Manage Current Job Situation or Bail For Another?

[Old_Mil]

If you chose "other" feel free to elaborate in a follow up post.

[Gabby]

"Lack of critical thinking skills" and "attempts to work hard" in eval...

I put 'other'.

There could be several things going on here.

1) prelude to letting you go if you don't make huge changes quicklly
2) an honest assessment from a boss who truly uses the review process to communicate and find solutions/approaches with otherwise good employees
3) a boss who feels they always have to throw in at least one or two negatives because no one can be prefect.
4) a boss who has no intent of getting rid of you, but wants to give the raise to someone else. So they have to have a way to justify not giving it to you.


I had a boss for a long time who used 3 & 4 on almost every one. He gave the most petty reviews. for example every review he ever gave me said that I did not communicate enough about the state of my part of projects. Now keep in mind, he sat across the hall from me. He had 4 meetings a week were we all discussed the project and progress, I had to report at every meeting. I gave written report to every team member weekly, and I the entire team communicated in person, on the phone and in email all day long.

Have you given your response to the review yet? What did was to ask the boss, verbally and in writting, for very specific things I could do to give him the kind of communications he wanted. He'd throw out some things, I'd do them but he'd still write the same thing on the next review.

I tried to leave the team several times, but every time he wrote to the corporate office saying that I was critical to the team and if I left the project would fail. And he'd get back an order from corporate no allowing me to move to another project.

Go figure.

Talk to our boss, ask him for specifics of what he wants you to do differently.

[Gabby]

And by the way, in this econmy don't quit your job until you have another one.

There's nothing wrong with keeping this job but looking on the side if you are not happy where you are right now.

[jeepers]

You know your boss better than anyone here. What does your intuition tell you?

Is this new behavior, or does he gripe about everyone. Ever have a different evaluation from this guy? If more positive, what's changed? Is your company about to downsize? Getting stingy with hours and/or bonuses? Losing money? How critical are you? Do you know things that no one else does?....etc.

It's about an evaluation with a specific boss in a specific context.

I can tell you that I saw my husband being laid off about two weeks before it actually happened and I didn't personally know any of these people. My intution told me that all was not well. He was told specifically that his job was safe, until it wasn't.

Then again, you can have a situation that looks dicey, but it isn't. Calm the fear and ask yourself, is there anything that has been happening, that you've done or in your relationship with your boss that coudl have you be at risk? Is the company havingany problems, and would the solution be less staff?

Again, what does YOUR intution tell you?

[jeepers]

I also agree that you need specific examples of what his issue is and how you can improve it for him. Then regardless of what is really happening, try to give it to him.

and if your intution tells you that you might be really at risk, can't hurt to update the resume...

[gdoane]

You could shorten the sentences to "Lack Skills" and "Attempts Work" if you're reading between the lines. As evals go, that's butchery.

Most bosses I've had don't want to say bad things about employees because that reflects on the quality of their own supervision. Those evals go to their bosses and when their employees look ineffective, their supervision abilities start to look bad.

[CaptainPike]

If you can find another job, dump your current one. Tell your boss to take a hike and never go back there again.

[JediMindTrick]

My former chief never gave a positive reviews to anyone. He was quoted as saying once that he wanted the power to fire anyone at any time and he didn't want them to be able to come at him in the grievance hearing with a stack of positive reviews. Needless to say he was very despised. Perhaps your boss is like my ex boss was.

[Old_Mil]

My former chief never gave a positive reviews to anyone. He was quoted as saying once that he wanted the power to fire anyone at any time and he didn't want them to be able to come at him in the grievance hearing with a stack of positive reviews. Needless to say he was very despised. Perhaps your boss is like my ex boss was.

It's entirely possible - the guy is fairly arrogant, and generally used to being worshipped. Never had a review this bad before, never been fired before, don't want to start now.

Downsizing isn't in the cards right now, another position is out there should I want it.

[CaptainPike]

It's entirely possible - the guy is fairly arrogant, and generally used to being worshipped. Never had a review this bad before, never been fired before, don't want to start now.

Downsizing isn't in the cards right now, another position is out there should I want it.

Go for the other position.

Leave a three coiler on his desk and head out the door.