Trouble with the TL...

getmore4less

Work mates are not real friends they wil stab you in the back if they have to protect themselves.

I hope they don't know you can't leave for personal reasons.

You have identified one root issue even though your thought you did not know of any. I get the feeling you resent this favourate a bit.

I think you need to learn to play the games and read the signs on how to get things done.

Your place does not sound that different to many you have to make your own progress, it won't be fare or put on a plate..

So you know why 1 person is always picked for good stuff, you can't stop that, now work out how you become second choice.
reorg in 3 teams of 2 so you budy No1, become holiday/sick cover for No1...........think of others.


Things to look out for and to play one of the games.

Identify what is really important to get done, there will allways be stuff that is just filler.

Identify who is important and make sure they know you for positive reasons.

This is especialy true of the higher ups and mostly those in other departments/customers.

Get known for solving problems not causing them

combine all three.

Get known for fixing problem that other high up managment think is important.

That way if another manager has a project coming up ask them to get on it.


If that does not fit your environment there will be others senarioes that do look for them.

Eventualy it come natural to work the system those that do get on those that don't get left behind.


Understanding the business what and who makes it tick, ear to the grown know what is going on look for signs get on the rumour mill. mix outside your own group/department.

..........

loads of things you can do to help your own local management to be lees of a problem, but work on them as well.

dancingfairy

Hi. I was going to suggest asking if there was any new projects coming up that you could be considered for? or perhaps if you know of any asking whether you could be involved?
Regarding the admin issue -I'd be tempted to email something like 'I realise that there is a problem with my stats on admin' this is due to lack of time would it be possible for me to take at x,y,z points to catch up'? then at least it looks like you're trying to tackle the problem (and it makes you look reasonable).
df

Shawn_Dark

dancingfairy wrote: »

Hi. I was going to suggest asking if there was any new projects coming up that you could be considered for? or perhaps if you know of any asking whether you could be involved?
Regarding the admin issue -I'd be tempted to email something like 'I realise that there is a problem with my stats on admin' this is due to lack of time would it be possible for me to take at x,y,z points to catch up'? then at least it looks like you're trying to tackle the problem (and it makes you look reasonable).
df

I have raised issues via email and keep a diary of events. They just ignored. This is probably the worst company I have worked for. The previous two were excellent and really helped me progress. I just tried to be clever and switch from temping to contracting. Then the recession hit and I was first on the strike off list. Lesson learned but having gone abroad to teach English (i.e. change of careers) I had to return due to personal health issues (with my wife). Since then I had to return to the UK and get any job I could. Having previously worked in IT it was the only option.

dancingfairy

Get that cv up to date and start looking/thinking about your ownward move?
It sounds like your company really are awkward though.
I guess you've got to keep you head down, get what training and experience you can out of them and plan for the future
Can you get references/experience somewhere else - maybe helping out with a charity/weekends/evening?
Doesn't sound like a good position to be in.
Best of Luck
df

getmore4less

Abu_Yoosha wrote: »

I have raised issues via email and keep a diary of events. They just ignored. This is probably the worst company I have worked for. The previous two were excellent and really helped me progress. I just tried to be clever and switch from temping to contracting. Then the recession hit and I was first on the strike off list. Lesson learned but having gone abroad to teach English (i.e. change of careers) I had to return due to personal health issues (with my wife). Since then I had to return to the UK and get any job I could. Having previously worked in IT it was the only option.

I still get the feeling there is something else, this is a young work group you were 3rd out of 6 and a new supervisor so at least 5 of the 7 are 9 months or less in the job, thats not long.

What sort of age and experience is the mix of people?
Is your past experience relevent, are they expecting you to be more self suffient?

Having only been there 9 months, diaries of events, issues by emails, and this recent grievence are not a good way to establish a long term relationship.
When did you start this approach?
I wonder if you have established yourself as a bit of a moaner.


There is a very important saying in a workplace,

Pick your battles.

This applies to good and bad places,

It's not fare is never a good battle in any company.

Look for good business reasons why things need to change.

Shawn_Dark

"I still get the feeling there is something else.."

Well unless you're implying that I am a liar, there is nothing else. I really dislike constantly having to take calls and being bound to my desk (i.e. similar ot a call centre) but eventually things will change. Its just that I dont know if I have the patience I had ten years ago. I am used to flexi-hours and not taking calls all of the time. I just cant seem to get anything other than what I am doing now.


"this is a young work group you were 3rd out of 6 and a new supervisor so at least 5 of the 7 are 9 months or less in the job, thats not long."

When I joined the team there was three, I made four but one left to join another team. Then a new starter, then supervisor joined, followed by his mate. I have been there around nine months, the next person six, the supervisor four or five and the mate three.


"What sort of age and experience is the mix of people?
Is your past experience relevent, are they expecting you to be more self suffient?"

33, 45, 33, 32, 36, 26.
I have been working since I left uni in 2006. I have technical experience to 2nd Line level, have worked as a Team Leader, an IT Trainer (trained staff in an Indian call centre for two weeks, at the Indian capital) and have an ITIL qualification. I have worked for three internationally known companies (out of the five worked). They do expect some people to be self-sufficient, such as myself perhaps, but not to that extent.


"Having only been there 9 months, diaries of events, issues by emails, and this recent grievence are not a good way to establish a long term relationship.
When did you start this approach?"

