new manager and evaluation (employees, job, career, company)

[Teebyrd86]

So to make a long story short: I recently relocated to an area that our company has just expanded to. I made the move for several reasons some personal but also in hopes to move up faster as the need here is greater. I have lots of experience in the field and have been working in a lower position in hopes of moving up. I was told this new market would be a great place to move up quicker and grow with the company. I have been at the new location for 2 days and my new manager takes me to the side and asks if I felt my evaluation was accurate. He said the evaluation my last manager gave me was too good and started asking me certain questions that pertain directly to the higher up position he is in NOT the position I am currently in. When I explained to him that the evaluation was based on my current job title and that I felt it was accurate he told me it was not and that no one who has been with the company as little as I have should get an evaluation as good as mine. I am an open minded person and I try to avoid conflict so I kind of went on with his whole speech about how he wants to help me get to where I want to be but I have to come down to reality and understand I have a lot to learn about the company and that my past experience alone isn't enough for me to move up. How should I handle this going forward? As much as what he says might hurt my ego a little do you think he may have some merit in what he's saying or is he just blowing smoke? I will say he is a lot more involved with his associates and the operation than my previous manager. I just don't want this guy giving me bad evaluations going forward when they are not warranted. I feel like a lot of the things he says I should know do to are for the next step up and that my evaluation was evaluating me on the level I am now.. ? Also my old managers boss signed off on the eval. so that makes me feel even more strange about it because that guy is 100% by the book and would never put his name on something that is inaccurate. Should I take my concerns to my new managers boss or let it go a while?

[joe from dayton]

I think you need a more substantial and structured meeting about his expectations, as well as what he plans to do to help you grow as an employee.

[TFW46]

I realize it may be upsetting to you, but understand that different managers evaluate differently. HR is aware of this and, as long as your new manager scores all his employees on the same basis, you should be ok.

Please dont go over his head about this. It will have no effect except to irritate your boss.

[macroy]

Unless your previous manager said you walked on water, two days seems a bit short to make that kind of assessment. That said, I agree with Joe from Dayton that your best bet is to sit down with him and discuss in further detail the expectations, etc.

I also second TFW46's comment about the subjectivity of assessments - unless you have a strictly quantitative metric based on achievements and numbers. And even then it can be subjective. Since he brought it up, it may not be a bad idea to go over that assessment and understand how he sees things. Most assessments are 1-5 or something to that extent. And some folks will give you a 5 for doing your job well. While others see that as a 3 (or at expectation) at the most.

[BusinessManIT]

Your boss just wants to extract as much work out of you as is humanly possible and is using this as an intimidation tactic. While each manager's style is different, your new manager cannot negate your past performance review from your previous manager. That is completely absurd. Your new manager just wants to knock you down a few pegs and is maneuvering you to work harder for lesser merit increases. It is possible he may brag to upper management that you are now working harder and getting worse reviews (saving the company some money in smaller merit increases).

[treemoni]

Petty/bad/unethical/insecure/[insert your own descriptor] managers will use the performance review to settle scores. I've had it done twice throughout my career. The first time, I got out of there before the person could do damage (manager used a midyear to "get back" at me for union duties). The second time I wasn't so lucky, but it doesn't bother me. As the poster above me said, the manager can't negate the past. It's clear in my situation that it's a problem with the manager and not my performance, so I don't let it bother me. I never really cared about evaluations either way. I know I do good work, and that will speak for itself in the end.