My boss was “let go”

[thyme4change]

I started at this job at the beginning of January - so almost 10 months. It was a step back from my previous job, which I thought would be good after my previous job beat me down and ruined my confidence. However, the last few months have been rough. My boss was spiraling and becoming increasingly unhinged. She was micro managing me, which is why I left my last job. But somehow I got the hint that she was the problem - not me. I was getting quite frustrated and texted my husband yesterday that this is crazy and I need to get out of here. Coincidentally, 18 minutes later she was let go. Actually- she was probably informed about 5 minutes later, because I was informed and texted my husband 18 minutes later.

So my grand-boss is now my direct boss until he figures things out. He didn’t say anything about promoting me into her position, but he said we would hire someone. I told him I would be super unhappy if he brought someone in above me before I had a chance to prove myself to him. That was well received- so I think we are now in test mode.

How long should this last before I tell him that I’m doing the job and I want it official? Like 6 weeks? More? Less?

I’m looking to get a few wins under my belt before I present my case - there are a couple things I can improve quickly. But, those are just the work I have been doing under her thumb so I couldn’t make changes. I’m thinking I need to improve at least one of the things that were hers and I never touched.

What say you, professionals of earth? How should I play this?

[swamp]

Is your grandboss a reasonable person?   Is he a micromanager?   Are they posting the fired persons job?  Are there any internal regulations or is a public service where a job posting is a requirement? 

I'd start gathering the info now and give it about 2 to 3 weeks. Make the changes you need to do an explain why it benefits the company.  

[thyme4change]

Oct 1, 2024 12:29:10 GMT -5 swamp said:

Is your grandboss a reasonable person?   Is he a micromanager?   Are they posting the fired persons job?  Are there any internal regulations or is a public service where a job posting is a requirement? 

I'd start gathering the info now and give it about 2 to 3 weeks. Make the changes you need to do an explain why it benefits the company.  

He is reasonable, and he won’t micromanage me. In fact he already delegated all my questions to other people in the organization- he said to figure out with the other person’s help.

I asked him not to post any job until I get my arms around the situation, and then he and I went through all the stuff my boss and I were doing and cut the work in half. She overworked everything. I told him my vision for how things should/could be done and he seemed pretty happy about it. He said it was what he has been asking for. All I have to do now is execute it. 🤓

Nothing overly formal about job postings, and it is a small/medium company - no one would come from within except me. I might find a lower level employee in the company - but they would be a newbie.

I suspect if I wait too long they will wait until the new year - when all the other raises are given. I think there is a perfect sliver of time - but I’m not sure when that is. I don’t want to miss my window. I’m hoping things will get clearer soon. I was just wondering if anyone here has been in the situation like this and what their company did.

[toomuchreality]

I have no advice. But I'm really happy for you. I hope this opportunity goes well for you!

[midjd]

My situation was a little different—my boss was demoted and he then flounced a few months later. But similar sounding as far as management style. I’m still not sure what he actually did all day, because the stuff he was supposed to be doing never got done though he gave the appearance of always being frantically overworked.

Anyway. I handled it much as you did—went to grandboss, said here’s my plan, and started executing it. They named me as interim after about a month, then made it permanent a few months later (which is when I got the raise). In retrospect, I probably should’ve asked for more money but I was so desperate for the job I didn’t want to rock the boat any further. Being able to see what needs to be done and actually do it is amazing. I’m still cleaning up old boss’s messes a year and a half later but at least I don’t have to triangulate around him to do it.

Would you be managing anyone else? If so, are they on board? One thing I think helped me was having everyone else in my department basically say “if you don’t put Mid in this position you’re crazy and are gonna lose more people.”

[thyme4change]

Oct 1, 2024 15:45:13 GMT -5 midjd said:

My situation was a little different—my boss was demoted and he then flounced a few months later. But similar sounding as far as management style. I’m still not sure what he actually did all day, because the stuff he was supposed to be doing never got done though he gave the appearance of always being frantically overworked.

Anyway. I handled it much as you did—went to grandboss, said here’s my plan, and started executing it. They named me as interim after about a month, then made it permanent a few months later (which is when I got the raise). In retrospect, I probably should’ve asked for more money but I was so desperate for the job I didn’t want to rock the boat any further. Being able to see what needs to be done and actually do it is amazing. I’m still cleaning up old boss’s messes a year and a half later but at least I don’t have to triangulate around him to do it.

Would you be managing anyone else? If so, are they on board? One thing I think helped me was having everyone else in my department basically say “if you don’t put Mid in this position you’re crazy and are gonna lose more people.”

We were a department of 2 - so I am flying solo for now. Relief that I don’t have to deal with any department politics. And the people who my boss is sending me to seem very happy to help. I think she was driving them all crazy.

[TheOtherMe]

I had a micromanager the last tax season I worked in Boulder.  Thankfully, the only micromanager I ever had.  

I do not need to be checked on 4 or 5 times a day via stand up meeting with her being put on my calendar.  I know what needed to be done.  Those meetings would come at the worst times and I would have to go back and restart what I was doing.   She drove each and every one of us nuts and they wondered why there was so much turnover.  

