How to deal with managers who don't know what they are doing

[Quirkyme]

Hi,

So it's established that my manager and the assistant manager don't know what they're doing, and try to disguise it in various ways but it's very clear..

There's also bad practice rife in the team.

I'm a senior and I feel that all I can do at this point is focus on myself and do my job to the best of my ability. Although difficult when others bad practice affects my job.

Any tips, apart from leaving, for how to deal with such a dire situation?

Anyone been through something similar?

(I posted this before not long ago and it had a few good comments but someone on the thread wrote self-identifying details so the thread was removed and I was advised to post again)

If you can get an answer to this question please let the world know.
Best way I know of getting through is not to take work too seriously.

@DrManhattan

If you can get an answer to this question please let the world know. Best way I know of getting through is not to take work too seriously.

Tbh I generally have this attitude to work - or did before this role. BUT I don't think it can apply when the bad practice hugely impacts on one's job and it involves dealing with often vulnerable groups of people, so it's also putting ppl at risk

@DrManhattan

If you can get an answer to this question please let the world know. Best way I know of getting through is not to take work too seriously.

Good advice!

Tbh I generally have this attitude to work - or did before this role. BUT I don't think it can apply when the bad practice hugely impacts on one's job and it involves dealing with often vulnerable groups of people, so it's also putting ppl at risk

If it’s a safeguarding risk then I’d get another job, leave and then report it.

the bad practice hugely impacts on one's job and it involves dealing with often vulnerable groups of people,

Can’t you push to eradicate the bad practice by suggesting/ implementing better systems?

If it’s too ingrained or fundamental to processes I think I would look to move on.

Come up with loads of great suggestions, which help the team but also make them look good. Make sure everyone knows they're your ideas. Happy to help if you want to PM me?

@Mamette

the bad practice hugely impacts on one's job and it involves dealing with often vulnerable groups of people,

Can’t you push to eradicate the bad practice by suggesting/ implementing better systems?

If it’s too ingrained or fundamental to processes I think I would look to move on.

I think it may be too "ingrained " or certain individuals are just lazy.

When I suggest things to managers, or discuss, they just do lip service you know?

When you say senior, do you mean senior manager or something else and you report into them? Just because it affects the remit you have to do something!

@Royalbloo

Come up with loads of great suggestions, which help the team but also make them look good. Make sure everyone knows they're your ideas. Happy to help if you want to PM me?

Hmmm even if it's so badly entrenched and individuals don't care? Seems to be the case. Can I message if I'm using the app? Could you perhaps message me? Also, why don't you want to share here?

@WhyYesYABU

When you say senior, do you mean senior manager or something else and you report into them? Just because it affects the remit you have to do something!

When I say I'm senior I mean my post is, so in a senior role , I'm not management though

Without being outing, can you specify some more what you mean by "not knowing what they're doing", what your position and responsibilities include and roughly around what type of work we're looking at?

Without knowing the answer to any of these, the only sensible answer is "well, it depends!"

E.g., I'm a corporate executive, and if you were to ask me if I was capable of performing the duties of the people who report to me either directly or indirectly, for the overwhelming majority of them, I'd have to say that I'm not (the exceptions are in roles comparable to what I used to do in the past). But that's, literally, not my job. My job deals with strategies, goals, business performance, personnel development, etc.

On the other hand, I used to work in a lower management role in the service industry roughly around a lifetime ago. Back then, it absolutely was my job to know better than my team and to serve as a source of practical advice to them - and to do some admin on top.

More than happy to help with more practical advice - but I'm afraid context really matters here.

Try and get promoted yourself and do a better job?

Who 'established' that they don't know what they are doing?

Are you making your suggestions in writing? If not, I’d start doing that. Then there is a bot of a paper trail if there is ever an investigation plus it may make them take you more seriously.