Would you take this job?

[yellowbluefish]

I have been in my job a couple of months. It's a new role which I was given after maternity leave.

It really hasn't gone well. I haven't clicked with my manager. She has very specific ideas about how she wants things to be done but no time to discuss anything so nothing is ever done to her standards (since I'm not a mind reader).

Several of the wider team are struggling with mental health/personal issues but rather than their work being deprioritised it's just dumped on the rest of us.

The communication is terrible. I've just been assigned a new member of staff with no consultation. He's an underperformer and I've been told I need to manage him out of the organisation. He was told he was being assigned to me without me having any time to understand his role or what work I am supposed to give him. He has loads of questions and I don't know how I'm supposed to answer them.

A previous manager found out I was back and has offered me a job working for her. She is fantastic, really supportive and well respected. I think it would be a far better role. It's fairly easy to transfer staff within the organisation so she could make it happen if she wanted to but it would massively piss off my current manager and her manager. I would still work with them from time to time and it would be pretty awkward. I also feel a responsibility towards the people I work with and my own direct reports (I have three in total, two plus this new person). My DH thinks I'm being ridiculous and should put myself first.

So what do you think?

YABU - stick out your current role, you can't just jump ship like this when you're an adult, you have a responsibility to see it through

YANBU - take the new job and run

A colleague at work stayed in a new job about six weeks before she applied for another one. There's nothing wrong with saying you're not enjoying it and don't think it's for you. Personally i would avoid condemning other people. There's no need to. People can read between the lines if they want to.

New job

Always put yourself first. They will manage without you and if they hadn't been a shower of shit then you wouldn't consider leaving, would you?

Take the new job. Tell current job you don't think you are suited to the role. It doesn't have to be awkward.

Tell current job you don't think you are suited to the role. It doesn't have to be awkward.

This is very true. I could think about how to give some "it's not you it's me" reasons.

No Brainer. Model to everyone else how to be incredibly composed & professional about the move.

You've been in the new role long enough to fathom that you have a really poor manager - it's not going to get better anytime soon.

Of course you need to move to the other role. If you don't you will wish you had and the chance will be gone. Do it.

It happens! People get jobs that aren’t right for them (or just aren’t good jobs) and so they find something else - sometimes sooner than expected.

As others have said you always need to put yourself first in these circumstances - the company wouldn’t hesitate to make you redundant if they had a restructure and everyone is replaceable - so never feel you owe it to them to see it through.

Best of luck with the new role!

You would seriously feel guilty about leaving a toxic place you have just joined where you have been told to manage someone out? Run, run like the wind (and don’t say you aren’t suited to the job, just that you have been offered a really great opportunity with your old team).

@HTH1 I guess I feel bad about it because I don't think they intend to be bad managers, it's just that they are under pressure or stressed.

I think being given the new person to manage with no consultation or explanation might be the last straw though. I feel it's a sign of how much respect they actually have for me (i.e. none).

Just asked if I can book a chat with current manager next week. Need to make a decision about what I'm doing before then. Eeek.

. I could think about how to give some "it's not you it's me" reasons.

No need to lie. A simple it was a a really brilliant offer as PP said will suffice

Let's them work out what a horrible manager they have put in place

@finallyhere you're right. I think I will just try to be really positive and constructive and offer to do a thorough handover with the next poor sod person who replaces me.

Go to the new job, I learned the hard way the only person looking out for your career is you.

You and your career come first.
Take the new job and give your manager + her manager the feedback as to why it didn't work, hopefully they'll act on it!

Go and don't look back!

😀

My very first proper career job ever, I was in tears at my own leaving for. My then boss, really was brilliant. He encouraged me to go for bigger better things and stayed in touch too.

I get that's it's not quite so easy but just something you must to when you get a better offer. Only a really poor boss would not encourage you to fly, even if they might secretly hope you will eventually come back.

Good luck.