To think my new manager is planning to fire me (or push me to resign)?

[Ansarima]

I am part of my company since many years and i love my job. I am considered a top performer and this is clearly stated in my HR files. (Multiple feedbacks, end of year reviews and added bonuses).

2 months ago my old manager left the company. He suggested to his boss that i was the perfect candidate for his open position (unprompted).

The company is living a difficult moment, so, instead of filling the open position, they decided to reduce head count and move me and my collegues to another team. Let's call the new manager "P".

In 2 months, i spoke with my new manager only once. P is located in a different site so we can only speak on the phone. I am the only person in this team located in my region, but this was never an issue until now.

My manager communicates with me only by email. By email, P removed me from 4 out of 5 projects because "i needed to focus on the 1 project". By email, i was also removed from the last project because "i did not follow the guidelines".
i am the top expert on this project in our company and i wrote the damn guidelines.

P has canceled every single 1-2-1 we had, always with few minutes notice. I tried to reschedule, but the meeting was always declined or canceled last minute. I tried to call P and P was pissed because i did not schedule the call in advance. If i try to send a direct message, P says they do not have time - please send an email.

But how can i try to understand what's going on by email?

I honestly do not know what to do. P wants to fire me, right? How can i save my ass? What would you do?

Speak to your union if you have one (and I hope you do, sounds like you're going to need it); otherwise ACAS if you're in the UK.

I don't think she necessarily wants to fire you, but she has a different style of management to your previous boss. Some managers prefer communication by email, usually it means they are quite a weak manager, which seems to be the case with her.

The best thing to do is turn her weakness to your advantage. If she wants everything done via email, go along with it - you instantly have an archive of all communication with her which can be used to back you up if she falsely accuses you of something or tries to fire you.

New managers - especially ones who have staff foisted on them, to save the company from spending money on a like-for-like replacement - often project some of this reluctance onto the people newly under their charge. Just keep your head down and crack on, if you're a good worker eventually she will recognise it.

Actually I’d fight fire with fire. She says you didn’t stick to guidelines - ask for specific detail of which ones and how. She won’t answer calls - keep records.

then go to HR and ask to me moved to a different manager due to her attitude and behaviour.

and document everything!

Sounds like constructive dismissal in the making to me. And you never cancel 1-1 s unless it's unavoidable.

I'd try and schedule another 1-1 but you need to cover your back. Is there a senior person you have as a mentor or friend you can go to for advice? Otherwise you will have to raise your concern with HR.

Communicate EVERYTHING on email so that you have a trail. Forward any emails with terse responses or telling you off to your own private email.

Short term, I would just get my head down and get on with it.

Longer term, I would be looking for another job.

I don't think this is going to improve. He/she sounds like a rubbish manager and who wants that?!

I rarely agree with posters who think their manager is out to get them or has an agenda. In my experience, it's often blindingly obvious that there's a performance issue.

However I agree with you fully here. You've written clearly and precisely and it seems overwhelmingly probable that she is resentful / fearful of your competence & aptitude and does not want you promoted to the manager role at any point.

You should continue to keep email correspondence going for records purposes.

I would at this point - politely and professionally - call it out, emailing her to express your concerns and asking for a 1-1 to discuss.

If she doesn't respond, go to the next level manager, mentioning the next step will be HR.

None of this needs to be adversarial at this point but be very clear.

The response from LM, senior manager & HR at this point is key - if they engage meaningfully, then you may be able to sort this out. If not, the reality is you may need to move roles (while also refusing to accept this treatment).

Good luck. It's very stressful. 💐

Sorry I see I assumed P was female but you don't state! So replace my she/her as appropriate!

@Ansarima are your other colleagues that moved to P also experiencing the same thing?

In this situation it's good everything is via email!

Whenever there is any criticism you ask for evidence. Where didnt you meet the guidelines? Explain why your 121s are cancelled?

I had a line manager like this and she was trying to get me out. She ramped up the bullying, kept what she thought was incriminating emails about me, encouraged others to bully.

The key thing I learnt during my bullying was that no one had before had issues with my performance and style. So it wasnt me and this isnt you. And now I see it coming and call it out.

But I really wished I had recognised that I had to leave before it made me sick.

All good advice about documenting things and next steps to take upthread.
I just wanted to tell you to keep an eye on your stress levels. My previous line manager wasn't trying to manage me out, but was very uncommunicative and did things in a strange way. It was a stressful role anyway, so I needed direct and strong leadership which I did not receive.
I ended up off sick from work for over two months. I was so unwell, I never thought I would be able to go back.
I did, quite happily, to my manger from before the weak manager. The point of this: no job is worth the stress a bad manager can cause. If you are strong enough to change it/fight it, do so before it gets to you x

Does she have a manager above her? I would go straight to them tbh and describe the issues you describe here and say you are not having the type of manager relationship you expect.
yes everyone has different management styles - some prefer emails/ scheduled calls etc but to cancel 1 to 1s and not reschedule them is awful.
perhaps she feels threatened by you

I would put all of this in an email directly to your manager, asking for feedback on the guidelines (along with mentioning you drafted them so are very aware of their contents!).

Ask for a meeting to discuss all the points in addition to a regular 1-1 being reinstated.

The fact they’ll only communicate on email can be to your advantage as you’ll have a trail of everything.

I think that the new manager feels threatened by the OP as she is clearly very good at her job.

My previous manager curated my resignation. I had so many setbacks in a short amount of time and it wasn’t until after I left I realised that my friend was their new target and they did exactly the same thing to her until she resigned. (Instead of making redundancies!)

it’s very manipulative. Ex manager has admitted and apologised to me hoping that I’d forgive him and help him find a new role in the industry (architectural firms know each other here!). Of course I haven’t fallen for it though 😈

my advice is to keep an email trail if everything!!

Document everything. I've been in a position of a manager undermining me and I wish I'd realised it sooner and kept a record. Use the emails as a record and keep a note of your attempts to contact them and that it's not your fault you can't have a useful conversation.

I had a similar manager & 'team lead' who both bullied, undermined and lied to their manager. Both new to their roles, had a title & abused their position of power. I moved on, there is only so much you can fight and it eventually gets to you.

Watch your back here. You do not know if she has been given an agenda to follow. New managers like to make their mark by implementing changes.

People leave managers, rather than roles. Suggest an off record chat to HR to express your concerns. Keep an eye out for an internal transfer or new job.