But it was fine to work all of the hours you want as long as there was work.  At least they paid time and a half.

[tractor]

I think a lot depends on your company culture. I wouldn't give it more than two weeks to express your interest, they should have a sense by then which way they want to go. It's much easier to promote from within than it is to bring in someone new.

In my company, you often don't find out about position opportunities until they have already happened. You need to advocate for yourself (which it sounds like you have done) and make sure there's no question that you want the advanced role. I tend to be impatient with these types of things, which has worked well so far...

[finnime]

I would work out an action plan for yourself including regular (1x or 2x/week) meetings with your now-boss to review and make any changes needed. Mainly it's to make certain you are communicating all you're doing and plan to do so he can add anything in. This will keep you front and center in his own plans for the department. In about 3 weeks you could add in new efforts and focus points besides just doing what needed to be done, then you can broach explicitly gaining the position yourself. Best of luck.

[giramomma]

How well do you know the grand-boss?

Has grandboss confirmed that they have no one in mind for the position? Is grand -boss heck bent on externally hiring for the position?

I would just be careful. I guess I'm jaded enough that I wouldn't go all balls to the wall to prove you can do the job in 2 weeks. You only know what you know. And I would be resentful if i did all this work to prove myself only to eventually find out that I never had a chance in the first place. Or maybe you'll never find out. 

And, things change due to other things outside of your control.

[azucena]

Good advice so far. I'd also look backwards say six months and clearly document work you accomplished that was noteworthy and anything that was above your pay grade.

[thyme4change]

I spent an hour and a half with my grand boss and laid out how I think things should work. I showed him beautiful reports I had created, but no one was using - luckily he said “beautiful, and made sense at the time - but let’s eliminate them. I think we eliminated about 70% of the garbage I was doing. I’m super happy about that.

I have started meeting with department heads and am finally getting access to all the systems and told him I was going to spend an hour a day or so working through the training modules so I could use the system to its fullest extent.

My g-b and I had some light hearted bonding moments, which is good because I know he likes friendliness and we haven’t found too much in common, so having some laughs helped. Maybe I will drop something into a conversation I will say something like “I will get all this done and prove to you I should be director”. See how that flies.

Thanks for all the info. I will keep y’all updated.

[thyme4change]

Oct 2, 2024 7:45:07 GMT -5 azucena said:

Good advice so far. I'd also look backwards say six months and clearly document work you accomplished that was noteworthy and anything that was above your pay grade.

Great advice - but in my first 9 months there I did absolutely nothing above my pay grade. I spent all the time wondering why they didn’t just hire a new graduate as my boss wasn’t using any of my skills.

I would say I was overpaid, but I look back at some of the things she was doing, and it was abusive. She could have crushed the soul of a less experienced worker. I knew she was spinning and I was pretty sure it was just a matter of time.

I’m so relieved that she is gone. I feel bad for her because she is smart and hardworking, she was just so inflexible and couldn’t see the forest, just the individual leaves on each and every tree. A lot of wasted effort.

[giramomma]

It sounds like we are in a similar situation. Down to providing data that no one uses, and seeing a lot of wasted effort. Though in my case, the wasted effort is more baked into the system.

I've only been at my new place for a few  months, and I had lots of questions of why they hired me. 

I see where they want to go, and that is why they hired me. 

We also don't move quickly and I'm trying to navigate the politics/culture both within my team, my unit, and other units we interact with. There's just a lot to learn.

[thyme4change]

Oct 2, 2024 9:31:44 GMT -5 giramomma said:

It sounds like we are in a similar situation. Down to providing data that no one uses, and seeing a lot of wasted effort. Though in my case, the wasted effort is more baked into the system.

I've only been at my new place for a few  months, and I had lots of questions of why they hired me. 

I see where they want to go, and that is why they hired me. 

We also don't move quickly and I'm trying to navigate the politics/culture both within my team, my unit, and other units we interact with. There's just a lot to learn.

Solidarity and support to you. 💪

[Rukh O'Rorke]

no advice but wishing you the best!

[thyme4change]

A quick update - they quickly posted a job opening - I think it may have been the exact posting from when I was hired. Same title, same duties. So I’m all little WTF. I interviewed 3 people last week, none of whom I loved. I haven’t had a chance to talk to my boss since all this happened - so sometime this week I am going to ask him how he thinks this is gonna go. Because my gut says ‘badly’. 🙄

[jerseygirl]

Oct 14, 2024 8:55:36 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

A quick update - they quickly posted a job opening - I think it may have been the exact posting from when I was hired. Same title, same duties. So I’m all little WTF. I interviewed 3 people last week, none of whom I loved. I haven’t had a chance to talk to my boss since all this happened - so sometime this week I am going to ask him how he thinks this is gonna go. Because my gut says ‘badly’. 🙄

Maybe looking for your replacement before you’re promoted?

[thyme4change]

I just talked to my boss and I laid out that my plan was to complete the annual and then tell him I am his director. He said he was pulling back because he didn’t want to drown me. I told him what I was thinking and we had a nice conversation- so, we are back to the same headspace. We may repost the job at a lower level.