What to do when you think your boss is incompetent
(MoneyWatch) Dear Evil HR Lady,
I have 20 years of IT experience. Been a boss, a consultant and of course worked for a number of managers.
I took this recent job because it's a relaxed environment, an easy IT job. I am already an expert of the applications I manage. I report to a 60-year-old woman who is not techy at all. She does not know how to manage, nor understand how to prioritize work. She is always in reaction mode.
I want to talk to her boss about her being incompetent, and say that I can't work for her because she is a hindrance. I want to tell her that I would rather quit than work for her. I have a meeting with her boss tomorrow.
Would you really rather be unemployed than work for this woman? After all, she was smart enough to recognize that you had the skills she lacked. Plus, how would you explain why you're unemployed? "My last boss was really dumb?" That is not going to endear you to any hiring manager.
And why did you mention her age? It's completely irrelevant to the situation at hand. Some 60 year olds are very tech savvy and some 20 year olds are clueless. Are you letting your age bias prevent you from listening to your boss? Additionally, it's not necessary for the boss to be able to do, it's only necessary that she be able to manage those that do.
You also need to consider that she's hindering you precisely because you need hindering. So often, new employees come in and say, "Oh boy, I can make this place better!" and then they proceed to do the same thing that was tried two years ago and rejected (at great cost) because it doesn't work for the organization. Unless your boss is also new, she has an organizational memory that you simply do not have.
My advice is to wait this out a bit longer and see how things evolve. Consider the possibility that your boss is neither an idiot nor reactionary, but rather using her experience to chart the best course for the department. That may be 100 percent wrong, but you won't know until you let things play out a bit.
Since you've already scheduled a meeting with her boss, here are some things you can say:
"I'm used to an environment where things are planned out well in advance. The department here seems to be reacting to each crisis as it occurs. Is there a plan that I'm not aware of?"
or
"Jane's focus isn't on the technology aspect of things, while that is, of course, my focus. I absolutely don't want to step on her toes, but it's unclear to me what those boundaries should be. Could you help me work through what my expectations should be?"
or
"I am really excited about the possibilities in this job. I'm a bit concerned because Jane doesn't seem all that technically inclined, and is focused on other areas. Is there someone who has been serving as the mentor for the tech side of things that I should know about?"
Notice how the worst thing you've said about Jane is that she's not too techy? She'd probably say that herself. All the things you say should focus on what you should do.
Now, the big boss my open up and say, "Oh my word, Jane is a complete idiot with tech stuff, so just ignore her. Do what you need to do and I'll back you up." But most likely, she's going to be likely to defend her, and you don't need to be on her bad side.
You cannot bring up that Jane is an idiot and that you'd rather quit than work for her, unless you are ready and wiling to walk out the door today. Also, keep in mind, if she truly is incompetent, it's highly likely that her boss is also incompetent, otherwise that problem would have been solved a long time ago.
If it really is super awful, then start looking for a new job and leave when you find one. But don't make a threat to quit, don't focus on her age, and consider that your first impression could be the wrong one.
Have a workplace dilemma? Send your questions to EvilHRLady@gmail.com
