Friday, June 30, 2006

Stress

My stomach is in knots, I'm demotivated, and I spend a lot more time faffing about than I should.

Yes, it's time for more work stress.

My old boss left a week ago yesterday. I've had my share of bosses - mostly nightmares. There was the one who let other team members bully each other; the one who tried to apply mascara; and the all-time worst, the one who tried to make me miserable by excluding me, changed the parameters of my work and then claimed I wasn't doing what I was told, and was generally paranoid and obsessive. I quit. A few months later, she killed herself.

Anyway, this boss was great. Seriously great. She was fair and logical, explained stuff but didn't act like we were idiots, and always made time for us if we needed it. When I had the occasional meltdown, she dealt with it and didn't hold it against me. We had a great working relationship, and I admire her immensely.

The new boss is more interested in making time for people she thinks are important than taking 10 minutes to speak to a team member. Clearing her emails is more important than understanding what I do and answering questions. And strategy is so important that she's dumped a load of her "operational" work onto me, since she apparently won't have time for it.

I really, really miss my old boss.

I'd leave, but I only have 6 months left until we get married and move anyway, and I don't like my chances of finding another role where I can work for 6 months and then leave. I also really, really want to finish up properly here: I've been in this role for nearly 3 years and I want to finish up right.

I can mostly laugh at it. After all, I'm just going to continue doing what needs to be done, and ignore the fact that the new manager has no managerial skills.

She was a consultant before, which is abundantly clear: she comes in and tells us what we're doing wrong without understanding what we actually do; she alienates us and doesn't seem to care about keeping her team together; and she isn't interested in anything that can't be termed "strategic".

So I'm really, really trying. But this morning I just felt like crying or leaving. I don't feel like eating my breakfast because my stomach feels all twisty. More than ever, I wish we'd had a small, quiet wedding and left this month as we'd planned to.

3 Comments:

Blogger Shoebedoobedoo said...

This is starting to sound somewhat familiar. Hang in there and although you may not necessarily condone it, take some MH days where required.

10:54 am  
Blogger Violet said...

perhaps it'll feel better if you start counting down the months, weeks and days. Hope your new boss gets a grip soon.

12:22 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I totally had a boss I hated at my last job. She was so so negative, nothing satisfied her, it made work so stressful. I feel for you!

9:15 am  

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