AIBU being micromanaged

[MotherOfDragons90]

Just wondering what others thoughts are on this. I work as part of a team of 8. There are two ‘strands’ of the team. My strand has me and two colleagues at the same level & our manager. The other strand has two people and their manager. We are all overseen by a higher manager. For the last 2 years I’ve been responsible for organising a particular event that happens once a month, in a kind of coordination role. I do it well, and have never really had any complaints. Everything is done on time and I’ve never needed any prompting to do any of the tasks involved with getting it done. However since the new manager of the other strand of my team has come in, (so my managers equivalent) I feel like she is trying to coordinate over the top of me and I can’t stand it!

For example - Ahead of the event I send out an agenda 1 week before and ask the attendees for any comments. I’ve always sent it a week before, and now she will always email me 8 days before asking me to send out the agenda. I do anyway!

If there are any changes made by senior management to the structure of the event she always sends a follow up email asking me to action them even though I would have anyway.

And to make it worse she attends the event with me and if there is a slide pack or something we are looking at, she takes the mouse and clicks through it which makes me feel like it’s fucking pointless me being there.

And then if there are any actions for afterwards she will immediately send me an email or text message asking me to complete them when I’ve already made a note.

And the worst one, which doesn’t sound like the worst, is that every time I do something she thanks me, as if I’m doing it because she’s asked me. I can’t work out how she’s managed to insert herself into this position as my manager for this when I’ve been managing it just fine for years. My own manager doesn’t have any issue with it and has never tried to micromanage me in this way. Our higher up manager never has either.

It’s just really frustrating and I don’t know what to do without being rude or causing friction.

Please help AIBU community as I am rapidly losing patience!!

[PuppyMonkey]

Time for a passive aggressive email maybe? Copy in everyone who attends the event. Something along the lines of:

“Hi all, thought it might be worthwhile explaining how we organise the xx event, deadlines, action points etc, as I realise we’ve had some staff changes recently and not everyone is up to speed.

“I send agendas on the xxx date each month.

“Comments need to be back by xxx date.

“Actions will be completed by xxx”

Etc

“Hope this helps, but if anyone is still confused do let me know.”

[Juells]

Time for a passive aggressive email maybe?

That's good wording!

[Magenta82]

I really like PuppyMonkey's email idea, but I would think about changing "how we organise" to "how I organise" just to make the point a bit clearer.

[Babynut1]

Lol I had something similar.
I’d been in a supervisor role for a few years and knew my job inside out. I was organised and knew what had to be completed and by when.

I got a newly promoted manager who had been doing a similar role to me previously.

She started checking through everything I was doing and wanted me to email her a list of what I had done that day and what I would do the next etc.

I just told her no. She was a control freak and needed to micromanage every single thing.
I told her I knew what I was doing and there was no need to keep checking up on me. The job role hadn’t changed at all so my tasks and duties were the same with the odd extra added in.

She was a bit taken aback and I told her straight that I will carry on doing what I’ve been doing for years and that maybe she should take a step back and have a little faith in her team.

She chilled a bit after that 😂

[JenniferJareau]

I had someone like this. She moved my desk in front of hers so she could watch me over my shoulder. Bitch.

[PerkingFaintly]

OMG, that's where my former colleague went! She was a nightmare.

Do not, do not, start justifying any of your actions to her, or run round proving to her you've already done stuff – it will just validate her belief that you answer to her.

Go to your own management and ask them nicely but outright if there's been some restructure and she's now your manager. ("I'm a bit puzzled by, can you clarify...")

Also, suggest to them that she must not have enough to do, because she spends a lot of time trying to do your job (that they know you've been doing competently for years).

The latter might actually have an impact if she's simultaneously complaining to them that she doesn't have enough time to do her own job. They might not care about your happiness, but they will care about her work not getting done.

[MotherOfDragons90]

Wow thanks for all the great suggestions people :)

She is new to my team but not to the organisation.

PuppyMonkey and Magenta, I am actually going to do that email first thing on Monday!!!

It’s great timing as well because there has been a few staff changes so I was thinking it’s time to do a process recap anyway. But I will definitely be saying that I, not WE do X, Y and Z.

[Boyskeepswinging]

If you read the OP you'll see the micromanaging is not being done by the OP's manager. OP needs to speak to their own manager to sort this out. Frankly, I'm amazed that OP's manager has let this happen for so long. I would have nipped it in the bud immediately "My team, my rules, back off new lady!"
She's clearly trying to make a good impression but why is she being allowed to tread on other managers' toes? Other managers should be sorting this out, not OP.

[Boyskeepswinging]

Go to your own management and ask them nicely but outright if there's been some restructure and she's now your manager. ("I'm a bit puzzled by, can you clarify...")
This exactly. This is what OP should have done the first time it happened.

[PerkingFaintly]

Agree that PuppyMonkey's email to all is fine; it's in no way you being accountable to her, but merely informing all your colleagues of all ranks.

[PuppyMonkey]

Yay, sock it to ’em MoD

[snitzelvoncrumb]

Can you talk to your manager and ask them to step in and tell her to back off?

[HappenstanceMarmite]

Keen to know what course of action you took OP?!

[MotherOfDragons90]

Sorry I’ve only just come back to this!

I sent an email out on Monday under the guide of a kind of responsibility matrix to let everyone know who needs to do what post several staff changes.

I also got lucky as one of her staff who normally has a task to do for the event is on leave this month so I (politely) asked her to action his bit in his absence. That felt good

I ended the email ‘Please let me or my managers name know if there are any problems’.

Not had anything back from her so we shall see how the next one goes!

[HappenstanceMarmite]

Good work! Swat that irritating mosquito so that she won’t bother with you again 👍

[Magenta82]

That is fantastic!
Now if she tries it again you can legitimately tell her you are "surprised" she is asking and refer her back to your email. :)

[Kedgeree]

She thinks the event is something high profile/ important (even if it isn't) and is trying to insert herself into it so she can claim credit for it. She's testing the boundaries ahead of starting to make changes which will allow her to promote her involvement in it and that she has added value to it. Ultimately she is trying to take over your strand of the team, starting with you, probably because there are more of you on your side and she feels undermined by that. She senses that your own manager is busy and sees that as an opportunity to slide in. For some people, politicking is the job, and she is doing what she believes will move her ahead. Seen this so many times...