Is this the battle that's worth fighting or shall I start looking around?

[MincePiesAllTheWay]

I really need insight from someone who can evaluate the situation well enough and give their view on what's going on and most importantly what to do next.

The company hasn't been doing as well as expected. There's nothing wrong but just not quite where we planned. My department has few sub departments. We depend on each other by all means but operate fairly separately. I am at mid management level of sub department. Then we have a manager who overseas all of sub departments. I was asking for extra resource but was told company is not doing well and told to share one very junior person of sub department. Was basically told I need to train them to ensure the person doesn't leave, has enough exciting things going on but their job is mainly for the other department. That leaves me not being able to do my job well, I am rushing through things, my development is limited which directly impacts junior team members as well. While other departments are getting extra resource/people and able to take on more tasks we are just left like underdogs running behind everyone trying to get things done. I know how things are supposed to be done to higher standard but just not capable due to resource. I tried talking to my manager (who overseas department) and he didn't inspire me with confidence.

I believe I have the following options:

1. Leave it and start looking for another job
2. Talk to the head of my manager (quite senior person)

I'm working towards promotion and think that company wouldn't want me to leave. But I am starting to lose my motivation and check out a bit which makes it difficult trying to show strong performance.

How would you advise me to navigate all this?

Appreciate this is not very exciting. But outsiders opinion would be extremely welcome

Leave. It won't get any better, and it looks to me like they don't particularly value your section of the department.

Start looking for another job, and just keep your head down and plug away at your current role. There's no point in busting a gut working for a business that doesn't appreciate you.

By the way, "company is not doing well" is code for "we've run out of money and the company is in financial difficulties, but I'm not supposed to tell you that".

@invisiblecat thank you. There's no point trying to change things and get personal about . Of course need to do my best, and maintain my motivation till the the right time and opportunity comes. Inspire and give some joy for Junior stuff
But I see I need to look at it as a play and just bet the most out of it

If they are asking you to share an under-resourced team with other better resourced departments, I would be concerned about my department being absorbed or streamlined.

The financial difficulties also mean there is likely to be a recruitment freeze and taking advantage of natural churn for cost-savings on the payroll. It would be a good time to ask again about your prospects for promotion as their answer will indicate whether you should start considering options.

It sounds like your junior is actually making work, when you asked for an extra person to help deliver more work? (Not junior's fault, but if your overall productivity is down because of the need to both train and keep the junior motivated by interesting work, this is a luxury you can't afford).

Would you be better off if you gave the junior wholly to the other department?

Can you pinpoint why your department is left to run round after the others? Does it generate less income?

@StormingNorman - lots of people are getting laid off too. Some of them getting replaced some are not. That's why I was very surprised that other sub-departments of our division were able to get extra people to join.

I have quarterly check-in soon so will bring up the matter again. I am updating my CV in the meantime anyway (should keep it updated, tbh) so that I'm ready when the right time comes.

Is there any point talking to the person who manages my manager? the person is very approachable and once was personally asking me to stay when they were concerned I am concidering to leave. I am not sure what that would change.

@tribpot - I can see your point... I think I need to be bit smarter here in terms of making sure I deliver what's expected of me. But yeah, they are dumping new junior joiner on me so that I keep them motivated and get them to learn new things because the team he's actually part of don't have enough work and turnaround of that position is too high.

The whole department including my subdivision is overhead generating only. I come from bigger organiztion where things are done properly but here people are not overly concerned leaving things in a mess and I get told off for trying to get processes in order. Historically our department was running around after other departments. I did my best trying to establish different work culture and practices and I believe I achieved quite a lot but I am stuck at the moment. Can't move it forward anymore unless I work weekends etc which I don't want to do.

List out the “services” that you and team provide the business, identify how much resource with what skills are required. Identify any that are not necessary, any processes that can be made smarter, meetings that can be shorter or less frequent, then ask managers to choose what services they want to either resource or lose. But only when you have done the first bit.