Deeply offended by manager?

[avenueaspirr]

She’s my new manager but we’ve both been in the business roughly the same amount of time (5 years) and we do know each other.

Our first meeting she asked why my productivity had slipped - I advised of the reasons (new systems that don’t work basically and we physically run out of work so I do admin tasks that don’t count towards recordable productivity)

Then before I knew it a week later she’d booked me in to screen share with a colleague to literally sit there and watch them work. I was so offended for the following reasons.

• I gave legitimate reasons and I wasn’t questioned further
• I’ve been doing this job for 5 years so the fact she wants me to watch someone else do it was insulting
• That she discussed my performance with another colleague who is the same level as me

@CallMeNutribullet

She shouldn't have discussed it with another colleague on your level but it sounds like others are in the same situation but are more productive?

You and her being in the business the same length of time is irrelevant.

Yes I think this too. It sounds like she maybe doesn't think the new system is as much of a bar to work as you do and so has had you shadow someone to see that it can be done?

Do you work from home? If you're getting system errors but others aren't then it's unlikely to be a fault with the system and more your connectivity and network from where you are working( speaking as someone who works in IT)

If it's just you and nobody else on the team then I don't think it's unreasonable your manager would like to get to the bottom of it

Your replies to others posters so far are showing what undesirable attitudes you hold. Maybe this has been picked up by your team

@avenueaspirr

There genuinely isn’t anything wrong with my work, we get independently marked each month and I have had passes for over a year. I got recognised for my high productivity at Christmas.

I genuinely don’t mind if my reasons aren’t universal or she disagrees - however I do feel she could have discussed it with me. As far as I was aware there was no further issue.

I don’t know what she said to other colleague but she was approached for me to watch her work so it’s unlikely it was spun in a positive light to myself.

I agree with you, she shouldve told you. At the meeting she shouldve said that you may benefit from shadowing someone and she would schedule a time. Or if she thought about it after, pulled you for a chat then

@avenueaspirr

She’s my new manager but we’ve both been in the business roughly the same amount of time (5 years) and we do know each other.

Our first meeting she asked why my productivity had slipped - I advised of the reasons (new systems that don’t work basically and we physically run out of work so I do admin tasks that don’t count towards recordable productivity)

Then before I knew it a week later she’d booked me in to screen share with a colleague to literally sit there and watch them work. I was so offended for the following reasons.

• I gave legitimate reasons and I wasn’t questioned further
• I’ve been doing this job for 5 years so the fact she wants me to watch someone else do it was insulting
• That she discussed my performance with another colleague who is the same level as me

You literally say you have been doing the job 5 years and so the fact you have to watch someone else is insulting.

You are bringing length of service into this, 5 years means nothing , it's about skills and productivity. Someone who has worked there 1 year could have more skills and productivity than you. Just because you have worked there 5 years doesn't mean anything at all.

your attitude to replies to anyone suggesting that actually this could be down to you shows your unwilling to accept that actually there may be an issue with your work, I suggest to accept the screen share coaching , physically show your manager the issues you get when loading the system, if it's that bad.

Ask for work when you run out, show your manager you aren't just going oh well that's me done and sitting back. Team effort and all that

[quote girlmom21]@avenueaspirr are you now saying the system issue only affects you and nobody else? If that's true, is there not the slight possibility that it might be down to user error?

You also said workload meant there wasn't enough loggable work for you to do, so are others logging more work than you? [/quote]
I never said it only impacts me. I said it doesn’t impact everyone. There’s a difference.

It’s not down to user error at all. It’s a straight forward process.

Shows a lazy manager to me. You've said you're running out of work - so she makes you watch someone else rather than find you additional work to do.

Unless you have performance issues and need support, in which case it should be very clear what they are and how you need to improve, watching someone else is a massive waste of time.

She not an effective manager - she should be removing the obstacles to you completing your work, not just looking like she's doing something by making you feel shitty!

- I gave legitimate reasons and I wasn’t questioned further I agree if she thought this was a good idea she should have mentioned it during this meeting or before inviting you to do it
- I’ve been doing this job for 5 years so the fact she wants me to watch someone else do it was insulting it shouldn't be, it's new systems and sounds like the other employer has got better productivity so they want you to learn from them.
- That she discussed my performance with another colleague who is the same level as me. she probably didn't, I expect it was something like "you're really quick at x y z, can you show avenueaspirr how you do it please?

your attitude to replies to anyone suggesting that actually this could be down to you shows your unwilling to accept that actually there may be an issue with your work, I suggest to accept the screen share coaching , physically show your manager the issues you get when loading the system, if it's that bad.

