New manager giving me a bad review.

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: Nightfall

Originally posted by: Ilmater
How did you find out she was going to rate you so low?

Heard it through the grapevine. The source is very reliable as he sits on the board. I think he told me just for the "heads up".

This is important information you neglected to mention. EXTREMELY important. I'm sure they're trustworthy, but it limits what you can say about it.

In your case, can you request to meet with her to discuss her thoughts on your performance? Would that be too obvious that someone gave you the heads up? If you can do that and she tells you about your poor performance, try to understand what she says, but defend yourself. Express to her in the meeting that you believe that a rating like that would put your job in jeopardy, and you'd like to sit with her superior so that you could all discuss the rating. If she tells you that isn't going to happen, start looking for a job A.S.A.P.

Actually you should start looking now. RIGHT now. As in, stop posting here and start looking. As for the above scenario, that's just how I would handle it at my job. Every business has different politics that dictate hwo you should act. What's fine at one company is a firable offense at another.

At the least, get the meeting, and if she tells you she's going to rate you poorly, just tell her that you've been there for 8 years and you were doing the same job that got you favorable reviews in the past. If she felt your performance was that poor, you would have appreciated it if she had told you previous to review time that she didn't like the job you were doing.

I'm the self-appointed master of office politics. If you can explain the situation to me well enough, I can get you out of this in the best possible way.

 

[waggy]

get out. get out now.

I had something like this happen to me. my boss was fired (to mean heh) and i started doing her job (head of IT). well they said they were going to be looking for search for someone to do the job. I aplied.

well about 6 months latter they hired someone. it was the secretary of the 2nd highest guy in IT (forget his position title now). She had NO computer experience or training. but she was hot and had great tits. rumor was she was sleeping with him.

Well she was upset with how much backups cost so much and was mad we were doing a daily, weekly and monthly backup. So she canceled the daily and weekly backups. I went to management about it and was told she is in charge.

She also made some stupid decisions but nothing as major.

Well i quit. No way was i going to take the blame for the disaster that was in store.

about a year latter i get a call from the company asking me to come back for the job. seems something happened and they needed to restore from a backup. trouble is the backup they had was over 25days old. I really do not need to explain why that is bad.

i told them to fvck themselves if they would had hired me instead of the bimbo they wouldn't be in this mess.

 

[Nightfall]

Originally posted by: Greyd
Plus, it sounds like the new manager doesn't have and understanding of what you do. This combined with the lack of data shows she doesn't really know what she's doing. She might b using you to "prove" to everyone that she can be tough and decisive or whatever. On your end - get some data, proof ready of the quality of your work.

She is stretched thin with accounting and management duties. She already puts in tons of hours. Decisive? Maybe. I already filled out my review and went through all the projects I have done in the last 6 months and ways I have improved, along with ways I can improve and my goals. As I said, I guess we will see what the board comes back with. I just don't want her crappy review after being my manager for 2 months tainting my stellar track record.

 

[cpacini]

HR reps are no longer employed to protect the employee, they are there to protect the company. Talking to an HR rep will do nothing IMO.

QFT

 

[Ilmater]

I also want to add that a timeline would be helpful. When does she go in front of the board? When is your peer review relative to that? Who attends the peer review? Would anyone there be present at the Board's review and therefore have some say in getting you a better review, or at least would be there to stick up for you?

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: cpacini

HR reps are no longer employed to protect the employee, they are there to protect the company. Talking to an HR rep will do nothing IMO.

QFT

What you don't realize is that HR is actually MORE cautious with employees because of how easily a company can be sued if things aren't done just right.

 

[Baked]

Probably got pissed 'cause you didn't take any hints at all the advances she made on you. Computer nerd FTL.

 

[Nightfall]

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: Nightfall

Originally posted by: Ilmater
How did you find out she was going to rate you so low?

Heard it through the grapevine. The source is very reliable as he sits on the board. I think he told me just for the "heads up".

This is important information you neglected to mention. EXTREMELY important. I'm sure they're trustworthy, but it limits what you can say about it.

In your case, can you request to meet with her to discuss her thoughts on your performance? Would that be too obvious that someone gave you the heads up? If you can do that and she tells you about your poor performance, try to understand what she says, but defend yourself. Express to her in the meeting that you believe that a rating like that would put your job in jeopardy, and you'd like to sit with her superior so that you could all discuss the rating. If she tells you that isn't going to happen, start looking for a job A.S.A.P.

