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Manager won't manage and sh!t flows downwards

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  • 11-05-2021 9:44pm
    #1
    spitonmedickie
    Registered Users Posts: 321 ✭✭


    Hope to keep this succinct while still giving enough information to get your insights.

    tldr: 50% manager refusing to manage, just bounces everything up to their manager who does nothing

    Public sector organisation, I'm 5th grade from the top, manager is 4th. We're a small, under-resourced (verifiably and have been for 4+ years). Manager is over another project which on paper takes 50% of their time but realistically it's more (arguably more interesting, less contentious work, closer to their background, they resent being given our 50% when they felt they were hired for the other role only).

    Additional staff have been semi-promised for 12 months but no sign. Manager very poor at prioritising work and doesn't understand that by delegating work to us (that other managers would take on themselves) it makes it even more difficult to do the statutorily mandated job we have to do. Atmosphere is getting toxic and everyone is worn out. In fairness I'm probably the least stressed so far but the more it goes on the more the whole situation is bringing me down. I'd normally be pretty resilient.

    Raise these issues with manager and they say 'I've passed this on, if you want a conversation with X (their manager) feel free, I don't know what's going on etc'

    I feel if my manager took some responsibility, properly and strategically took decisions about what we were doing and who was doing what instead of leaving the team (all the same grade) muddle through things would improve. This, conveyed politely, isn't landing.

    What would you do? Thanks for reading.


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    #2
    OMM 0000
    Registered Users Posts: 3,733 ✭✭✭OMM 0000


    spitonmedickie wrote: »
    What would you do?

    Document the solution, get the team to review it, and e-mail it to my manager and CC his boss.

    Aggressive, but impressive.


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    #3
    Flinty997
    Registered Users Posts: 11,644 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    Sounds like you have free reign to manage and fix the workload yourselves.

    Work smarter not harder.

    One place I worked, one person took the approach of closing helpdesk calls that were slow to respond.
    Only about 50% reopened calls. Slashed his workload.
    Obviously you can't take that approach to everything. But its out of the box thinking.

    If its stupid but it works, then its not stupid.


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    #4
    Lux23
    Registered Users Posts: 7,134 ✭✭✭Lux23


    I think I would take them up on their offer of speaking to the person above them? It might light a fire under them.


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    #5
    spitonmedickie
    Registered Users Posts: 321 ✭✭spitonmedickie


    Just an update. Ended up having a kinda cathartic group conversation with the manager's boss earlier in the week. But that didn't last long...

    Snapped at my manager today on a call in front of the team when they started on with the same hand washing and arse covering about issues that (in fairness) their manager had 'empowered' them to deal with at the earlier meeting. Have regrets about how I delivered the message (was very curt and a bit belligerent on it tbh and my manager ending up hanging up saying they were gone to tell their boss they done with us) but think it needed to be said. Not my finest hour.


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    #6
    thefa
    Registered Users Posts: 920 ✭✭✭thefa


    Have lost it with a previous manager in a 1:1 before amidst built up frustration about the work and way things were being handled. When it gets to that point you have to ask yourself is it really the right environment for you.

    Used to be very friendly with public sector professional and have heard stories of inefficiencies, never ending workloads, promises of additional headcount, poor prioritization, stress leave, etc. You might have to accept that things will be very slow to change.


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    #7
    spitonmedickie
    Registered Users Posts: 321 ✭✭spitonmedickie


    Yeah think in the next few months either they go or I go - either a transfer or start looking around outside. It's a pity. Hopefully just keep the head down and apologise to the manager Monday but doubt anything will change!


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