I’ve refused screen sharing. I’m not doing it. I don’t care about attitude. I’m trying to get out of there.

Ask for work when you run out, show your manager you aren't just going oh well that's me done and sitting back. Team effort and all that

I don’t need to ask for her for work because I’m not a child - I email her to inform her it’s all gone and then I do work that doesn’t count as “work closed”

Surely if you’re running out of work @avenueaspirr there can’t be productivity issue. Has she hauled over other people too- is she just stamping her authority?

*employee

I don’t need to ask for her for work because I’m not a child - I email her to inform her it’s all gone and then I do work that doesn’t count as “work closed” that's great but I'd try and find some that does count as that's what will affect your teams stats. It's silly as there could be loads you do that helps the team but some managers are all about the stats.

Thank you everyone, this year at work has been horrendous. I’m trying my best. I genuinely work hard but my performance has always been good.
I just felt like an idiot that she after so long I’m expected to watch someone do my job. When she never told me or gave me the opportunity to improve.

@MouldyPotato

I don’t need to ask for her for work because I’m not a child - I email her to inform her it’s all gone and then I do work that doesn’t count as “work closed” that's great but I'd try and find some that does count as that's what will affect your teams stats. It's silly as there could be loads you do that helps the team but some managers are all about the stats.

But you physically can’t. We all work from the same pot of work (around 4 different streams of work) and if it’s gone then it’s gone. It comes in from customers so I can’t just conjure up additional work.

It's not a punishment though. I've worked on loads of teams where we all share knowledge and best ways of working.

avenueaspirr I see. Yeah that makes it tricky to do work that "counts" when there isn't any! What does everyone else do when they've finished?

@Orchidflower1

Surely if you’re running out of work *@avenueaspirr* there can’t be productivity issue. Has she hauled over other people too- is she just stamping her authority?

I’m not sure because she doesn’t manage everyone on the team, - she manages certain people across 3 different departments.

I'm guessing your manager has had her team audited. Productivity issues have been highlighted, she doesn't see any major problems, but she is now ticking the "resolved" box by getting less productive staff to observe productive staff.

Would wind your neck in, do what's asked and start your leaving process on a cooperative setting.

So did you learn anything from the screen sharing? If it taught you nothing, have you fed back to your manager? Have you suggested she screen share with you so she can see what problems you are facing? And do you talk to your colleagues the way you are talking to posters who are trying to understand what's going on? Because your OP was vague so of course people don't know what your job entails. Telling them they are talking bullshit isn't helpful.
Having said that, I don't think much of the way your manager did this. You need to keep your wits about you with this one.

So you mention new systems that don’t work. Surely screen sharing with a colleague would give you the opportunity to reaffirm your claims that it is system based? If it doesn’t work for them - then you are right.

Your refusal to screen share screams that you know you are in the wrong with how you are doing it. This may lead to capability/performance procedures being brought up against you.

You're blaming system errors, but then you're saying you're running out of work, suggesting you're actually faster than everyone else. Can you clarify this, as they seem contradictory?

When she never told me or gave me the opportunity to improve.

Offering you shadowing is giving you the opportunity to see how others manage their workload. It is an opportunity to learn and improve.

If you all work from the same pot of work, then it’s not you clearing the workload, it’s a team effort?

As a manager, I would not have tackled the problem this way, she seems inexperienced. But I would have expected you to be escalating system issues since Christmas to anyone and everyone who will listen , rather than waiting to be asked about it.

I can honestly see both sides, I would be angry if I were you that you’ve been infantilised but I would also be irritated if I were your manager or colleague.

You clearly resent being managed .

@MattHancocksSexTape

So you mention new systems that don’t work. Surely screen sharing with a colleague would give you the opportunity to reaffirm your claims that it is system based? If it doesn’t work for them - then you are right.

Your refusal to screen share screams that you know you are in the wrong with how you are doing it. This may lead to capability/performance procedures being brought up against you.

How am I doing it wrong? You click a button it brings up data, sometimes it works and other times it’s an error.

Please explain how clicking the one and only button could be wrong?

@user1471539324

If you all work from the same pot of work, then it’s not you clearing the workload, it’s a team effort?

As a manager, I would not have tackled the problem this way, she seems inexperienced. But I would have expected you to be escalating system issues since Christmas to anyone and everyone who will listen , rather than waiting to be asked about it.

I can honestly see both sides, I would be angry if I were you that you’ve been infantilised but I would also be irritated if I were your manager or colleague.

I never said I cleared the work queue though? Can you confirm where I said that as I’m confused?

Obviously I’m not trying to claim I clear the work of an entire team on my own. I’m just simply stating that work runs out.