Aibu or is our manager batshit?

[Funkyslippers]

All staff meeting at work yesterday in the large theatre where there is tiered seating. On the way in a colleague said to me that our manager told the team in the morning meeting (I wasn't there as I start later) that we shouldn't sit in the back row. I was bemused by this and as we entered the theatre by the back door and saw the back row was empty around 4 of us just sat there anyway. Just then the manager came over and said "how many times have I told you NOT TO SIT IN THE BACK ROW!!!" She also said it's been "noted" that we always sit there (not true, I've never sat there before and this is only the 2nd meeting we've had there in a few months). Myself and another colleague told her she hadn't told us at all and we all were quite taken aback by it. She then said "I'm your manager! I've asked you not to sit there!" I heard a couple of my colleagues mumble something to her and she then said "oh just do what you like!!!" And stormed off down near the front. I should say we can hear perfectly well from the back and our team were spread out in many different areas of the theatre. Aibu to think I'm a grown woman and can sit where the hell I like and but she should at least make sure everyone gets the message if she wants us to do something? Staff from other departments were also sitting on the back row

You’re adults. You’re not at school. If your performance is generally good, I don’t see why sitting in the back row is some kind of metaphor for incompetence or lack of engagement. Or, if performance is in fact a problem, it needs a better solution than telling people where (not) to sit.

She sounds very stressed. Sit nearer the front, you're not at school now. Bloody hell.

No, not batshit. Probably stressed or irritated by the display of dumb insolence from you and your back row mates.

You didn't go to the meeting, but the manager's message was passed onto you. You deliberately did the opposite. Why? If it wasn't a big deal to sit at the back or the front, why did you feel the need to ignore your manager's wishes?

Personally, I'd have felt bemused too, but would have sat at the front and perhaps asked the manager about it later. It's called picking your battles. This is not a hill to die on.

Unless you had a specific and legitimate reason for wanting or needing to sit in the back row, I have no idea why you would deliberately do what you'd been asked not to do. It sounds petulant and childish.

Perhaps you could ask her why you shouldn’t sit at the back? I agree she shouldn’t have raised her voice at you.

I'm with you OP. My Head of Department is very much like this. She imagines conversations in her head, then takes people to task when they don't action her ridiculous requests - the same requests she never actually made. The fact that she played the manager card shows that she probably realised at that moment that she hadn't asked you and attempted to cover her arse for reasons known only to herself.

It doesn't matter how frustrated she is at the perceived lack of subservience and respect from her team members - if you need to take staff to task, you don't do it publicly, you arrange a face to face meeting and do it there, not in front of other teams. She just made herself look like a shit manager who isn't able to lead her team.

I wouldn't have sat in the back row if i knew it was mentioned at the meeting even if i thought it was a joke.

She sounds like a bit of an irrational nob and you sound like an irritating wind up merchant.

Wonderful combo. Unlikely to work out in your favour though.