Actually you should start looking now. RIGHT now. As in, stop posting here and start looking. As for the above scenario, that's just how I would handle it at my job. Every business has different politics that dictate hwo you should act. What's fine at one company is a firable offense at another.

At the least, get the meeting, and if she tells you she's going to rate you poorly, just tell her that you've been there for 8 years and you were doing the same job that got you favorable reviews in the past. If she felt your performance was that poor, you would have appreciated it if she had told you previous to review time that she didn't like the job you were doing.

I'm the self-appointed master of office politics. If you can explain the situation to me well enough, I can get you out of this in the best possible way.

First, every time I sit down with her to talk about any problems, concerns, issues, or complaints, there are none. I have done this every week for the last 2 months with no problems reported. That is why this unfavorable review comes as a shock to me and kicked me into job saving mode.

My one on one review isn't for a few weeks. I have a peer review before that. Then the board review after the one on one. I suppose all this will come out in the one on one. I will be ready for a bad review that is for sure.

This job is not beyond saving. I feel I still have a lot of friends in the company and above. I feel I have done an excellent job and been rewarded in the past. As I said before, maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill and things will turn out fine in the end.

 

[Spydermag68]

Originally posted by: Nightfall

She is an accountant controller of the company, so thats the first bad thing since managing an IT department in that kind of position isn't good.

I see the problem. During my master's degree I had to take a few classes that had to deal with IT's role in a business. In conclusion of the classes both professors said that the head person of IT should be on the same level as the CEO and CFO. Not reporting to the CFO. This means that they have an active voice over what technology that is used and supported and is not just tied to the bottom line of the budget.

 

[Nightfall]

Originally posted by: Ilmater
I also want to add that a timeline would be helpful. When does she go in front of the board? When is your peer review relative to that? Who attends the peer review? Would anyone there be present at the Board's review and therefore have some say in getting you a better review, or at least would be there to stick up for you?

Peer review in 1 week. This is something I will score pretty well on.
One on one shortly after that. This is where I anticipate getting told about the poor score.
Board review shortly after one on one.
Final number comes back to me.

 

[Nightfall]

I have to get some sleep. Keep the ideas coming.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: Spydermag68

Originally posted by: Nightfall

She is an accountant controller of the company, so thats the first bad thing since managing an IT department in that kind of position isn't good.

I see the problem. During my master's degree I had to take a few classes that had to deal with IT's role in a business. In conclusion of the classes both professors said that the head person of IT should be on the same level as the CEO and CFO. Not reporting to the CFO. This means that they have an active voice over what technology that is used and supported and is not just tied to the bottom line of the budget.

The duties of that position are normally encompassed by the duties of the CIO at most large companies.

 

[cpacini]

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: cpacini

HR reps are no longer employed to protect the employee, they are there to protect the company. Talking to an HR rep will do nothing IMO.

QFT

What you don't realize is that HR is actually MORE cautious with employees because of how easily a company can be sued if things aren't done just right.

Oh, Im well aware of that. It took us close to a YEAR to fire an employee not too long ago, just for that reason. HR was scared about paying unemployment.

Bottom line though is that HR's job there was worrying about th company's bottom line and not the employees.

Edit: Sorry, getting of topic here. Good luck, hope it works out for you OP.

 

[Svnla]

Originally posted by: Spydermag68
both professors said that the head person of IT should be on the same level as the CEO and CFO. Not reporting to the CFO. This means that they have an active voice over what technology that is used and supported and is not just tied to the bottom line of the budget.

Maybe in the classrooms but not in real life. In my first job, I reported to the controller/accounting manager <small IT department, only myself and one part time person>.

In my other job, our whole IT department is under the control of the Finance Director <larger IT department, about 8 people>.

 

[Spydermag68]

Originally posted by: DaiShan

Originally posted by: Spydermag68

Originally posted by: Nightfall

She is an accountant controller of the company, so thats the first bad thing since managing an IT department in that kind of position isn't good.

I see the problem. During my master's degree I had to take a few classes that had to deal with IT's role in a business. In conclusion of the classes both professors said that the head person of IT should be on the same level as the CEO and CFO. Not reporting to the CFO. This means that they have an active voice over what technology that is used and supported and is not just tied to the bottom line of the budget.

