How real should I be with my manager

Google
mentallych

Go to company page Google

mentallych
Apr 21 11 Comments

I’ve been experiencing some hardship working on this one project lately. Some power games and not properly being valued. I told few things to my manager preciously and my manager was very understanding of the situation. I’ve recently shared a doc with her with details of what was going on. Now, she wants to go talk to the leads who oversees these people I am having hard time working with.

I am not sure if I did the right thing. The leads would know that I am the one who reported and if these are all related to higher up politics… this might backfire…

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 TOP 11 Comments
  • Amazon
    metrognome

    Go to company page Amazon

    metrognome
    It's done already. If your manager is on your side, it's now your manager's battle to win. Hope your manager has the guts and the spine to have your back.
    Apr 21 0
  • Your manager’s job is to unblock you, whether from resources availability or from politics. You did the right thing to inform your manager. If you couldn’t deliver project on time, you will get the blame if you keep your manager in blind.
    Apr 21 0
  • I recently went through this.. couple of things.. like someone mentioned above.. your manager should be on your side.. if not then you have made a blunder. (Raw truth).. if she is then also you didn’t do anything right … power games is a part of every job.. you think you will go to any other company and you won’t encounter those douche bags? Of course they will be there.. you need to learn how to survive and how to make others respect you. The thing you should have done was to ask your manager more responsibilities.. after asking her couple of times, then in background your manager would approach your tech leads and not surprisingly your tech lead would bad mouth you.. probably say he is not capable etc etc.. now in that sense either your manager would call you and tell you that tech lead is saying this which you would reply I think I am doing a a good job and this project is very interesting and this is why I am asking for more responsibilities.. another possibility is your manager wouldn’t tell you.. in that scenario you would again approach your manager and ask her more responsibilities .. in which she will tell you about what tech lead told about you..and then you would say the exact same thing I wrote above.. notice here in both cases you didn’t bad mouth anyone.but your tech lead did... you on the other hand expressed enthusiasm by asking more responsibilities and your manager didn’t think wrong of you.. more importantly you just got an excuse to change project.
    Apr 21 4
    • New / Eng
      lynel

      New Eng

       lynel
      If these words are confusing for you, if is clear you have never been on a team who has poisoned the dynamic through self-serving behavior.

      I find it's always people who are bad at their jobs who do this, and they literally chase away/out the real talent.

      The whole thing is a lose-lose scenario.
      Apr 21
    • Google
      mentallych

      Go to company page Google

      mentallych
      OP
      Now I am confused to who the self-serving behavior and people who are bad at their jobs you are referring to
      Apr 22
  • I have a hard time seeing how this will work out well for you. Your manager should have just moved you to another project.
    Apr 21 2
    • Google
      mentallych

      Go to company page Google

      mentallych
      OP
      I don’t think my manager can just move me without talking to the leads since this is the highest priority project in our org currently
      Apr 21
    • What I would have done is to ask your manager for feedback. Your manager will need to go to your leads.

      If your manager tells you your tech lead thinks you are bad at your job or whatever, you can go "oh wow, that's too bad, I will definitely try to improve, thank you for the feedback. In the meantime it looks like someone else who is a better fit should own this great opportunity". If your manager doesn't tell you the negative feedback either your manager doesn't have a good relationship with the tls or they aren't really on your side. Either way, that's a good sign to get a new manager.
      Apr 21
  • Not sure if this is a similar situation than yours, but it sounds like I’ve had a similar situation, except in my situation I was one of those leads.

    I provided feedback to the Engineers manager of poor performance. I really had hoped it would result in some improvements. Instead, the Engineer took it offensively and thought I was unfairly attacking him. I actually was not, and honestly wanted to see improvements in his work. But because of those thoughts in his head, it led him to other negative behaviors, spiraling to even worst performance.

    I guess my advise to you is, don’t worry or think about those political things. Get away from interpersonal conflicts and just do your job and do it well. Otherwise it may become some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.
    Apr 22 0