New manager hasn't even introduced himself

[Sunflowers2047]

So I wasn't even aware I had a new directorate manager until I saw him mentioned on an email. Then I get another email (not from him) saying he has secured the role permanently. I have no idea who he is, he has not even been round to introduce himself or even send a courtesy email to introduce himself? AIBU I feel like this is really poor etiquette. He's my new manager and I couldn't pick him out of a line up.

How long has he been in role?

Well hopefully he'll leave you alone to get on with things - better than micro managing (although an engaged, supportive manager would be best!)...

It’s all nonsense anyway, isn’t it. They come round all smiley and genial and tell you the ‘my door is always open’ bollocks. And then do whatever it was they were hired to do.

What is a directorate manager? Is he your line manager?

let the manager start emails have just confirmed he is starting the role. Give them a minute to enter the building or finish the handover.

I have berm at at my place of work for nearly three years, our 'big' manager came in the other day and asked me if I was new. I am quite glad I think I am quite glad that was the first and probably only time I will meet him.

If they don't know their staff then they are not worth worrying about.

I think wgst really pissed me off today was getting a "dear all, can everybody please remember to" email from him. I was like I haven't even met you!!!

My DH has just taken in a role at director level in his company. If it is him then you haven't met him because his role started on 1st July and he is on holiday. He won't be back for another week so you will just have to be patient. If it's not him maybe your boss is on holiday too or maybe has a million actual tasks to do rather than going round saying hello to all his teams.

Haha its not your DH. Mine is not on holiday. I personally think as a manager you should prioritise introducing yourself to your team.

Then your DH needs to drop all other tasks and go say hello to his staff! That should always be a priority, without the people he manages he doesn’t have a job

If it's not him maybe your boss is on holiday too or maybe has a million actual tasks to do rather than going round saying hello to all his teams.

Any manager who busies themselves in "doing stuff" rather than genuinely investing time early on in their new tenure to introducing themselves to the people who are on their team, is really missing a trick. There will come a time very soon when the moment is lost and their staff will remember that they didn't make that investment and the manager's card is marked as someone who doesn't give a stuff about people. Reputation is extremely hard to build and retain, and very easy to lose.

Maybe it is the fault of the person that hired him, for not doing an introduction.

Personally I am sick of starting roles and no one having a clue who I am or what I am doing my there (I am not really in a management position).

Personally I just think it's rude to start a new job and not introduce yourself to your team .
I've always believed if you get the team right and motivated everything else falls into place .

My direct manager took a week and a half to introduce themselves. No one told me they had started in the job I just started having work allocated by them, then a week and a half later they put a meeting in my diary to introduce themselves.

Tbf I should have taken note as before we would have regular 2 week meetings to discuss work and its been 8 weeks and they haven't spoken to me since that first meeting.

Some managers don't manage well.

Agree it’s rude. I’ve just been successful in a promotion and whilst my staff will be spread across 3 sites across the U.K. I’ll certainly be sending out an introduction email once the news has been announced. Rude to just start sending out orders

I've got one of these. He trusts the staff to run operations. I only met him when my manager went on holidays and.I was running operations. He basically told me to do what I thought best. Good job, get out of my way.

He'd better have my back when the shit hits the fan. So far he does.

His boss only comes down when it's 'reputational'. I.e. when he has to check we're as incredibly professional as we are. He's always stunned with wonder.

I think it’s shocking, first day should be introducing themselves top line then if it’s a massive team a big team meeting later that week or in the the first few weeks. Along with 1:1s with direct reports over the span of 1-2 months which you mention on the first day.

Of course the manager should prioritise meeting the team but there is a scenario I can see all of the behaviour being understandable. Is your department performing well?

I've taken over services where frankly the equivalent of them being on fire with people running and screaming is the case.

I took over one service where unknowingly the old manager had left a giant mess ((to the point I was contacted on the weekend before I started to warn me as it had all just been uncovered ). By the Wednesday of the first week several big contracts were pulling out and by the Friday the ombudsman were threatening to close us due to some of the issues with my predecessor.

Truth was I had to go into fixing mode really quickly and had 178 staff ,they definitely had to see instructions before I met them or they wouldn't have had a job by the next month as it would have closed.

Is it possible he is firefighting?

Best manager I ever had came round and spent time with each and every member of staff in their first week, talking about 50 people.

@Nietzschethehiker That's a good point, maybe the shit is about to hit the fan OP.

Are redundancies looming? Has he been brought in to make cuts?

You say directorate manager.

are they your line manager? How large is the team?