Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
One more thing: the manager said that in my role, I often have to deal with ambiguous/ incomplete information. She noticed that I'm someone who prefers precision and that I often lose time with nailing down the details when I should instead interpret what's been given to me and make the best of it. Those decisions could be wrong based on misinterpretation of vague info but that, according to management is my problem. LOL, can you imagine being reprimanded for asking a client to clarify something that's unclear instead of being applauded for wanting to get something right, the first time, even if that means it takes a little longer to process the request?
One more thing: the manager said that in my role, I often have to deal with ambiguous/ incomplete information. She noticed that I'm someone who prefers precision and that I often lose time with nailing down the details when I should instead interpret what's been given to me and make the best of it. Those decisions could be wrong based on misinterpretation of vague info but that, according to management is my problem. LOL, can you imagine being reprimanded for asking a client to clarify something that's unclear instead of being applauded for wanting to get something right, the first time, even if that means it takes a little longer to process the request?
2. I recently made a mistake where I failed to action something during my shift and later realized it as I was about to clock out. I wrote a note for the next employee on duty but that employee didn't see it. Management made a big deal out of it, how even though the mistake was accepted by the client and they rolled with the consequences, that it could've been much worse, etc. etc. Basically the manager took on a doomsday viewpoint, totally unnecessary.
Also:
My biggest client who kept me the busiest decided to close his account and there are less than 2 weeks when my projects with that client will be done. I haven't been assigned a replacement client yet, while other colleagues remain as busy as they've ever been.
Everything is about the client.
All the nuances about personality conflicts, emails, work hours, schedules, micromanaged, etc, mean nothing if you can't do what the client is paying you for.
I think you can't see that big picture. It is doomsday if you are making mistakes and customers are closing accounts.
All the nuances about personality conflicts, emails, work hours, schedules, micromanaged, etc, mean nothing if you can't do what the client is paying you for.
I think you can't see that big picture. It is doomsday if you are making mistakes and customers are closing accounts.
Yeah...
But what do you do if what the client is asking you to do is impossible?
That has happened to me in the past as a contract employee.
But what do you do if what the client is asking you to do is impossible?
That has happened to me in the past as a contract employee.
So what does your direct manager do about that?
If a customer asked my business to do the impossible, we would honestly tell them we couldn't do it, but here are other possible solutions of what we can do and the prices.
If a customer asked us to make a change in the middle of a contract that was impossible, again, we are honest and tell them no, but we'll tell them what we can do.
If they were asking the impossible because one of our employees or subcontractors made mistakes, we'd be paying whatever we needed to to make things right and lessen any negative impacts of those mistakes.
If a customer asked my business to do the impossible, we would honestly tell them we couldn't do it, but here are other possible solutions of what we can do and the prices.
If a customer asked us to make a change in the middle of a contract that was impossible, again, we are honest and tell them no, but we'll tell them what we can do.
If they were asking the impossible because one of our employees or subcontractors made mistakes, we'd be paying whatever we needed to to make things right and lessen any negative impacts of those mistakes.
Regarding the bolded part in pink...
That is what I wished my former manager did regarding a client of theirs that I worked for.
But my former manager did not do that, and it caused problems for everyone involved.
Everyone needs to take responsibility for their role in a situation at work.
That is my opinion.
The OP made mistakes at work, but there are problems at work that are caused by the client and your direct manager.
It does go both ways.
Last edited by snugglegirl05; 11-09-2018 at 08:48 AM..
All the nuances about personality conflicts, emails, work hours, schedules, micromanaged, etc, mean nothing if you can't do what the client is paying you for.
I think you can't see that big picture. It is doomsday if you are making mistakes and customers are closing accounts.
I agree that meeting the clients demands, if reasonable and if our company can deliver, is key.
I should clarify that the client who's closing his account is not doing so because of any mistake I may have made - he's doing it because he feels misled by a former account manager (sales) who projected certain profit margins but did not fully disclose the costs involved. Nothing I did or didn't do could've affected his decision - I'm a small cog in the big wheel while the client is a multimillionaire making big decisions that are way above my pay grade.
I actually made a mistake for another client and thought I got lucky when that client rolled with the punches and was flexible, but my manager didn't see it that way. She was
Anyway, do you think it's possible to get her to stop demanding I copy her on every message, give me the freedom to perform independently and not require such frequent sit downs like in the past? Because I have to say, the lack of being able to multitask is one of the reasons my last boss let me go, while I was threatened with performance improvement plans in a past crappy job that eventually led to me resigning voluntarily.
This job was supposed to be more professional and be door to a new, more successful direction in my life but it sure isn't working out the way I had hoped. I wonder what the manager intends on doing when I'm in the office more often - have my colleagues check in with me more often when she's not around and when she is, she will do it? I'll feel even more micromanaged than now. In short, I feel the trust is broken between the manager and I with no recovery in sight.
