10/2018 19:29

Long day. I didn’t resign. I didn’t get into a rage. I did have a long discussion with my boss, who was horrified and had no idea about the change of direction. He asked me to write a factual account of my meeting and said he would deal with it.

I then had to go out to visit a client, and he was still talking to the people above him when I left. It’s my day off tomorrow, so I guess we will see on Wednesday what the outcome was.

Having calmed down a lot, I left it as “I was concerned at the lack of communication, I don’t feel we came across well with the client, they are still keen to go ahead with , can you confirm which way we are going ASAP so I can either proceed or stop”.

Thank you for all the support!

OP posts:

eddielizzard · 15/10/2018 19:31

Perfect. Well done.

Parpulous · 15/10/2018 19:33

Amazing OP. So glad that your manager listened to you and is on your side. I'm sure it's all uphill from here - the higher ups owe you one now!

SpoonBlender · 15/10/2018 19:40

Good work! It's fine if 'the business' (in the personification of senior management) has decided that the original plan is now not something 'the business' wants to do. Strategic stuff, above your (and my!) pay grade.

It's totally not fine that they went in front of the customer and told them that it wasn't possible (a flat out lie), and didn't tell the department that was busy doing the job. You've held it together admirably, hopefully your boss will make the idiots feel suitably contrite.

Almostthere15 · 15/10/2018 19:48

Well done. It sounds like you dealt really well with it. I hope it's all sorted for Wednesday.

smallfootpercy · 15/10/2018 19:49

Haven’t read the thread yet but bloody hell, your bosses have made right fools of themselves by cutting you out!

Original poster

WoodBurnerBabe · 15/10/2018 20:14

Honestly, I’m so glad I posted here. Some of the advice was “to the point”, but this really is above my pay grade. I suspect there is politicking going on somewhere.

I am polishing my CV up this evening. I’m not rushing to get a new job, but I’ve decided I might as well have a nosy at what’s around. I’ve been focused on staying put so I haven’t really be paying attention, it can’t hurt to see what’s around even if this gets sorted and I stay where I am.

OP posts:

SofiaAmes · 15/10/2018 20:20

There is a wonderful 2006 movie called Outsourced about a tech guy having to train his replacements in India....not quite your situation, but it might make you giggle.

WeShouldOpenABar · 19/10/2018 21:08

Just wondering how you got on with the big bosses op

Flip

1 2 3