Pretty much a few months after the supervisor joined, thinking that they could solve some of the problems I was facing, not add to them. It feels almost as if I am seen as a threat by that person so they want to ensure that I dont progress. This being acheived by restricting my training, keeping me clueless about processes and procedures and by keeping busy with the most basic part of the job. However, in fairness this isnt all of the time. It just seems I have to fight to get away from my desk. Example, if a user has an issue that needs fixing and they are on-site, I will come and see them personally. Other users get asked to do this, but I have to ask. they regularly refuse and some even dont have the technical ability to resolve the issue.


"I wonder if you have established yourself as a bit of a moaner."

I thought about this early on and made an effort to stop complaining and raising issues. However, its just getting too stressful (and IT helpdesk jobs are stressful as it is). There is another member of the team who regularly forces meetings with the supervisor and manager and is known for being a bit of a moaner. Despite this, they get very little success. Management just dont care and will fob you off. thats the opinion of more than one person on the team.

getmore4less

Well unless you're implying that I am a liar, there is nothing else

Not a Liar, I think you just can't see them all yet, each post brings out another.

Anyway this is a reasonably experienced team except one, so should all be self sufficient within the framwork of what needs doing.


Example, if a user has an issue that needs fixing and they are on-site, I will come and see them personally. Other users get asked to do this, but I have to ask. they regularly refuse and some even dont have the technical ability to resolve the issue.

I don't understand what you mean, I am not going to guess.

Shawn_Dark

getmore4less wrote: »

Well unless you're implying that I am a liar, there is nothing else

Not a Liar, I think you just can't see them all yet, each post brings out another.

Anyway this is a reasonably experienced team except one, so should all be self sufficient within the framwork of what needs doing.


Example, if a user has an issue that needs fixing and they are on-site, I will come and see them personally. Other users get asked to do this, but I have to ask. they regularly refuse and some even dont have the technical ability to resolve the issue.

I don't understand what you mean, I am not going to guess.

In this case, the supervisor will always give team members the opportunity to get away from the desk, as we have all made clear that the team is a very stressful one. Everyone gets the chance for stress relief in the form of getting away from the desk or out of the office, except me. I have to ask permission, why? I am not that vital a member of the team so I could be missed.

I thought to myself, perhaps i'm just not good enough. But why then in our few meetings has my supervisor told me that "if there was another supervisor role I would be pretty much given it".

So perhaps they my supervisor is sparing me the remedial, mundane tasks as I am above all of that. Then why does he ensure that I have very little exposure of the team processes and procedures outside taking calls? As well as tactically ensuring I miss projects as I am on the wrong shift or have been put on Health & Safety training, etc. that day. Surely I would need exposure of the team processes and procedures to be experience enough to manage a team in the future?

Then maybe my supervisor see's me as a potential threat in the future? Perhaps... it would explain a lot and I've seen other people subject to that in the past.

Or perhaps my supervisor just doesn't care and is using this company as a stepping stone to the next career so team management isnt a major issue, just make sure they look good in the eyes of the manager and director, etc.

Why is it in every other role/company I have flourished, including this one. But as soon as the new supervisor came in things went downhill for me. Whilst the rest of the team seem content to grumble but not take action, they are happy to work with a methodology that his practically no processes or procedures.
Surely if more than half the team raised issues against the supervisor they would have to do something about it.

NikkeiPositivity

Hi Op

I completely understand where you are coming from. I was taken on a contract for a company with a possibility of it becoming a perm role. after I'd been there a month and a half, a new manager was taken on. I was responsible for training him up for two weeks as he would be working in another office. he was difficult to say the least, it was month end and even though I kept telling him that we needed to do xyz in a short time, he wouldn't let me get on with it, kept going for coffee. He kept deciding that he wanted to change the process there and then despite the group chief accountant asking had we done this and that. It was the most stressful two weeks of my life! I was then asked after three months whether I would take up a perm job in another office under this manager. I couldn't relocate and the thought of working under this manager just made me want to cry! Before he came along the dynamic was quite nice, I got on with everything and I'm lucky in the sense that the group chief accountant knew how hard I was working and could see me pulling additional hours and getting the job done to a high standard and gave me an amazing reference. In all honesty the manager is good at what he does, he's just built a certain way and for a lot of people he's taken a lot of getting used to as he tries to meddle in everything and micromanage, but we just had to adapt to his presence and find a best way to work with it. could you maybe try and change tact?

marybelle01

Abu_Yoosha wrote: »

Surely if more than half the team raised issues against the supervisor they would have to do something about it.

And the answer to that would be no, "they" don't. It is just as easy to do something about you. That is what getmore4less is trying to tell you.

From what you have said, more than half the team isn't complaining about the supervisor - you said "Whilst the rest of the team seem content to grumble but not take action". In other words, they aren't complaining, and it's you who is constantly complaining.

It's clear that you aren't satisfied with your job, but as getmore4less has said - you either get another one and leave, or you pick your battles and only fight those that are important. You have only been there 9 months - it's still relatively easy for the employer to get rid of you.

But I do have a question about that possible "feeling there is something else..." that getmore4less has alluded to. You've been there for nine months and the first two or three were ok, then you started keeping a diary of things, making complaints and have now submitted a grievance. Are you constructing a case for race discrimination?