How to deal with incompetance from someone above you ?
How to deal with incompetance from someone above you ?
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Discussion

slideways

Original Poster:

4,101 posts

251 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
At work i am the second in charge and the man above me is the project leader. We do almost exacly the same job except he is the decision maker and i follow is lead.
The problem i have is that there are very few rules in place and some individuals try and take the pee, playing one up against the other.

I try and follow the rules as i read them and make the right dicisions but he has shown favour to some and not others and this is causing tension between the work force.

I have spoken to him and i get a friendly face and all yes's but when my back is turned i hear that he's said that i'm interfearing and i should wind my neck in,he cannot handle any sort of critisism and always blames everyone else before himself.

i don't want to go over his head i just want to get on with the job in hand,

how should i deal with this mong

Thanks for listening
Rant over.

munroman

1,907 posts

214 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
Let him crash and burn, truth will out in the end.

Been there, a colleague was making a complete arse of a project, some of his guys came to see me on the quiet.

I discretely asked if he needed help, got complete abuse and his guys got a backlash (one guy was telling his wife he was going drinking with his pals, and was sneaking into work, as wife had pulled him up about his workload.)

Project leader eventually crashed and burned, after which even more horror stories came out.

Boss was not capable either, but friend of Project leader.

It may be painful for you, but hang in there, do your job, or look elsewhere!

WEHGuy

1,347 posts

203 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
munroman said:
(one guy was telling his wife he was going drinking with his pals, and was sneaking into work, as wife had pulled him up about his workload.)
rofl That is the 1st time I have heard it that way round

slideways

Original Poster:

4,101 posts

251 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
munroman said:
Let him crash and burn, truth will out in the end.

Been there, a colleague was making a complete arse of a project, some of his guys came to see me on the quiet.

I discretely asked if he needed help, got complete abuse and his guys got a backlash (one guy was telling his wife he was going drinking with his pals, and was sneaking into work, as wife had pulled him up about his workload.)

Project leader eventually crashed and burned, after which even more horror stories came out.

Boss was not capable either, but friend of Project leader.

It may be painful for you, but hang in there, do your job, or look elsewhere!
Things have escalated into him blaming me for his screw ups and dripping to the boss and others, but i dont get to hear about it from either of them but from the client.
The Boss is wetter than a wet thing, so gets manipulated by the mong above me, its been nearly 3 years and there doesnt seem any light on the horizon, nobody will say any thing to the boss about him but moan to me instead. If i go to the boss it makes me look like i'm stitching him up which i dont want to do!
I have thought about moving on but i would rather sort the problem, i also thought about sucking up to him and make him feel like he is amazing, with no faults then plant the seeds of my ideas so at least the job gets done but then i feel i am doing his job and he's taking credit.

i pride myself as being tenacious but 3 years is taking the piss.
What an utter knob jockey

sjg

7,677 posts

295 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
I've been there - this book is pretty good:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Done-Lead-Youre-Ch...

V8mate

45,899 posts

219 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
munroman said:
Let him crash and burn, truth will out in the end.
Though as his number two, the OP could well find himself being the team leader's fall guy/blame target when bosses later come to quiz him on his failure.

slideways

Original Poster:

4,101 posts

251 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
V8mate said:
munroman said:
Let him crash and burn, truth will out in the end.
Though as his number two, the OP could well find himself being the team leader's fall guy/blame target when bosses later come to quiz him on his failure.
Bingo

Taffer

2,353 posts

227 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
slideways said:
V8mate said:
munroman said:
Let him crash and burn, truth will out in the end.
Though as his number two, the OP could well find himself being the team leader's fall guy/blame target when bosses later come to quiz him on his failure.
Bingo
It could be worth saving emails relating to work, minutes of meetings, even using a dictaphone to record any decisions made so that if he tries to shift the blame, you can prove otherwise.

