My Manager is Threatened By Me – Ask #HR Bartender
Today’s reader note is a very interesting situation and one that I think happens more than we care to admit. Does the manager feel threatened by an employee’s good work?
I worked for this manager for years at a previous company. She left the company, created a job for me, and then recruited me for it. In my first few months, I settled in and got great feedback from stakeholders. My manager knew and trusted me to hum along. Then while my manager was on vacation, the VP worked closely with me on a big project and nominated me for an award.
When my manager returned from vacation, she was furious! She started rejecting the project results that the VP loved, took work away from me, and began a pattern of increasing diversion of work: micromanaging, negative comments, exclusion, interfering in stakeholder communications, yelling at me, ignoring successful projects and positive stakeholder reviews.
The VP likes my work, worked with me, and knows my manner. However, the VP also relies on my manager to help with intense workload.
I sense that I am doomed. It seems like my manager became unhinged when the VP responded well to me. Being conciliatory doesn’t work. I don’t see an option apart from the long shot of transferring. Do you have any advice? I’ve asked for a conversation with the VP, because I can’t take another session of my manager yelling and flipping things over and contradicting herself. Thank you.
I wish I could say that there’s one proven way to deal with these situations. But there’s not. And we don’t know the manager or VP’s sides of the story. What we do know is that the employee needs to make a decision: figure out how to work with the manager or decide next steps. Here are a few articles that might help guide the decision.
These first three articles are focused on the employee’s relationship with the manager.
Getting Your Manager to Recognize Good Work
You do good work. You know that, but you don’t get the recognition you deserve. How do you get your manager to recognize your good work?
How to Tell if Your Boss is a Bully (or Just Tough)
We should not ignore bully claims when a boss just says they are giving “tough love”. We need to make an objective and honest evaluation and act accordingly.
How to Confront a Trash Talking Manager
What can an employee do when they hear their manager trash talking them behind their back? Our friends from the law firm of Foley & Lardner offer some advice.
If an employee feels they need to take action beyond speaking directly with their manager, there are a few places they can turn – human resources, outside lawyer, or a new company. But first, it’s important to ask the question, “What are you hoping will come out of a meeting with the manager’s boss or going to HR?”
When Employees Want to Go on the Record
HR is responsible to the business and the employees. What should HR do when an employee wants to go on the record but in confidence? Attorney Kate Bischoff shares her expertise.
3 Reasons You Might Want to Consider Leaving Your Current Job
Leaving your job is a huge decision that takes careful consideration. Here are 3 reasons you might want to leave your current job.
Employees: When Should You Lawyer Up
Employees may need a lawyer at some point in their career. To help understand why and when you may need a lawyer, these legal experts offer some guidelines.
There’s no doubt that this is a delicate situation. Employees need to think about their future working relationships. That doesn’t mean to dismiss bad behavior. It does mean to spend some time thinking about the desired outcome and the probability of that desired outcome occurring. I’ve seen a lot of employees express concerns and when they’re asked what they want as a result of the conversation, they don’t know. To quote the famous Broadway musical Hamilton, “Don’t miss your shot.”
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Las Vegas, NV
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