Project officer not included in project meetings

[Musteatcake]

Hi All
I am a project officer but I am not being included in project meetings. The PM is 2 grades above me but hasn't been a PM before, so has no awareness of the finance/project set up/systems/process, even laying out the business case. I am finding this increasingly frustrating and finding it harder and harder to not show my frustration. This person has been appointed because of connections. Ultimately I think I need to find a new job, but in the interim need some words of wisdom to deal with this without it affecting my already low confidence and self esteem

Go and enquire why your name is not on the list as it seems an oversight. Meanwhile look for a job elsewhere.

Have you asked to to be included? Perhaps explain why you need to be there (you mention their lack of understanding). I'd assume ignorance rather than forcing you out in the first instance

Have you raised this with them? Is the PM your line manager? If not have you raised this with your line manager?

What do they hope to achieve by sabotaging their own project and not including the right people?

@Paperdolly @Unbridezilla @Changingplace
Hi All
Yes I have said that I should be included in all project related meetings from idea inception to conclusion of project, and have mentioned it in emails. The PM isn't my LM, but my LM is aware.

How does the project manager think they will manage the project without their key staff member?

Is the PM your line manager's manager?

Is your LM more senior than PM?
Would you normally go into these meetings? Are there other PO staff and do they go into these meetings?

My LM is not more senior than the PM. Other staff are included in the meetings, some who need to be and some who don't need to be. In terms of other PO across the organisation I work with they are included in all project meetings.

So who is more senior than the PM? Who is your line managers boss?

I would ask your LM to escalate this because if the project isn’t being properly managed it’ll fail and surely nobody in the business wants that to happen.