Meeting with director - what to say about issues with new job

[PrincessDando]

I posted earlier about a new job I've taken which is turning out to be unsuitable, mainly because my manager is treating more like an assistant to her , when I was expecting a lot more autonomy and to be able to deal with issues from clients directly rather than them all coming through her and she doling out little bits of work to me. Also she's not giving me much work at all as it seems she wants to keep it all for herself. So I'm bored and hacked off and have started looking elsewhere.

Anyway... I have a welcome meeting with her boss's boss, so 3 levels above me, next week. I'm bound to be asked how i'm finding it, what the fuck do I say?

If I say how I really feel, they may do something about it but then again boss may get defensive and turn it against me and say I'm the problem? I'm only on a weeks notice so very vulnerable.

I could say nothing and just keep looking elsewhere.

Or is there some sort of middle ground where I hint that all is not well without going into the gory details?

I wish I wasn't meeting this director now, but can't get out of it. Do they really want to know if there's a problem or is it just a tick box for them so they can say they've done the meet and greet? Don't wanna sour relationship with boss but TBH its kind of soured anyway as I feel the job I've been given wasn't what it was portrayed at interview.

Whilst I'm fairly certain I will move on, I don't know how long its going to take to get another job and if things can improve in the short term that will keep me going until something else comes up. Also I kind of feel like I should tell someone how unhappy I've been, but will this backfire?

Could you make some positive suggestions about process improvements/efficiences you have identified that you think would benefit the company and in turn give you more autonomy.

"I appreciate the intensive support ....has been giving me and how much time she has devoted to showing me the ropes.

I think when i am given my own case load i will be able to contribute by......"

Thanks, director is not really close enough to the day to day work though so that may just go in one ear out the other.

The director will care about money, any suggestion that they are paying 2 people to do one persons work will get their attention.

Suggestions of how you can increase income, reduce costs, improve the public.image of the company and/or bring in more clients will be noticed.

I was in the same position, kept asking managaer for more work but never got anything. I had very little to do all day.

When I had had a meeting with a more senior manager I was also careful in what I said. But I did mention every time that I’d be ok as long as I didn’t get bored.

Anyway, I got very bored and handed my notice in. I was asked for feedback and told the truth, HR were listening but the senior manager was just trying to justify the amount of work that was outsourced and didn’t really believe me (or was trying to hide that he knew) about my managers attitude and temper.

I'm thinking of saying something to the director along the lines of 'there doesn't seem to be much work at the moment, is it likely to always be this quiet?' as that way doesn't directly criticise boss so much as saying she's not giving me enough to do.

Or am I better to STFU and get on with the job hunting, as the lack of work will give me more time to prep for interviews/make it easier to take time out to go to interviews.

Don't know how long it will take me to find something else, but the longer I stay here doing sod all, the less I'll have to say when I'm asked in interviews what I've been doing.

Maybe say something about the change of pace like my last job I was constantly busy and working it's been so odd here with it being so quiet and having so much time on my hands. That kinda thing to say you can and are able to work hard just not able due to the workload.

I probably wouldn’t actually. It’s a meet and greet and not really the place. I don’t see anything wrong with asking about workload as you’ve phased it though

I'm thinking if I let the director know I've not been very busy, if she wants to probe more she will and if she's not that bothered and doesn't want to get involved she'll gloss over it.

Can't believe my boss has gone on holiday for a week leaving me with literally nothing to do (except check one small thing mid week which will take around 5 minutes of my time). I'm sure if the director knew the truth she'd not be happy, but I know how these things can turn around when you're new so that the person raising the problem becomes the problem.

Ah well its a free holiday for me! Just as well it is half term.

Get on with job hunting. Have a nice chat with the Director. Be led by their questions. Impress them with your experience and knowledge but don't expect them to intervene in your problem.

So, I had the chat with the director and it went quite well actually. It all came out although I was careful to make it about the workload and not a personal attack on my boss. She said no I shouldn't be working like that and my manager is not stepping up to the next level. She seemed genuinely surprised at what I said.

She's assured me I can and should have ownership of client relationships and as the role is new, needs to be carved out.

She's speaking to my boss's boss and arranging a meeting for all of us ( me, boss, boss's boss and her) to thrash it out!

Boss will not be happy when she returns on Monday but it was be honest or resign... glad I had the chat now let's see what pans but looks like I have a certain amount of support now.

feeling more positive although worried about how my boss will react.

Glad it went well. Sorry if I'm pessimistic but I would keep on with the job hunting! It will be a bitter for your boss to swallow.

I love your user name Unexpected! How do you think boss will react? I did say to director I was worried about how it may strain our relationship but she said that's not your problem.

Very good.

I have no idea how boss will react, but be prepared for any of the following:

1. Blaming you ("I tried to give them work but they didn't want it / weren't competent").

1. Denial ("I don't know what she means, we agreed she would get her own clients after an induction period")

1. Excuses ("The clients don't want to deal with her")

1. Superficial acceptance - agreement but nothing actually changes.

1. Hostility ("I can't trust you anymore/ you're disloyal")

1. Combination of above.

Sounds great Unexpected... I have to say I am feeling cynical today... Part of me thinks do I really want to work for an organisation where the directors vision of how my role works is so vastly different to my managers? Why are they not on the same page with regards to this?

The only thing going for me is there are 3 other people new into the organisation in similar role to myself with different line managers who are working as they should be... so my boss is out of synch with other teams. Maybe there has been a massive communication defecit/failure and it can all get cleared up but I'll hold my breath until it happens and carry on with the job search!

I don’t think raising it with someone so senior was appropriate, it would’ve been better to raise it with your boss, then her boss if necessary. But now you’ve raised it you may as well go with things.

It was that or resign Loopy and she was the only one to check in with me and how I was finding things, I just couldn't lie.

I didn't seek her out, she asked to meet with me.
Couldn't raise it with boss as she's part of the problem!
It's not an ideal situation whichever way you look at it but if I end up leaving, I'm glad I was honest. It really is a deal breaker for me, if things don't change I will leave.

It wasn’t “that or resign”. You had other options. In the first instance, bullying etc excepted, it’s usually protocol under processes for concerns/grievances to raise issues directly with the person, or your line manager, then escalate to their boss if not resolved, or whatever the organisation’s process is. The director session was introductory.

Resigning would be an unecessary financial risk.

I’m sure the director knew what she was like but was burying his/her head in the ground.

Well done op, sounds like you handled that well.

Chill out Loopy, OP was backed into a corner.

Fingers crossed for next week.

Thank you. Just wondering whether to get in there first with Boss on Monday and phone her to update her on work stuff, then slip in a breezy ' I hope you dont mind but when I had my welcome chat with director I mentioned how quiet its been and we ended up having a chat about how she sees the role working so I'm kept busy, I think she wants to clarify things'. Or just leave well alone ?

I would leave it, keep your head down!

Leave it so she’s not got time to make something up.

I will leave it, but if she phones me first it may seem weird if I didn't mention it. Maybe I'll see if she specifically asks how it went with director ( which will be a sign she knows not all is well) and if not I'll avoid saying anything.
Hopefully she will leave me alone on Mon as she has form for not interacting much with me!

Bracing for impact on Monday!