New Job Woes

18 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 1,2023 at 4:09PM UTC

   Yikes!! How long have you been on this job?

   I would say wait it out a bit and see if you can make progress in turning stuff around. Perhaps this is why they hired you because they believe in your work ethic and future vision for the department you're overseeing.

   I know it can seem overwhelming and stressful right now; I feel that's normal. It also doesn't shock me that the company / team didn't disclose every detail about what's really going on around there. Unfortunately, that comes with the territory of any new job as no one will sit in an interview and tell all their dirty laundry, it would make the job unappealing.

   No job is perfect and we're all bound to inherit "something" with in an new org. The question is...do you believe it's something you could work with, fix or it is really broken?

   You are one person, and change doesn't happen overnight, so even if its on you to help facilitate the change, it will take time. In the end, this is a personal decision and I don't like that this is impacting your mental health because you should feel some sort of comfort /support in your new role, regardless of how messy it looks like right now.

   What's your internal support system like?

   You do have a right to change your mind about a job at anytime (unless you're on a binding contract) but be sure it is backed by facts and not just your feelings. If you do decide to leave, then HR will likely will want to know why and this info can help determine what needs to change about the role profile.

   This is a personal decision and you've gotta do what's best for you. I sincerely wish you the best of luck on your final decision.

2. Barb HansenMay 1,2023 at 4:45PM UTC

   In no particular order, here is what I've done to survive when I've been in your place in my career:

   I couldn't quit this toxic workplace but I did start looking for another job really quickly after being hired and being exposed to a really toxic work place.

   Once I understand what I was dealing with, I framed my response accordingly - I was going to use this company as a springboard to get my next position. The company was too broken to fix because the senior leadership team loved chaos. I did not cause the existing culture, I didn't need to fix it, and I was going to try my hardest to not bring their dysfunction into my life. I treated my team with respect, gave them heads-up to the landmines being laid for them and provided a lot of air coverage for them.

   I found my next role within three months, and the company folded about 9 months later (after years of bad management and business practices).

   I'm sorry that you're in this situation, and I wish you a speedy journey to a functional and respective company.

3. AnonymousMay 1,2023 at 5:28PM UTC

   This is an important consideration. That you were blindsided about the issues stepping into this role is a big red flag to me and speaks to an unhealthy work environment and poor leadership. You should have been informed of challenges and afforded an opportunity to discuss them. Rolling up your sleeves and getting on with it will not help if the environment is toxic and people are not working together.

4. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterMay 1,2023 at 4:54PM UTC

   Some leaders build their careers around fixing messes - I call them "Mary Poppins." Come in with a deep bag of tricks, set things right, and move on to the next challenge.

   If this is you, the bigger the challenge, the better. If this ISN'T you, you will neither shine nor be particularly effective in this situation - and you'll want to move on as soon as possible.

5. AnonymousMay 1,2023 at 5:14PM UTC

   I'm not the poster, but I'm always loving a challenge! A chance to shine for the right person.

   I love your advice!!

6. AnonymousMay 1,2023 at 5:13PM UTC

   This is your chance to SHINE!!!

   Don't quit if this is your type of work. I've been there!

   For me, I'd review the processes, make a list, get my Coke Zero (my caffeine), turn on my music and get going.

   List the issues, list the solutions (recommendations) and show what you got! As another person said - bag of tricks (I second her advice)

   Organization may either know the issues and have faith in you or totally clueless and you will be the hero.

   See this as a challenge.

7. AnonymousMay 1,2023 at 6:08PM UTC

   This depends on your apatite and abilities to lead change.

   If you prefer and are accustomed to things fairly in place and in order, your tolerance for chaos is low and you will not be suited to this situation.

   If I were you, it sounds like a next step would be to get back at your job search. This is not a good fit.

8. Kristin BurnsMay 1,2023 at 6:29PM UTC

   If you want to stay, document the current state of the situation and then your plans to improve them. Set measurable goals and involve whoever needs to be involved from the start. Make sure you ask lots of questions from whoever is still there from before you started - without judgment - to get their knowledge on why these decisions were made before drastically changing them. Find quick wins that will have big impact to improve the workplace first if you can. I doubt anyone is holding you responsible for bad processes/decisions made before you arrived now, but after a year or so, they belong to you too. If you don't want to take on this much change, it sounds like this would not be a good fit and you'd be happier somewhere with less drastic changes needed.

