ARGH!! (boss vent!)

[singingpixie]

The theatre where I work got a new Production Manager over the summer. It's been a tough transition, to say the least. To streamline it a bit, he isn't a good fit for the job and hasn't been fulfilling his responsibilities (those of us below him are basically all shifting up a position in duties in order to get it done) and he's also not fitting in socially at all.

Despite the difficulties we've had, when we decided to have an office christmas party we of course invited him. Made a point to send him emails throughout the planning process and trying to get his input. He ignored them. We scheduled the party for yesterday, and he informed us that he had a doctors appointment and couldn't attend (this conversation was last week sometime). We moved the party to today. Yesterday, he was in the office all day, never left for more than 20 mins.

Today, we all meet up at the party location, and he's no where to be seen. We speculate that maybe his appointment got moved. When we got back to work, he's here by himself, working on things that were our jobs to get done and that would have taken an hour tops when we got back. Basically, we went above and beyond to include him, even changed the date of the party to accomodate him, and he still blew us off. And he still complains every day that no one likes him and we're all out to get him.

I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but sometimes he makes me want to scream!

 

[Disneyland1084]

Can you go to upper management about him? If he can't get along with anyone then he doesn't deserve to work there.

 

[singingpixie]

Can you go to upper management about him? If he can't get along with anyone then he doesn't deserve to work there.

It's in the works, but it's a slow process. Plus, we're so busy during the season that it's hard to replace anyone mid-year. Most major reshuffling happens during the summer. And in any case, everyone wants to give him the benefit of the doubt (although his allies are admittedly starting to dwindle).

 

[cybrkitn]

Sounds like his previous postion may have had problems that is causing him to act this way.

DH has a co-worker that is almost celebrating a year in his department (DH works for one of our state universities). She had said the same thing about everyone out to get her. However, her boss in her previous department was really bad. She was walking on egg shells and now it's pretty much ingrained (sp?) in her. She's very insecure and defensive because of it. At one point, she thought that her co-workers were talking about her at a meeting that she was late too (she told them that she was going to be late). Anytime she heard laughing, she would think it was at her and she would start arguments.

It's very hard to change your way of thinking after being subjected to so much verbal abuse. DH's co-worker went to him a few days ago and said that she is not used to working in a department where everyone is so friendly towards one another. See in his department, all of them (including the boss) get together and go out to lunch, get each other gifts during Christmas and Chanukah and will get together outside of work (something I've noticed with most IT guys). It's all new to his co-worker.

 

[crazyme5kids]

It sounds like he was trying to avoid the party in the first place. He knows you guys don't like him, can't blame him for not wanting to go. He may be struggling with the position for a number of reasons. What was his previous experience?