To think my manager is maybe playing mind games?

[Likerealpeopledo]

My manager and I have a new senior manager (they are not new to the business or the team and they know us both).

My relationship with my manager is breaking down and she has me on a performance plan. I’ve spoken with my new senior manager and we came to the natural conclusion that I should set up a meeting for the three of us and discuss my plan and how to move forward for me to show improvement to get off the plan.

I set the meeting up today (checked in calendars yesterday and everyone was free). My manager still changed the time to later in the day and then started the meeting by explaining why senior manager was present in the meeting and what we were going to discuss

Like I didn’t invite senior manager to the meeting I set up!! She acted like I joined not knowing who would be there

I think it is quite unusual for the senior manager to be involved, so was probably reasonable for your manager to say something so that all three of you had a common understanding as to why they were there.

What do you want to happen? Do you want to keep this job or would you rather get a new one?

So you're saying you went above your manager's head to the new senior manager? Sounds more like you're the one playing games here. Why are you on a PIP?

It sounds most unusual that the senior manager would get you, the most junior staff member, to set up a meeting.

If I was your LM, I'd most likely have changed the meeting time too.

In terms of the LM opening the meeting with an explanation, that makes sense to me. As PP said, it's clarifying the shared purpose of the meeting.

Either way it doesn't sound good. Don't expect senior manager to fight your corner or side with you. If your line manager has issues with your performance she'll likely listen to her and whilst you may be able to turn it round on a PIP you'll have to demonstrate a big improvement, pronto.

Who involved senior manager in the first place, you?

I’ll be reporting into the senior manager due to a structural change in the department.

It's not unreasonable for your manager to have changed the time of the meeting, irrespective of whether the time you suggested was clear or not.

It's not clear from your OP what the hierarchy is. Whether your manager reports into the senior manager or vice versa, but given your manager has instigated the PIP it's entirely reasonable that they would have chaired the meeting and clarified the background / what the expectations were regarding the senior manager. That's not playing mind games that's just being transparent.

Just because you set the meeting up, doesn't mean you were leading it. It's a non issue, but the fact that you think it's an issue is probably a reflection on how your relationship has broken down.