To not know how to get this pushy CEO off my back?

[Rizzo8]

I'm in the probationary period at a new job and my manager has gone off on holiday for three weeks.

Now that she's left I've been exposed to the neurotic/pushy CEO. As a project manager I was told I'd be managing a new project but my manager was very clear with CEO that I should be doing a few small tasks to get up to speed with this very complicated project and that's all.

She very clearly said 'We cannot do X piece of work because we don't have enough info. We need the client to provide us with this.'

Yesterday the CEO suggested I do this piece of work and I explained what manager said. He said ok but I woke up this morning to a message from him asking me to take another look and consider doing it. Another manager did the same via email.

I know I cannot do this without the guidance my manager mentioned and I feel really uncomfortable about his pushiness. What the heck can I do, just keep saying no I can't without help from the client as manager stated?

ask them for help

Can you not liaise with the client?

Came on to say, tell them exactly what you need in order to do this piece of work, and ask them if they can do anything to provide it.

Contact the client and get the information needed then liaise with the CEO to move forward (keeping it all on email so you have a record). You can't ignore the CEO!

I haven't been introduced to the client yet - happening tomorrow.

I suggested talking to the client yesterday. But he's left me a message asking me to do it meaning he wants me to just do the work.

He's not listening and it's not possible

Deliberately misunderstand him. Email back " yes, I'll get on with this. I'm meeting with the client tomorrow"

I'm frustrated because my manager left a very clear hand over of what I should and shouldn't be doing and CEO has already made me do quite a few of those 'don't do' tasks.

You could ask the CEO how to navigate/access the missing info that your boss had mentioned to them. Getting the CEO's help could be excellent training while your boss is off. Alt can't you just ask the client for the missing info?

Is this one of many projects you have over the three weeks or has your manager left you with only a handful of small tasks? If so that's a concerning chunk of your probation to have very little to do so might explain the pressure from CEO and other manager.

The pp doesn't even know how long the probation period is. Three weeks is hardly a "concerning chunk" unless it's only a month long!

OP I would reply and say "yes I will be meeting the client tomorrow so I will be taking steps to progress this".

And then get on with what your manager told you to do.

And yes, you can say no to the CEO, they don't know everything, they do get things wrong, they get bees in their bonnets and your immediate manager has left you clear instructions. The skill is in how you say no.

@Evaka the thing is that I did say this on the call yesterday and stated I'd need help from the client. He thinks I have everything I need to simply get on with it but this is NOT the case.

My manager has left me with the main large project im responsible for which is in a vital phase this week and a couple of other small-medium projects.

She wanted me to do smaller tasks until she's back because in her words 'it isn't possible to do more until we have more info.' Because it is so complex she said over and over 'no I don't want her to do that yet, I want her to do X.'

The CEO is totally ignoring this and trying to bully me into doing it.

That's a really tough situation. Do you fully understand the brief and agree with your manager, or are you more so just following their lead (understandable given how new you are)? If it's the latter you could be honest with CEO and ask for help understanding the difference in direction you're getting from them vs your manager. If you totally get the reasoning could you say 'isn't there a risk of xyz if I crack on without x info?'.

You also mentioned a different manager. Are they helpful/approachable?

I do feel for you, mixed messages are really stressful.

Have you explicitly detailed the missing information, why you need that to progress with the work and the risk to the project if you don't have it? I would do that and confirm you'll provide a more detailed update after the meeting.

@Evaka I agree with my manager. There is too much missing info to proceed.

Yes, I am going to approach the other manager and ask for help with this. Thanks.

@Roundandback to be clear it's missing because we haven't even had the next phase kick off meeting yet. This happens tomorrow.

My manager knew this would take time and CEO is trying to push me to do things that aren't yet possible.

Manager off for another 1 1/2 weeks!

OP, don't phrase it in terms of your needs. Phrase it in terms of benefits/costs to client and company.

Start with a one sentence reassurance on business results. Eg: "we have a process already worked out that will deliver everything the client needs by the deadline."

Then the costs/benefits of doing it this way/ not doing what he's pushing for

Eg: the client will be unhappy if they don't give input before X Stage". Or "doing it the way suggested would increase the company's exposure to X risk". Or
"Starting without the proper information will make costly errors more likely that will cause multiple departments headaches in the long run".

Then follow up with positive suggestion/commitment. "I will do X and y now, and once we have Z info, we can complete z stage within 2 weeks. This will deliver us the best, highest accuracy result still well in advance of the deadline."

I'd go back with 'I can prepare X but I would need info from the Client on Y and X. I am meeting them tomorrow so will have a skeleton plan prepared and get as much information as I can to fill the gaps.

I have been asked however to do A, B anc C in boss' absense. Are you wanting me to drop those and just concentrate on this, which I was specifically told to leave?'

Are you quite junior in your role? Understanding office politics and dynamics is important. You may agree with your manager but it's likely that the CEO holds significantly more power than your manager, unless your manager is the CFO or something.

You need to word your reply carefully. I would reply and say something along the line of yes, I'll get started on this task (and make a meaningful start with the limited info you have). But you could also outline the info that you'll need from the client to complete the task. Note that the plan is to obtain it in the kick off meeting and update the report etc. as soon as you have more info.

I think @Boxina has a good idea - phrase it always as a "yes" response but be clear that you need the info first, and that you have a plan to get it. I think pushy CEO just wants to hear that someone's working on it and that it's progressing.

CEO - do this right now
You - absolutely, working on it as we speak, I already have a meeting in the diary tomorrow with the client to gather the info we need

not

CEO - do this right now
You - I can't because I don't have the info yet from the client and I won't have that till tomorrow and my manager told me not to

I wouldn't reply with the last sentence to a CEO that I wasn't familiar with during a probation period.

I'd suggest being more amenable - " (manager) mentioned we should wait until the kick off meeting is held but I am happy to get started with this task and can update the report following the meeting".

That's exactly what I meant, yes.

If it's not possible you can't do it. Just tell him I need xyz from client before I'm able to do it.
Then meet client tomorrow and try and get it sorted. Don't do a bodge job just bc he told you to. You know what's required. He clearly doesn't.

Well this is it @BobbyBiscuits it would be a botch job which will benefit no one.

I have now asked the other manager for guidance so hopefully she will help.

@LondonTraveller that sounds like a good plan!

You need to send a really clear email to the CEO setting out the position. Whether he listens or not is his problem - you just need to cover your back.

Send him a short and succinct summary of where the project currently sits. Then a short summary of the next steps. Say ‘I cannot progress with the steps outlined above until I am in receipt of XYZ info, which will be provided at my meeting with the client tomorrow. Once I am in receipt of that information I will do ABC. If you have an alternative approach you would like me to take I would be grateful if you could email me the specific steps you have in mind and I will attend to them. Otherwise, I will progress the matter as outlined in this email and keep you updated on my progress.’

Chase the missing client information? Tell the CEO you are waiting on response from client?