Manager Issues

[Beagle2000]

Hi All,

I would like some advice on a situation I'm currently in at work.

I've been employed at this company as a manager over a team of 15 along with a colleague (team manager alongside me) for over 3 years and up until now, have always really enjoyed my job and the challenges it brings etc. I've never had any problems with people I have worked with or managed whilst here.

A month or so ago, I was allocated a new manager that was new to the company. As a person they are nice and polite and for the first few weeks, all seemed well whilst they got up to speed with things and I assisted greatly in this. Over the past couple of years, me and colleague have been working with another dept to bring a system into the team. New manager asked me if I would like to lead the final steps of this project, of which will take another 1-2 years. I said yes to this at the time as it seemed a good opportunity, but we did not discuss what this means in the longer term.
Since then, colleague has been offered to lead the team solely now. I found this out and so addressed with manager that I only wanted to work on this system for the next 3-6 months to deliver then main sections and then anyone could get involved and does not specifically require me. Manager said this is fine and we can review how this plays out each month. Working on delivering a system takes me away from my desired career path and does not help with my career plans. All of which they seemed fine with.
Since then, I have worked on this system as well and managing the team and the implementation of it. But I have found out that my manager has asked my colleague to make all plans for 2020 for the team, all the staff will be re-allocated to my colleague and I will have no one reporting to me.
Several meetings are also being scheduled in for 2020 planning and all are excluding me and which I've heard about second hand which makes me feel secluded and cast out now, I've not even been asked for ideas or feedback on what's worked in the past. I get the feeling that new manager doesn't like me much and doesn't want me in her reporting line and does not want me in the team and so is trying to move me onto working on this system full time so I am out of the way.
I've not had any negative feedback and I am told I have lots of potential. So why do I get the feeling they are trying to remove me and pass me over to another dept?

I've not been given anything officially different such as title or secondment etc.

My plan now is to re-address this issue with manager and explain again, that whilst I am willing to assist in the delivery of this system and I have a good amount of expertise and knowledge. I do not want to do this full time for the long term, I compromise and will do it for a couple of months so the bulk of the work is done but I do not want to work in I.T permanently, my desire is to continue to do what have been doing for the past 3 years.

Am I over thinking things? or am I subtly being pushed out? Where do things stand legally? can they completely change my day to day responsibilities and duties without some formal agreement from me?

Thanks all!

[ULA]

Does your company have annual appraisals and if so have your career plans been discussed and documented with support to your aspirations from your previous manager?

Trying to look at this positively and given it is only a month since your new manager joined I would suggest they are still "finding their feet" and in doing so may be looking to find the best people to manage (with possibly limited resources) your current co-managed team and also this other project. I understand that this latter role is not something that you want to do long-term as it does not fit your career aspirations.

Maybe a plan would be to arrange a meeting with your new manger and if you have had an appraisal that supports your career plans, maybe take a copy with you. At this meeting explain your position in regard to the fact you view this as temporary to get the project completed and handed into the relevant to team for them to then carry on and run with it. Explain that your career plans and desire is to work on what you have been doing for the last 3 years (supported by your appraisal) and you would like to understand what will be done to support you coming back into that environment, even if it is increasing over a period of time as you "hand-over" the other project and ask about timescales this could happen in.

Just some thoughts that may help but you can pop back to this thread if you have any more questions or concerns.

[Beagle2000]

Hi, thanks for your response it’s very helpful. I think I do need to give it a bit more time I guess. I’ll use your advice and schedule a meeting to go through career and development plans. I do have my career aspirations documented luckily.

[ULA]

Hope the meeting goes well

[Beagle2000]

Hi, me again. So I had the meeting.

I thought it went well and I put all my points across and they were acknowledged and the manager was fine about it all. They said they would have HR draft a letter explaining that nothing permanent will be happening and that in the long term I’ll be staying where I am. 4 days later I’ve not had anything.

since then I’ve also noticed that the manager has now scheduled recording 1-2-1 meetings with all of their direct reports - excluding me. I’m the only one out of a group or 4 that report to this person that doesn’t have one scheduled.

Surely this is odd right? Not sure what my next steps are not whether I approach this person again or refer to HR directly?

thanks!!

[ULA]

Can I suggest in the first instance, as you felt the meeting went well, you keep things "light touch" and maybe if you have not got the letter tomorrow you chase it up on Monday.

Having had a 1-2-1 with you, albeit you initiated it, maybe she felt it was relevant to do so with the other direct reports.