Incompetent manager disrupts career growth

LegacyUser

Long time boardsie here, going to be anonymous on this for obvious reasons; I would love to hear what other people think or share your experience on scenario like this. I know exactly what to do next but I still cannot believe this is happening in 2018.

Facts:
1. Joined company late 2016 as maternity cover
2. design and lead 2 newly acquired big projects (portfolios together worth half a billion), essentially sorted out millions of issues while designing streamlined processes and train a bunch of people, my average hour is near 45hours every week (when we are supposed to work at 39).
3. No bonus and no permanent position offered; contract renewed in late 2017 for another 1 year. No bonus if you are not permanent.
4. This company has a very high staff turnover rate, it has been more than 12+ people left since i joined (it was a 30 people department, currently we are at 22), more or less similar situation to other 3 departments.
5. A senior position opened up (when there are actually more senior staffs left), so I went on and did the interview. Been told I didn't get it, and the whole reason I didn't get it is that apparently I didn't stick up enough with a team leader and this manager himself.
6. I am the point of contact for all the global affiliates and most cross departmental communications, because my track records proved that I am highly efficient in communications and i received the best feedbacks from all sides very promptly.
7. I have been told that i am a high performer (even the manager said so), when most people just ****ed around and dragged on the days, I actually do the job well and prevent future issues (when others have issues blew up once in a while because someone didnt do something right back in 2 or 3 years ago. Also, I get on well with everyone in the department (thats part of reasons how i get my job done well)

The day to day work is highly complex in my line of work (related to regulations if you are curious) and the state of this company is that we only have 5 permanent staffs in a 30 people department, and I just did my first mid-year review in January 2018, when i should have done 3 times by that time.

It was worrying after speaking with the manager after that mid-year review in January, because I just realized that not only he has no idea what's going on with everyone under him (and he openly admitted that many times) and he has a very delusional views on things going on in the department, because he mainly speaks with 1-3 senior people in the department.

So fast forward to last week, 2nd time I have this chance to speak with him (from the review of this internal interview) confirmed my further worries that he has no idea about the importance of the tasks/work processes (he said that I gave poor examples in the interview - 1 of them is the utmost critical task to the project where it impacts 24 products in 20+ markets; the other one is that it impacts the department level that speeds up signicantly in doing certain task). While he puts the personal level of things above the business needs, that he cannot see that I will do my best to leave asap, the project would be in serious trouble (when the team is already understaffed to begin with).

The scariest thing is, he can lie to me straight to the face about things and 'advice' me on things during these reviews, that he has no idea people in the department actually communicate and do facts check. I have to be honest that I was so scared at some point if I have mental issue because how can some facts can be completely upside down in this manager's mind. I would rather not to have this 2 communications to be honest because by now I know I cannot work under such incompetent manager. The hard work would not be recognized in the first place, and anything that I did at a higher skill level would literally go unnoticed. And i cannot work with a '**** all' attitude at this line of work.

I have no heart to tell him that this is not his company and whatever he likes or not has no place in front of the business. This manager has some real insecurity issues that he said I am 'trying to show that I am better' and I am 'overexplaining everything' and it is 'exhausting' to speak with me at times.

I have to tell him that 'I am better than others or not' is a different topic to 'I am trying to show that I am better than others', I never do, I was pushed to become the contact of the department because literally I am the best person to communicate with everyone (on a global scale level). And he sees people who brought issues to him as the issue itself, typical 'manager' stuff. And he didn't realize that 'overexplaining things' happens when the first explanation doesn't work; and this is coming from a person who trained up staffs (and I received massive good feedback on that because the trainees compared).

There are only 2 communications about the issues with this manager thus far because he was the deputy manager until this January, the original manager left. 5 people left since January and one of them specifically advised that if i didnt get this promotion, leave. And that what i am going to do now.

Knowing that when it comes to September and I won't get a bonus for the hard work and high skill caliber kind of performance, what choice do I have but to leave? The whole reason I am typing all these is that we have a great bunch of people to work with here (those who truly fight along my sides and those I trained up). I would like to hear what people think, and I don't think this kind of scenario is that uncommon either.

jimmycrackcorm

Why are you staying? You're just going to end up beating your head against a wall. At the end of it till still be just seen as a troublemaker even if you are right.

Find a company and role which will give you the opportunities to match your skill and performance.

Based on what you said, If the company hasn't recognised that you should be made permanent by now then you're definitely in the wrong company.

Fakediamond

I’d say you’re working for an incompetent narcissist, to be honest. Your competence is making him feel more incompetent and insecure than usual. If that is the case, you’ll never be recognised for your good work and he will take all the credit for the good work and blame others for the screw-ups.

You’re right, it is common and getting worse, in my opinion. People are getting hired and promoted because they can talk the talk, but not walk the walk.

I’d get out ASAP and try and find a position where you will be supported and recognised.

Btw, I have a manager just like this, so I’m speaking from experience. It’s headwrecking.

spaceHopper

I'm not sure if you are also rubbing your manager up the wrong way, the over explaining worries me. Tell him there is a problem with x and lest them ask what it is. Or email then he can read it over. We have a guy in work who is an exceptional engineer but he sends very long overly detailed explanations that take to long to read. Give simple facts let them come back with questions.

Do you want to leave or get made pernamaent. If you want to get made pernament, when there are about 4 months left on your contract ask them what is going to happen.

You would like to know as although you really like you job and the company you aren't happy with a floating contract situation.

Your contract is finishing close to Christmas and it's a bad time to be looking for a job.

If they aren't in a poistion to offer you a pernamant role or renew your contract you want to have time to look for a new job.

That will put the sh1t's up them and force their hand. Then start looking.

What's the chances that your manager will leave or move within the company. Also remember if you manager looks bad so do you or he can blame poor performance you his underlings.

LegacyUser

OP here:

@spaceHopper: I know exactly what you meant by overly detailed email. There are times that the emails can be unavoidably detailed due to the complexity of the work, however, most of the time it shouldn't be long, they should be concise and clear, that's what I do to get this recognition of being best at communicating with affiliates. It is proven by my track records. (I know my OP is long but that's because I was thinking it would be a one-off post and by PI threads standard it is not that bad i thought)

And that is what is the most mind blowing part, the communication skill is approved by this manager as well, and he just doesn't see that he is literally justifying his personal feelings/complexes/insecurities by telling me cr*p - if everyone inside/outside of the department gets on well with me (including that team leader, she is known to be a difficult one to work with, she has alot of clashes with everyone), why would I purposely rub the manager up the wrong way?

And there are people who got a permanent contract after they worked here for just 1 year (they joined slightly earlier than me). For sure they have the power to give out permanent if they asked the upper management. And no the manager is not moving any way in this company.

You can sort of see how i work, the way i provided reasons behind my comment etc, I am in the line of work where we literally need to explain the rationale behind everything (is regulations). I am now incline to think that because this manager wasn't promoted back then due to any merits/achievements, hence in his mind a promotion means k*ssing ass of the management is the major factor or something.

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And thanks for rest of response above as well, I am committed to leave really (already getting interview!), there is absolutely no reason to stay at this stage