The duties of that position are normally encompassed by the duties of the CIO at most large companies.

CIO or the CTO (Informational Officer = data / Technology Officer = Hardware )

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: Nightfall
First, every time I sit down with her to talk about any problems, concerns, issues, or complaints, there are none. I have done this every week for the last 2 months with no problems reported. That is why this unfavorable review comes as a shock to me and kicked me into job saving mode.

My one on one review isn't for a few weeks. I have a peer review before that. Then the board review after the one on one. I suppose all this will come out in the one on one. I will be ready for a bad review that is for sure.

This job is not beyond saving. I feel I still have a lot of friends in the company and above. I feel I have done an excellent job and been rewarded in the past. As I said before, maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill and things will turn out fine in the end.

Dude, this is simple. If she thinks your performance is poor, then she HAS to tell you that she thinks something is wrong. If your peer review is solid and she then says that you're performing poorly, feel free to be a little defensive. Personally, I feel that any GOOD employee SHOULD be defensive if I were to tell them that they weren't doing a good job. Again, she can't expect you to fix something SHE perceives as being wrong (remember with positive reviews, you had to expect that you were doing the right things) without telling you. That's the bottom line, and I'd tell her that.

 

[Biggerhammer]

I would present her with copies of your past reviews ASAP. If you make her look like a fool by letting her rate you badly then have to correct herself publicly, she'll make your life hell afterwards.

You do a hard job well. Everyone but her seems to know that. I wouldn't fear for your job if I were you unless there is some outside force (ie if her unemployed son is an IT guy )

 

[Garion]

In most companies, reviews are based on one of two things:

1: A written goals statement that you and your boss agreed upon at the beginning of the year.

2: A determination of how well you fulfilled your job, per it's official description.

If your review is officially based on one of those two you should have plenty of ammo to defend yourself - You know what you do and what it takes to do your job.

If your review is totally subjective by your boss on how SHE thinks you're doing based on what SHE thinks your job is you could have problems.

I would sit down and have a talk with her. Obviously she's not happy with the way things are going. Find out what she DOES want and expect. Once you understand that, you can figure out how to do it.

For example. If she thinks that all computer problems should be fixed in 24 hours, present her a plan for doing so, including the cost of upgrading all your support plans to next-day response and adding another support tech, if that's what it's going to take. If she wants better uptime on the servers, give her a quote for the costs and effort required to buy and configure a redundant server. If she thinks you and your people aren't working hard enough, implement a time tracking system for a few weeks to be able to have hard data to show that you at full capacity.

If she is an accountant, she will understand that there is a cost for everything and that it's all about cost vs. benefit. Let her explain what she wants, you give her the costs and she decides if it's worth it or not. That way she can't fault you for it. If you just say "I cna't do that" she might think you're slacking or don't want to do it and can hold it over your head.

- G

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: Nightfall
She is an accountant controller of the company

Bingo! THAT is the problem.

If you get a bad review, you may want to go over her head, but in the right way. Tell them you are "concerned," not mad, or upset, just concerned. That puts the ball in their court about resolving this issue, not you.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: waggy
get out. get out now.

I had something like this happen to me. my boss was fired (to mean heh) and i started doing her job (head of IT). well they said they were going to be looking for search for someone to do the job. I aplied.

well about 6 months latter they hired someone. it was the secretary of the 2nd highest guy in IT (forget his position title now). She had NO computer experience or training. but she was hot and had great tits. rumor was she was sleeping with him.

Well she was upset with how much backups cost so much and was mad we were doing a daily, weekly and monthly backup. So she canceled the daily and weekly backups. I went to management about it and was told she is in charge.

She also made some stupid decisions but nothing as major.

Well i quit. No way was i going to take the blame for the disaster that was in store.

about a year latter i get a call from the company asking me to come back for the job. seems something happened and they needed to restore from a backup. trouble is the backup they had was over 25days old. I really do not need to explain why that is bad.

i told them to fvck themselves if they would had hired me instead of the bimbo they wouldn't be in this mess.

:shocked:

:laugh:

Wow, I bet that felt GOOOD!! :thumbsup:

 

[KarenMarie]

Did not read every post... just skimmed some, so sorry if this has already been mentioned.

