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lamy · Newbie Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 3 Career Advice: +0/-0

I have been working in a tile manufacturing company for the last 15 years. My duty is to monitor the performance of the workers investigate sudden drops and ways to improve efficiency.

However my ideas are always never approved by my line manager. This tactic has been used for over 15 yrs and frankly I have had enough. All these office politics are really demoralising me.

I am not that young anymore and this waste of time is not really productive.

My plan is to implement some of my best ideas, go with the results to the CEO directly exposing this guy.

Richard · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 1:38 am Post subject:

Instinct says "Go for it", head says "Wait up a moment". You've been there a long time so I presume you know what the backroom links are; who the big buddies are etc. Take a while to make sure your route to the top man isn't going to be hindered by certain loyalties and then leap-frog your line management. If you're unable to discharge part of your remit because of professional jealousy then you're being prevented from doing your job properly and that's detrimental to your company and everyone in it. Legitimate complaint.

C_Vaughan · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 1:26 am Post subject:

Why do you suppose your ideas are not approved?

~Carla Vaughan

lamy · Newbie Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 3 Career Advice: +0/-0

Hi Guys, thanks for your replies.

My ideas are not approved by my manager, cause they will increase production and I will get noticed by upper management. My boss is not a star and he is afraid I might take his job. We are the same age and very much in competition at all levels.

I have to admit that I have failed in communicating effectively with my manager and this is the top problem.

To be honest I do not care I want to get noticed by the people above and get ahead I am 55 years old and my time is running out.

Richard, I agree with you it has to be a leap frog tactic. I am trying to get into the golf club one of the directors is a member of .

What do you think about this?

Office politics is dirty, especially when it is played for one’s own benefit rather than for the benefit of the division you are responsible for.

lamy

Richard · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:27 am Post subject:

I'm not sure the golf club route is to be advised if all you're using it for is career advancement. OK, so you wouldn't be the first to have done that but it does strike a bit as brown-nosing.

What you didn't say in your original post is that you think you have a communication problem with your manager. Has this developed since or is this the real reason why you've not advanced?

lamy · Newbie Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 3 Career Advice: +0/-0

The communication problem was always there to be honest. I am not sure if he ever liked me.

To be very honest I think he choose me as manager of this section becuase he thought I was not that smart and I would never be any competition to him.

What other ways apart from the golf course, should I use to contact senior managment. I cannot just invite one of them to a family BBQ! -

Richard · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 11:19 am Post subject:

Why not? Invite a few more workmates and the big boss. Don't make a big deal of it. You may just find that he's very approachable and likes meeting his staff informally.

It does look like you have an attitude problem with your line manager. I've just this moment read of a book that might be able to help you (Help! I've lost the link - I'll try and post it later). There was technique described to deal with situations similar to yours in which you visualize yourselves on a scale of 1-10. To simplify, the idea is to give yourself a lower ranking than your boss and then think of things to improve the way you feel about yourself. Walk taller, speak more confidently around him etc. These things should help you to visualize that gap closing and help you to impose yourself more positively. Hopefully he will start to feel threatened professionally and maybe even move aside. Cameron may well know of this technique and be able to describe it better.

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