I actually made a mistake for another client and thought I got lucky when that client rolled with the punches and was flexible, but my manager didn't see it that way. She was
...
Why would you expect her not to be? Just because this particular client didn't go ballistic doesn't excuse the issue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sedonaverde
...Anyway, do you think it's possible to get her to stop demanding I copy her on every message, give me the freedom to perform independently and not require such frequent sit downs like in the past? Because I have to say, the lack of being able to multitask is one of the reasons my last boss let me go, while I was threatened with performance improvement plans in a past crappy job that eventually led to me resigning voluntarily.
....
In the short term, no. Your manager is trying to get you up to speed on the job so she doesn't have to monitor your work. She doesn't have time for that either. I'd have brought you into the office full time much sooner so your manager has been very generous so far. Stop worrying about your coworker and stop referring to her as a tattletale. Doesn't matter if she is or isn't. She's inside your head now and you're more interested in what she does/showing her up than in learning your job and doing it well. Get her out of your head and focus on Sedona.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sedonaverde
...This job was supposed to be more professional and be door to a new, more successful direction in my life but it sure isn't working out the way I had hoped. I wonder what the manager intends on doing when I'm in the office more often - have my colleagues check in with me more often when she's not around and when she is, she will do it? I'll feel even more micromanaged than now. In short, I feel the trust is broken between the manager and I with no recovery in sight.
What she intends to do is try to train you in the job. Observe what you are doing and provide direction to improve what you are doing wrong. If you don't want to be micromanaged, demonstrate you don't need to be micromanaged. From everything you've written, it sounds like your boss has tried to accommodate your schedule and work desires, and is even now trying to develop you into a productive member of her team. But, it also sounds like if she doesn't see something soon, she may cut her losses.
What she intends to do is try to train you in the job. Observe what you are doing and provide direction to improve what you are doing wrong. If you don't want to be micromanaged, demonstrate you don't need to be micromanaged. From everything you've written, it sounds like your boss has tried to accommodate your schedule and work desires, and is even now trying to develop you into a productive member of her team. But, it also sounds like if she doesn't see something soon, she may cut her losses.
If training was truly the problem it should have already happened ages ago. They just don't want to admit the system is the problem not the employee. FTs can make the same exact mistakes as the contractors with ZERO repercussions. Don't gloss over that fact.
The manager is spinning her wheels wasting her time trying to cover up for her own ineptitude and using OP as a scapegoat. There's half of you on here interpreting this story in a completely different perspective. Meanwhile to me it wreaks of incompetence on part of the department and not OP based on the details thus far. Either that or she needs to become a Hollywood screenwriter.
OP I already begged you to leave but seemingly you refuse. So let's level set and recap again so we can refocus on the ultimate outcome here.
- Have you been issued a formal PIP and if so, what is the end date?
- How many months can you comfortably survive financially with or without unemployment insurance? Do you have designated friends or family you can stay with until you can get back on your feet?
- How long have you been here at this current role as of November 2018? How many months?
- What is the end date of your contract and what is the original contingency plan for when it ended without renewal?
- How many contract roles have you had back to back in succession over the past 5 years?
If training was truly the problem it should have already happened ages ago. They just don't want to admit the system is the problem not the employee. FTs can make the same exact mistakes as the contractors with ZERO repercussions. Don't gloss over that fact.
The manager is spinning her wheels wasting her time trying to cover up for her own ineptitude and using OP as a scapegoat. There's half of you on here interpreting this story in a completely different perspective. Meanwhile to me it wreaks of incompetence on part of the department and not OP based on the details thus far. Either that or she needs to become a Hollywood screenwriter.
OP I already begged you to leave but seemingly you refuse. So let's level set and recap again so we can refocus on the ultimate outcome here.
- Have you been issued a formal PIP and if so, what is the end date?
- How many months can you comfortably survive financially with or without unemployment insurance? Do you have designated friends or family you can stay with until you can get back on your feet?
- How long have you been here at this current role as of November 2018? How many months?
- What is the end date of your contract and what is the original contingency plan for when it ended without renewal?
- How many contract roles have you had back to back in succession over the past 5 years?
You’re completely dismissing the fact OP states she had difficulty multitasking in her last job too and in fact was let go due to it. She admits making a mistake that could have cost them s client. I think they are being very generous with OP. OP admits to struggling to get her work done to the point she’s coming in on days off, admits she had similar trouble in last job, so really I’m not sure why you think OP should cut and run, especially considering this is her first job in this new field since graduating. I think she’d be a fool not to try to learn how to be competent in the job and to stick through the tough learning curve.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
