How would you deal with boss and manager who want an easy life?

[Liht]

I work in a small organisation, about 12 of us altogether. I have a manager and a manager above him. Both men are very laid back and don't sweat the small stuff. I feel that their decision-making is whatever makes their next half hour easiest.

I am very conscientious and care about doing things properly and not letting people down. I also have more experience and industry knowledge in the role I've been employed. We keep walking in to problems that I feel were entirely predictable and avoidable. I feel frustrated that my managers' lack of care leads to urgent problems landing on my desk. What they shrug their shoulders at, I find really stressful.

I need a new way of not taking this all so personally - any tips?

the boss is the owner of the company?

Equivalent of, yes.

how long have you worked at the company? and them?

The boss has been there a while, gained promotion to the top spot after his dad retired about 5 years ago. My manager and I have been there about a year, taken on due to a new expansion/area of work.

Ok, so I’m hearing that I’m the problem 😁

So back to my question, how do I adapt to this situation?

ok so boss is owner No, he isn't.

you’ve been there “about a year”, let me guess… less than a year by some margin No, 14 months.

accept you’re the problem, and a little fish in this scenario This is my question. How do I go from being a big fish in a big pond to a little fish in a little pond?

Be careful, I've been there done that and in hindsight came across as a know-it-all I'm sure. I did know better, but at end of the day they're the boss. How do they take the feedback/suggestions. If it's not well received, then I'd start to look elsewhere, it probably isn't a good fit

Be careful, I've been there done that and in hindsight came across as a know-it-all I'm sure. I did know better, but at end of the day they're the boss. How do they take the feedback/suggestions. If it's not well received, then I'd start to look elsewhere, it probably isn't a good fit

Yes, I think for the most part I've kept quiet, grown the new area of business and shared my knowledge only when asked. It's become harder recently because their mistakes (in this new area of business) are affecting me and another member of staff. So, I'm acting like a bit of a nag and a know-it-all, and it's making me feel miserable.

They generally seem surprised by my suggestions because to me it's something I've seen happen 10 times but to them it's brand new. Again, recently, it's been a case of "this is the way we're doing it".

This has actually been really helpful. It's helped me to get some perspective. In the short term I need to 🤐it and in the long term, I will be happier returning to a professional environment.

Yeh I don't think it's that you're "the problem", just that you and they are mismatched.

12 employees is okay and respectable for a very small business, but it's not exactly setting the world alight to the extent that they couldn't afford to learn from people with expertise that would enable them to be more successful, efficient, effective etc.

The fact that they have 12 employees doesn't speak to how profitable or sustainable the business is.

If they weren't constantly stumbling into foreseeable and avoidable problems, they could have been bigger than 12 staff by now.

Thank you for the kind reply.

Yes, they're doing ok and yes I think we could be doing a lot more. I find myself thinking if we had a business aim, a strategy to get there, and a plan to diversify our income streams we'd all be better off. Especially in terms of job security. In some ways, I'm alright Jack, my skills are in demand in this area of the country but a lot of my colleagues would be looking at care work or working at Tescos and this appears to worry me more than it does the managers. When I pointed it out, it didn't seem to have occurred to them.

It’s fine to run your own business for a quiet life, if you like that lifestyle.

It might be worth you starting to look around, though.

@Liht there are several strategies to employ here. As has been discussed already in this thread, the boss is obviously doing something right, as his business is working. That isn't to say that you don't have something to offer, however you cannot force it upon them.

My suggestions are:

1. Nobody ever says you're doing a great job, carry on. They only ever come with advice about some other course of action. Thus, if nobody is complaining about what you are doing, keep doing it on the assumption that it is right.
2. When you do need a decision, make it clear. I would recommend something along the lines of "hey boss, we need to decide on x. In my opinion, our option are a, b and c, and I recommend b because...." and you could add something like "I'll assume agreement if I don't hear back by y time".
3. If you have no path forward, ask for their opinion and make it clear you will do nothing until you hear back.
4. Learn to accept silence as being OK. Personally, I would prefer my manager to have been sitting reading the paper until I presented per 2. above. It is worse when they interfere.

Can you maybe share one or two ideas with your manager (and his boss if possible), and see how that goes? They might be happy and impressed, also they might just want to keep things as they are. I'd try a few times, maybe for the next 4-6 months, and also start updating your CV

They have often acted on my advice because I know what I’m talking about.

The problem I’m having this month is that wrong decisions/reactions have already occurred and I’m the one whose work is impacted negatively by them. This is SO frustrating and I can’t move past it, especially when I’ve got my area of work all shipshape.

@HappiestSleeping i found your suggestions very helpful, thank you. What would you advise if a bad decision has been made and the response is pretty much, “just do it”?

Here’s the current example/situation:
I suggest project A in May, two bosses agreed and gave me the go ahead.
Then this week I’m told project B is now my responsibility. It later turns out this is because colleagues just can’t do it properly and don’t want to do it(!).
Now I’m stressed trying to do both. I’ve explained that the answer is not to give me their work, but to get my colleagues to understand it’s their job and to do it properly. The answer is, taking it off colleagues and me doing it is just the easiest thing to do from their perspective.

(And yes, I’m the only woman in this situation).

I’m the problem because I’m now moaning about it and everyone else is happy. And I hate being the angry, negative one. Boss goes home early Friday, but I stayed behind so my Monday is more organised and less stressful. As pp say, I’m the problem. They are and were doing fine without me.

What if you just leave when they leave?

What if you say, “ok, I can do B, but this means A will be delivered 6 weeks later”

It’s not your company and it’s not your responsibility to work excess hours if they don’t.

Because I care about the clients/customers affected on Monday (I deal with them more directly than the boss and manager) and because I can relax and enjoy my weekend knowing I'm all organised for next week. Again, I can see that this is a Me Problem. They are both more than happy to wing things at last minute. My area involves logistics and things working to a schedule, so I'm not built like that.

I hope that this doesn't come across as "Yes, but..." to everyone's suggestions. I'm just trying to think through my behaviour and reasoning.

So you came up with a project to help the company and a different project was assigned to other people who turned out not to be able to do it so you now have both projects.
I'd suggest you ask your bosses which one they'd like you to stop as it's not sustainable to do both or ask for a massive pay rise to recognise the extra responsibility.

If I were you OP I’d go somewhere where your talent and commitment would be appreciated. They’re not appreciated where you are. I could say a lot more but it’s become the sort of thread where you’re just getting picked at now. There are loads of jobs and working environments where individuals with ideas and commitment are welcome.