Alternatively, find somewhere with a better atmosphere to work in (you say this has been going on for 3 years now?).

slideways

Original Poster:

4,101 posts

251 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
Taffer said:
slideways said:
V8mate said:
munroman said:
Let him crash and burn, truth will out in the end.
Though as his number two, the OP could well find himself being the team leader's fall guy/blame target when bosses later come to quiz him on his failure.
Bingo
It could be worth saving emails relating to work, minutes of meetings, even using a dictaphone to record any decisions made so that if he tries to shift the blame, you can prove otherwise.

Alternatively, find somewhere with a better atmosphere to work in (you say this has been going on for 3 years now?).
I have just started recording things but if i have to use them to defend myself i will have to move on.

Gnits

1,131 posts

231 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
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Move - you won't win, it does not work like that in most cases.

nayf

83 posts

203 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
In the coping strategy I am about to suggest, I probably exhibit the kind of work/general life ethic that means I'll never be able to afford anything other than just paying for myself to work the next month. Anyhow, I'd probably hit the snooze button, become a slave to the corporate drone mentality and just take it as it comes.

Unless you've got any tangible goals to aim for, the best hope on Monday morning is that you circumnavigate the work cesspit to Friday without falling in.
Of course, my advice is to note down in some dated form your objections (email etc), so when the brown stuff hits the fan, you have some record that you were right all along, or had a different idea - because from what you say, he sounds like the sort of chap who would be likely to shift the blame to someone else's intray. It's the way of the world...

Edited by nayf on Sunday 20th December 15:12

spikeyhead

20,456 posts

227 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
V8mate said:
munroman said:
Let him crash and burn, truth will out in the end.
Though as his number two, the OP could well find himself being the team leader's fall guy/blame target when bosses later come to quiz him on his failure.
Been there, done that, picked up a large redundancy cheque when they decided that it was time for me to move on. I was glad, having already written my resignation letter.

Move, though if you can manipulate a redundancy cheque, do it.

Driller

8,310 posts

308 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all

Halb

53,012 posts

213 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
V8mate said:
munroman said:
Let him crash and burn, truth will out in the end.
Though as his number two, the OP could well find himself being the team leader's fall guy/blame target when bosses later come to quiz him on his failure.
INdeed.
OP, don't be such a doormat, get it sorted ASAP.

southendpier

6,208 posts

259 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
learn to properly express your points verbally in meetings get them agreed and minuted or get them refused and minuted. Do not take a dictaphone in a meeting you will look like a complete nobtard. Do not send smipey emails either for the same reason.



cymtriks

4,561 posts

275 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
The main thing is not to end up being blamed for their mistakes.

Believe me you will be blamed. He is going to write your annual appraisal and sit in at your annual salary review in HR. Do you think he is going to praise you for carrying him in these meetings? Or do you think he is going to tell everyone about how he had to rescue the project from your mistakes?

If the obvious thing happens what do you honestly think is going to happen if you protest? Will your employer rewrite the appraisal and sanction your manager or will you end up having a very intimidatory talking to in HR re your "attitude" and "need to improve"?

The only defence is to let plenty of other influential people (other managers and company experts) know exactly what you are doing, when and why.

Keep a diary. I keep two, one as a normal diary, the other printouts of emails. A manager recently asked us not to print out emails to save costs. I'd love to oblige (seriously) but I don't trust them anymore.

Other than that leave if you can.

Gnits

1,131 posts

231 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
Yeah what Cymtriks just said.
If there is no-one else to stand up for you then forget it and get out as soon as you can, that is just how it is, you WILL be portrayed as the bad guy.
Sh!t rolls downhill.

carreauchompeur

18,322 posts

234 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
Iz he an incompetant speler too?

V8mate

45,899 posts

219 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
quotequote all
Driller said:
Surely this would be more appropriate... the OP says the incontinence is above him


dudleybloke

20,553 posts

216 months

Sunday 20th December 2009
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do the spakka voice complete with appropriate arm movements when you speak to him.
hopefully this will piss him off enough for him to take a swing at you.