easjer
03-27-2006, 03:13 PM
Ok. Generally, he's a nice guy. As a manager, he drives me up a fucking wall, but fortunately, I generally don't have to work with him. He's the kind of guy who either doesn't put in his advice until it's too late to do anything about it, or he decides to micromanage, but is not familiar enough with the processes to do it effectively or well. Then he whines and bitches that his ideas aren't used. And when the micromanaging backfires he gets upset, because he feels he should be able to 'call some shots' in his position.
Well now it is directly affecting my work and my projects. It's too complicated to explain all the background, so the short version is that I've managed and improved a process in the college related to academic advising for five years, adjusting it each semester to make certain we are providing our students with the best advisors and making certain the participating advisors (from other colleges and departments) are trained in our curriculum and requirements.
But this semester, this man, who doesn't have any idea of how the process works, why it is set up the way it is, or the improvements I've made to it has decided it doesn't work well because there isn't enough faculty involvement, and that we need to cut out departmental staff advisors who have helped our students for years and have solid relationships with the college in favor of faculty who never come to our orientations and are not capable of advising students appropriately. Basically, the reason for this is that the English students typically choose to see their departmental advisor instead of him (because the dept. advisor can, you know, get their degree plans set, etc. as opposed to my boss, who only encourages them to take classes he likes without thought about their degree plans).
I talked to my direct supervisor and laid out my concerns about his approach. She agrees with me and since he's out of town, she tells me to invite everyone to participate and says she'll discuss it with him since she can handle him better.
Well, apparently, she waited and then he saw our orientation filled with staff members instead of faculty (like we can force people to come to these things), and threw a fit about it. And now he's pissed off and has a bigger bee in his bonnet about everything. And is unhappy with me because I left the English advisor on the list and further, (what a travesty) I put his appointment sheet in with our college advisors instead of listing him as the English advisor (like I do with ALL the in-house advisors. All 15 of them).
He is utterly and completely and thoroughly wrong about this. He doesn't understand the importance of having these relationships across campus and of making certain our students are well advised. He doesn't understand the effort I've put into building this system and making it work. He doesn't understand the intricacies of the university advising system (entire colleges use only faculty advisors, and entire colleges use only staff advisors) and the fact that we can only use what the colleges provide.
I'm getting really angry about his interference, particularly when it's ill conceived and without forethought. It's frustrating beyond belief to have my hard work being thrown out because he feels left out and is throwing a temper tantrum. I know that a meeting about this is coming. And I know how those meetings usually go. He doesn't let us talk and he peevishly spouts off his reasons for wanting things a certain way and that's it. We are supposed to do it that way. But I feel really passionately about this, and I won't just let this go without a fight. But I don't know how to get that across without sounding petulant and angry or basically accusing him of being a dictatorial moron. This is the guy who told my supervisor that I was being unfriendly and what the hell was wrong with me and we needed to have a chat about my attitude, because we walked into the office together, me a step behind, the secretary said good morning to us. Instead of saying good morning, I nodded and smiled at her, and since he was in front of me he didn't see it. Does that give you an idea?
Gah. I need a new job. And advice.
Well now it is directly affecting my work and my projects. It's too complicated to explain all the background, so the short version is that I've managed and improved a process in the college related to academic advising for five years, adjusting it each semester to make certain we are providing our students with the best advisors and making certain the participating advisors (from other colleges and departments) are trained in our curriculum and requirements.
But this semester, this man, who doesn't have any idea of how the process works, why it is set up the way it is, or the improvements I've made to it has decided it doesn't work well because there isn't enough faculty involvement, and that we need to cut out departmental staff advisors who have helped our students for years and have solid relationships with the college in favor of faculty who never come to our orientations and are not capable of advising students appropriately. Basically, the reason for this is that the English students typically choose to see their departmental advisor instead of him (because the dept. advisor can, you know, get their degree plans set, etc. as opposed to my boss, who only encourages them to take classes he likes without thought about their degree plans).
I talked to my direct supervisor and laid out my concerns about his approach. She agrees with me and since he's out of town, she tells me to invite everyone to participate and says she'll discuss it with him since she can handle him better.
Well, apparently, she waited and then he saw our orientation filled with staff members instead of faculty (like we can force people to come to these things), and threw a fit about it. And now he's pissed off and has a bigger bee in his bonnet about everything. And is unhappy with me because I left the English advisor on the list and further, (what a travesty) I put his appointment sheet in with our college advisors instead of listing him as the English advisor (like I do with ALL the in-house advisors. All 15 of them).
He is utterly and completely and thoroughly wrong about this. He doesn't understand the importance of having these relationships across campus and of making certain our students are well advised. He doesn't understand the effort I've put into building this system and making it work. He doesn't understand the intricacies of the university advising system (entire colleges use only faculty advisors, and entire colleges use only staff advisors) and the fact that we can only use what the colleges provide.
I'm getting really angry about his interference, particularly when it's ill conceived and without forethought. It's frustrating beyond belief to have my hard work being thrown out because he feels left out and is throwing a temper tantrum. I know that a meeting about this is coming. And I know how those meetings usually go. He doesn't let us talk and he peevishly spouts off his reasons for wanting things a certain way and that's it. We are supposed to do it that way. But I feel really passionately about this, and I won't just let this go without a fight. But I don't know how to get that across without sounding petulant and angry or basically accusing him of being a dictatorial moron. This is the guy who told my supervisor that I was being unfriendly and what the hell was wrong with me and we needed to have a chat about my attitude, because we walked into the office together, me a step behind, the secretary said good morning to us. Instead of saying good morning, I nodded and smiled at her, and since he was in front of me he didn't see it. Does that give you an idea?
Gah. I need a new job. And advice.