Manager speaks to me like shit but I'm leaving - confront or leave?

[Singingwiththepain]

I'm a member of a senior leadership team in the public sector and leaving my job shortly. I have always believed in not burning bridges and taking the high ground but I'm about ready to lose it with my manager.

I've had 2 years of being spoken down to, everything I say being rebuked, treated like a child... Today she publically humiliated me at our team meeting to the point where her PA that was on the call messaged me in shock. Then later on a 121 call she was unbelievably rude again. These are far from one offs.

I'm a mild mannered person who avoids confrontation but I honestly feel ready to blow. In the past other senior colleagues have commented to me on the way she speaks to me. She's not the type you can bring it up with as she blacklists you and is extremely defensive.

I think 2 years of being spoken to like shit has finally reached boiling point. What would you do? Do something or ride out final week?

If she’s used to you taking her talking down to you, then it’s unlikely anything you say in confrontation will sink in?

I’d be spending the last week thinking of pastures new.
I doubt I’d be joining any calls , meetings she’s on either, what’s she going to do?

Say my farewells to colleagues in private and be off.

You don't want to do anything that might affect references etc in the future so I'd be tempted to just keep my head down and avoid for the week. Don't let her ruin your future.

I don't think I'd engage with her anymore, but I see no point in confronting her. I might be tempted to raise her communication in an exit interview though.

Don’t retaliate. She may be getting worse because you don’t rise to it. Scream in your head but don’t say a word, she may boil over spectacularly before you leave. Her opinion is worthless so don’t waste your time, your colleagues clearly have no respect ( rightly) for her . So you have nothing to prove. Good luck in your new job

Do your HR department do a leaving interview? Could you be honest in this?

Like you I don’t believe in burning bridges, but I still have regrets not saying certain things to some people I’ve worked with, I wish I’d just told them exactly what I thought of them. I did tell my general manager some stuff before before I left my last job, it was a social environment and she had a knack of getting people to say stuff they wouldn’t Norma. Anyway she was mortified what was happening in her department and wanted to know why I never brought it to her. I had a long list of valid reasons which she understood. Not long after I left there was a bit of a shake up with management in her department. I have no idea if it was because of what I told her but one of the main people who obviously lied about their capabilities left with no notice and about suddenly got moved to a role with no people management involved.

If it was me now, older and don’t care as much as I once did, I’d send a final email to her outlining a full list of her unprofessional behaviour and cc her boss and HR.