(Warning: I’ve got my ranty pants on today!)
It was all a set-up.
You know how I was made redundant from my position with government?
As soon as my new manager arrived, there began (what I now see was) a master plan, to re-direct work away from me.
At first I was delighted. We’d been light on staff for so long that I’d stepped up and done a whole range of things that were outside the scope of my position description. What can I say? I’m a team player, so when things needed to be done, I was happy to pitch in. As a result I’d been pretty swamped for several months.
So when one aspect of my work was channelled to another area, I was happy.
But then something else was re-directed. Then another task I enjoyed was moved elsewhere; then something else was deemed no longer important or core business.
As a result, for over a year prior to being made redundant, I would approach other team members directly to arrange to take some of the work off their shoulders. But, we had to do it discreetly, because my manager had informed them I had enough on my plate and was not to be bothered. This, despite me frequently saying that I had capacity and was more than happy to help.
In hindsight, it seems so clear that even then my position was being stripped back. But I couldn’t see it at the time.
Then I bumped into a former colleague. And do you know what this manager had been telling the other staff? “Janet isn’t coping”!
WHAT???!!!!!
I’m gob-smacked. That was NEVER the case.
So now it turns out my manager was deliberately ignoring my feedback, and blatantly LYING to the other team members, forbidding them to give me any work (which we quietly ignored – it just made sense!).
my head on a platter. Humph!!!
What was my manager’s problem?
I think it comes down to jealousy.
When this manager arrived, I was a capable, competent, highly skilled and valued member of the team. I’d been in the organisation so long I was considered the “guru” by the others, despite my lowly admin status. I had the contacts. I had the know-how. I had the networks. I had the experience.
My previous managers had appreciated and frequently drawn on my abilities.
Meanwhile, this manager wanted to build their own little empire where they were the ruler. And people like me got in the way.
My position was deliberately manipulated, to make it superfluous to the organisation’s needs.
So while I’m glad NOW that I was made redundant, and that things have turned out the way they did – it seems I *wasn’t* just another innocent victim of the GFC.
It was deliberate.
I was surprised when you were made redundant. I thought your role WAS important. But I don’t trust that department. I could spend all day/week/year bemoaning its incompetence and stupidity
Thank you Ainslie! I could too …
Oh man Janet! That is just awful. I don’t understand people like that? There’s no threat if you have fabulous people in your team – if you manage them well you get the best of all worlds: fabulous work gets done, your job as boss is infinitely easier, and you get kudos for managing a great, can-do team. It is so short-sighted to feel threatened, although we are all human I guess, I had a moment just yesterday chatting with a junior manager that works with me and I thought “holy crap, she thinks I’m doing a terrible job, she wants to manage this team instead of me because she thinks she’ll do it better. And then I calmed down and thought, actually, she probably does have some strengths in areas I don’t, I SHOULD use that to our advantage and work with those talents. I’m also confident that I’ve got plenty of talent and experience that she doesn’t, that I can SHARE with her now that I know she’s interested. This isn’t a threat, this is a massive advantage.
So whilst I can understand your managers initial feelings of being threatened by you, I can only figure that she was incredibly insecure and unconfident in her own abilities, and a really poor manager, not to have gotten over it.
I was warned about this particular manager but did my best to try and rise above gossip, which I now realise was heavily grounded in fact. I could say more … a LOT more … but still trying to be a bit discreet!
What a horrid thing to have happen to you. Similar happened to my mum. She worked in a post office for 10 years when a new couple bought it out and took over. They had never worked in a post office before and neither had any managerial experience outside going to a 2-day conference. They begun spreading rumors about my mum, accusing her of mail tampering etc. Thankfully she lives in a small town and so no one took the ‘new comers’ seriously. Mum eventually quit because she came to a point where she dreaded stepping foot in the door.
Actually we lost a lot of great team members after this manager arrived, they just didn’t want to deal with it.
You sure do have your ranty pants on. What a terrible situation! I’m surprised the new manager was able to manipulate everyone that knew you. At least some good came out of a nasty situation and opened up a new world of blogging to you 🙂
I know! I keep thinking I’m over it and have put it behind me and then I hear things like this and I get fiery all over again!
Hooray for blogging and blogging buddies 🙂
That totally sucks. Your story makes me stick to my theory that when it comes to redundancies, it’s never a professional decision…it’s always personal.
I have a similar story. But I’ve realised that it was truly a blessing in disguise!
Sadly Grace I think you’re right … but yes, definite blessing in disguise!
that stuff happens all the time here in the us. i am sorry to hear that it is no different in austrailia. the grass is NOT always greener on the other side of the fence.
Yep sadly poor managers are alive and well here too 🙁
How terrible for you! It sucks when you are told one thing but everyone else knows something different. I hope you can rise above this, this new manager does not sound like a pleasnt person to work with!
She was difficult to work with, but I always tried my best … thought it was the professional thing to do.
Wow! After reading this it cements what I suspected about my previous manager who, soon after she started, had me move to another area, and then get reduced back to a lower pay scale and job. I strongly believe she was jealous of my skills, knowledge, respect from others, etc. She is the reason I started toying with the idea of working part-time and studying last year. I’m so glad now that I took the opportunity to take a redundancy and start a new chapter, and leave last year behind!
Sadly there are some real problem people in management I’ve found. All the best with your new life!