Bouncing Around

I spoke with Tim yesterday who told me he keeps getting bounced around between managers and he’s not getting the same quality of work that he was used to.

This happens a lot when a company is growing, downsizing, or there’s a lot of turnover. If you didn’t like your manager before you’ll likely see this as a positive change, but if you did then you’ll likely feel left in the cold and unsure what to expect next. A manager has a direct impact on your career, and sometimes your personal life, so it’s not something to take lightly.

What to do if you are the employee in this situation:

1. Control your narrative. Make sure you have shared notes on what had been promised to you, what your goals are, any planning you had done to get you towards your goals, and your accomplishments. This is in addition to the projects/tasks you’re currently working on.

2. Give the new manager a chance. While it’s a change and change can be hard, it’s always good to increase your network and have multiple people speaking on your behalf. The new manager can also give a new perspective on a situation to take you to the next level.

3. If your opportunities change. Reiterate your goals to your new manager and discuss why you’re getting the projects that you are. Maybe it’s not what you thought you wanted, but there’s a new challenge they want you to get experience handling. If that’s just all there is, ask if you can be considered for something different when the opportunity presents itself or if there’s anything in the pipeline.

What to do if you are the new manager in this situation:

1. Get to know the employee. Some managers like to get the previous manager’s input while others like to make their own assessment. Either way, get to know your employee. What brings them joy? What do they hate? What’s important to them?

2. Acknowledge the situation. If there are routine changes happening, you are likely also experiencing it. Talk to the employee about how they are feeling about getting a new manager and how you can support them.

3. Let them get to know you. Show them they can talk to you by telling them about your hobbies or family (no drama). Share why you’re happy to have them reporting to you and what this opportunity means to you.

4. Set expectations. The employee was likely used to a certain way of doing things. If you want all of your notes in OneNote before a 1:1, make sure they know that. If you prefer being notified before PTO is formally requested, tell them. If they have a doctor’s appointment for an hour, do you want them to tell you they’ll be away?

Think about how the organizational changes impact you overall. It’s likely not just a manager changing if it happens multiple times in a short period. Do you like the direction it’s going? Are your benefits also changing? Have your day to day responsibilities changed? Don’t lose sight of the things that are important to you. You deserve to be happy.

Friendly reminder that if you’re reading this and ever want to talk, feel free to reach out.

You can also respond to this e-mail if to let me know what you think and any topics you’re interested to read about.