I would not suggest going behind her back before you actually get your review. If she gets wind that you are doing so, she will think you are trying to undermine her and things will get ugly. You are lucky that you are hearing the possible outcome of her review before hand. This gives you time to prepare yourself to dispute her findings/opinions. Once you get the review, tell her... politely and respectfully... that you intend to challenge it. Then do so immediately before she has a chance to make it worse.

I would also keep a file... all your past reviews, your original job description... and include a little journal for things like any ngative or positive interactions between the two of you, the date you heard she would be unfavorable and what steps you took to prepare for your dispute.

 

[krmarks]

My 2 cents:
1. Make an org chart of the services your department provides. Classify both projects and services on it. Top level examples (Servers, workstations, networking, etc). Below them put the service or project (i.e. reading logs, patch managemnet, etc)
2. Include as many documents showing the productivity of your employees and yourself.
3. Do a cost benefit analysis on all of her requests, to prove whether they are valid or not.
4. Document everything!!
5. Then respond in as professional a way as possible. Do not show any emotion at work. Zero.

Oh yeah, include as many white paper studies as possible to prove that you are above the baseline.

Good luck.

 

[Nightfall]

I have already got a copy of all my old reviews. My last one had goals listed and all my goals have been reached. I have shown improvement in all the areas that I have needed to show improvement.

A lot of these things I am going to need to wait on though. I can't really step up with all this info until my one on one review and hear my review score right from her. I have my peer review that I should do pretty well in. Finally, the board review should be interesting.

My goal is to walk into my one on one review with my past goals listed along with what was accomplished. Then, my improvements over last review, and then let the chips fall where they may. If there is a problem during my one on one review, that is where it will be said.

The problem is that she has said repeatedly that everyone is happy and there are no problems or complaints reported. If I don't hear any complaints, and she doesn't either, that is usually a good indication that things are going pretty well. If she comes out with a low score during my review like she said she was going to do, then that is when I can step up with the info I have. If nothing is resolved, I can go a step higher.

This job is worth fighting for.

 

[krmarks]

Make sure you have all of your ammo beforehand though. Do not make it look like you scrambled to cover your ass after she gave you the review. Appearance and perception are your 2 biggest enemies in this. You need to appear confident and well prepared. You need to know how people percieve you as a manager, a worker, and a coworker...and be prepared to change those perceptions with your documentation and attitude. Be prepared for the worst case scenario and you will be fine. Again, good luck.

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: Garion
In most companies, reviews are based on one of two things:

1: A written goals statement that you and your boss agreed upon at the beginning of the year.

2: A determination of how well you fulfilled your job, per it's official description.

If your review is officially based on one of those two you should have plenty of ammo to defend yourself - You know what you do and what it takes to do your job.

If your review is totally subjective by your boss on how SHE thinks you're doing based on what SHE thinks your job is you could have problems.

I would sit down and have a talk with her. Obviously she's not happy with the way things are going. Find out what she DOES want and expect. Once you understand that, you can figure out how to do it.

For example. If she thinks that all computer problems should be fixed in 24 hours, present her a plan for doing so, including the cost of upgrading all your support plans to next-day response and adding another support tech, if that's what it's going to take. If she wants better uptime on the servers, give her a quote for the costs and effort required to buy and configure a redundant server. If she thinks you and your people aren't working hard enough, implement a time tracking system for a few weeks to be able to have hard data to show that you at full capacity.

If she is an accountant, she will understand that there is a cost for everything and that it's all about cost vs. benefit. Let her explain what she wants, you give her the costs and she decides if it's worth it or not. That way she can't fault you for it. If you just say "I cna't do that" she might think you're slacking or don't want to do it and can hold it over your head.

- G

This is good advice.

This situation sounds as if there is a lack of communication at some point with the new boss. If all she cares about is 24 hour response time then I would focus on that first. Ignoring her requests and telling her how things work is not going to feed her "needs" as a manager. It's not about what the company needs, it's about what makes her happy. I hate working for chicks in a corporate environment.

I would suggest you start looking for another job as it's entirely possible they may be intentionally trying to stir things up and get rid of the old timers so if you have a parachute ready the landing will be a lot easier, lol. Good luck with that.