No one ever, EVER corrected your mistakes in 3 years?

mrsconn23

Dear Prudence,

I have been with my current job for three years. In August, upper management shuffled teams around, and I was given a new supervisor. We clashed immediately because she felt that my work wasn’t up to snuff. I was frustrated because my former supervisor had never complained about my work, and I was feeling micromanaged. I recently had my employee review, and my former supervisor said that my work had always been full of errors—that I had never done it correctly. Apparently, he would quietly correct my mistakes and not tell me. I have been doing my job incorrectly for the past three years.

I am incredibly embarrassed by this and worry his inaction has ruined my career at this company, as I’m caught in an endless cycle of catch-up. I’m putting in extra hours on evenings and weekends to get my work done as thoroughly and as error-free as possible. I feel like I can’t advance, and I’m dangerously close to burnout. Should I confront him about this? I feel that his inaction has derailed my career at this company. I don’t want to rock the boat, but I also don’t want this to happen to anyone else

—Torpedoed by Management

charlotte989875

I would have a development conversation with your new manager, tell them what you’ve learned about you old boss correcting your work. Tell them you really want to do well, advance, and correct mistakes you’ve made. Ask them for advice on how to improve, take their criticism to heart, don’t dismiss it as being micromanaged, look at it as them investing in your development. 

Don’t say anything to your old boss, and don’t give in to the urge to put them down or confront them, it’s only going to make it worse. They’re not involved in your advancement anymore so confronting them only has downsides. Focus on what you can do to start getting ahead. 

banana468

This is the time to do what you can to corporate-lingo your way through the BS.

First - is this your first employee review in 3 years?  Did you have others?  What did they say? 

If this is the first time errors are being brought to your attention then state, "I regret that these errors are made and appreciate that you have brought them to my attention.   Per prior reviews this was not indicated and I look forward now to addressing them now and moving forward.  I welcome the feedback and would like to put together an action plan to ensure that these are corrected quickly and efficiently." 

None of this passes my smell test though.   Either the LW never bothered to read corrections that were made and/or her previous manager is not someone who actually works with subordinates so that they succeed. 

VarunaTT

You know, I want to say this is really odd, but we have an entire group of employees here who's work is absolute bullshit.  I complain frequently because (TL; DR version) I often end up with their bullshit work files.  The attorneys also complain.  And nothing is done about it because of weak and uncaring management and crap attitudes on behalf of those employees.

Since LW does seem interested in improving, I think take it to heart that LW does obviously offer something to the team that the company is interested in keeping or LW would've been let go long ago.  Hold onto that, while asking for coaching and take their coachings to heart and work to improve your work.  The end result should be that you are doing your work more correctly, b/c you are being trained.  If there's something you don't understand, make sure to ask more questions.

downtondiva

Confronting your old boss will not accomplish anything other than making you look angry, pushy, and defensive and maybe further hampering your advancement at this company. I know it's difficult, but I think you need to let the past be in the past on this. 

Shift your focus now to improving your work with your new boss. If, after some time passes, you've improved but still think you can't advance at that company, start looking for another job. 

climbingsingle

That former supervisor should be fired. How do you not tell someone for 3 years that they're doing their work incorrectly!?!?

banana468

climbingwife said:

That former supervisor should be fired. How do you not tell someone for 3 years that they're doing their work incorrectly!?!?

The only thing I can think of is that the former supervisor was crappy.   And now there's a NEW supervisor brought in specifically to evaluate what the old supervisor did.   And eventually they're going to fire the old one because he did a bad job and never actually wanted to come down on his subordinates so he just fixed their errors and didn't actually manage. 

charlotte989875

banana468 said:

climbingwife said:

That former supervisor should be fired. How do you not tell someone for 3 years that they're doing their work incorrectly!?!?

The only thing I can think of is that the former supervisor was crappy.   And now there's a NEW supervisor brought in specifically to evaluate what the old supervisor did.   And eventually they're going to fire the old one because he did a bad job and never actually wanted to come down on his subordinates so he just fixed their errors and didn't actually manage. 

This is my guess too! 

That old manager was really good at doing the work but really bad at actually managing people (which let’s be honest happens ALL the time). And now upper management has realized this changed out managers to  actually develop/see what the folks know.