Anyone else's manager an utter kn*b?

[Alfabettyjetty]

Looking for solidarity over solutions really, but also very happy to hear any solutions out there too!

My line manager is just an utter arsehole and I'm finding myself more and more resentful.

I am middle management, line managed by the head of department.

They are potentially the worst manager I've ever had:

• lack of transparency
• no information cascade
• dumps the shit work on everyone else
• takes credit for other people's work
• takes credit for any good ideas
• regularly cancels 121s
• increasingly demanding
• passive aggressive
• rarely gives praise or positive feedback
• no active listening (too busy typing away)
• gives zero notice for any changes
• sets high pressure deadlines for projects that never get implemented

You name it, they do it. I've tried so hard to give them the benefit of the doubt (maybe they're busy, stressed etc) but now they're actually just lacking in leadership and basic people skills.

comes in, asks a question, when i say i will let you know, stands there, expecting the answer
makes up rules that never existed before.

God that’s shite. Sympathy.

I don’t deliberately undermine my manager. I do involve other people in ways that end up shining a light on her least appealing characteristics. But I don’t have much choice as she isn’t around very much.

Have you shared any of this with them?

@EleanorReally oh the made up "rules" is a good one! Or last minute expectations as if they've always existed.

@PermanentTemporary I have now started working more closely with other members of the leadership team to try to do the same as you.

@Wolfpa some of it yes, for example the lack of transparency and the last minute expectations. I'm keeping track of the other behaviours to be able to feedback when it gets too much

I had that. Left after 6 months.

Yep. Mine got a job at a level above what he should have. He's shit, we know it, he knows it, the bigger bosses know it but of course nobody can do anything (you can't get fired where I work unless it's a huge thing). He tried to play the "I'm new" card for years, I mean years... He's been trying to find a new job for years... He restructured the team because he is so shit he can't work out how to manage us, so he split us into siloed groups so he now knows what we each work on but we don't know what others are working on and we're all miserable. Did I mention he absolutely shit and been there 11 years? Shit.

My last manager was atrocious, she's part of the reason I left my last job.

No communication skills whatsoever. She had a little group of golden children who could do no wrong, got all the help, and got first pick of the Annual Leave. She didn't actually understand policies at all and would frequently try and force people to do things they shouldn't be doing. She tried to force overtime and would conduct people who refused to do it. She'd ignore emails and procrastinate on important things all the time, having a knock on effect on everyone. She expected the world from everyone but gave absolutely nothing back. She was weak when it came to fighting out corner with upper management, but an absolute bully to anyone beneath her.

The whole organisation was a shit show and it was fairly well known that managers across the board were mostly dog shit, but she was bad even by the poor standards of the rest of the company.

Hi team, I’ve found you!!!

Ask them to select which of your work is to be prioritised as they’ve told you that they all are. Then won’t have the balls to make decision.

Forced to complete pointless PPDR objectives to make them look good.

The list of additional crapness on top of the ones already listed is too long