9. AnonymousMay 1,2023 at 7:40PM UTC

   Try to suss out whether they want you to fix these things or whether they just don't care. It's hard to do, but if they brought you onboard as a change agent, at least you know they have your back.

10. KarenMay 1,2023 at 7:49PM UTC

    Set a timeline to see if it is fixable or if it is in fact forget it.

11. AnonymousMay 1,2023 at 7:55PM UTC

    It sounds like you’re describing my employer…Most places, especially large organizations, I feel have very obsolete processes, archaic systems and have lots of messes to clean up, so that might be the norm (I have been in 5 major corporations in my 15+ years of project management/IT operations experience). My advice is to stay until you find something better. You’re right, the constant fix it mode will burn you out!

12. AnonymousMay 2,2023 at 2:02AM UTC

    OP here. Thank you all so much for your perspectives. It's tremendously helpful, encouraging and I'm so grateful for you all taking the time to read my post and responding in such a supporting way. No matter what I decide, I'll remember this. Thank you again.

13. AnonymousMay 2,2023 at 10:43AM UTC

    Pause. Organize. Prioritize. Leadership role brings team members. Parse out the identified projects. Cleaning up doesn't have to be a solo activity for a leader. Breathe. Team building during this will be a chance to level set expectations of business. good luck.

14. Kelly Harman-SeversonMay 2,2023 at 12:44PM UTC

    What great advice you have been given. I would like to add a different perspective.

    Have you made a list of processes that need to be fixed and asked your leader to prioritize which ones needs your immediate attention? Have you made a plan to accomplish the tasks? You could be just what the team needs and make a difference. Based on your strengths and interests, you needs to decide your next move. Good Luck

15. AnonymousMay 2,2023 at 5:26PM UTC

    Document what was left in shambles when you arrived. Fix as much as you can. Document, document, document. Keep good records, keep all emails correspondence so that you will not be thrown under a bus.

    if You reach a point you can’t stay or you sense a change that goes not include you… keep that resume fresh.

16. Joycelyn M. SiameMay 3,2023 at 1:06PM UTC

    just as the person before me stated. Make a list of EVERYTHING that needs to be fixed and that was left undone and beyond repair. Make a spreadsheet for yourself, saying whether you fixed it, how did you fix it and when, and whether it can't be fixed, give a reason for why, and who you notified of it, and make note of archived items that are beyond repair for whatever reason. You can then work as much as you can to fix the issues in your current position, and when you look for another, you will have the excel spreadsheet as documentation for ALL the work you have put forth at this current company to fix what is in fact a hot a** mess. This is what I did at one of my past jobs that gave me such ridiculous anxiety, and it ended up working in my favor. I gave myself a year to turn as much as I can around, then I Ieft for something better.

    Good luck with everything!

17. AnonymousMay 3,2023 at 2:10PM UTC

    This happened to me after giving up a good job. I interviewed for a Controller role there but they liked the other candidate so they created a role for me so as not to lose my talent. Things looked stable for the company and it offered significantly higher pay, and the best benefits package with very little employee cost for healthcare and benefits. Low and behold, after I start, I never ended up doing what they hired me to do, instead became the "cleaner", tasked with filling in for someone who just went on leave, fixing past AP/Vendor issues remnant from a poor implementation 3 years prior, and also fixing any other problems no one else had dealt with. It was a significant amount of stress and even though I had set my goals and was attaining them at my one on one review for Q123, was laid off mid April with 8-12 others in RIF or forced retirement. While still there, I had decided this was not the job for me and had begun searching for a new role. Being laid off with a decent $ severance will bridge the gap for a couple months. I would have left anyway. Don't make yourself miserable. Begin applying to jobs and I would say if you find it on LinkedIn or Indeed and you can figure out WHO the company is, go to their website and apply directly. Be careful to tailor your resume upload to contain key words in the job description, use bullet points for achievements not tasks, and do not give so much info that they don't need to call and interview. Best of luck.

18. Rhonda RoyalMay 3,2023 at 3:50PM UTC

    Good day to you! This sounds like a real mess that only a SUPER WOMAN can handle. Do, I suggest you continue with the cleanup and send out resumes; keeping in mind that you ‘signed up’ fir this but you shouldn’t have to be overwhelmed by it. In a few months tine another agency will call, just remember to take on enough work that doesn’t consume or overwhelm. You’re only human! Good Luck!