New boss who was recently promoted.

Anonymous

February 19,2023 at 7:09PM UTC

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New boss who was recently promoted. I’ve worked with for ten years. Big heart, caring and wants to make a ton of changes but has issues with time management, lack of focus, no attention to detail, talks over people and starts projects but has a hard time finishing them. We are extremely busy and honestly don’t have time for meetings that go nowhere, pie in the sky ideas that never come to fruition. In meetings I’ve even said let’s cut to the chase, what do you need or want and how are we going to get there? Taking over and grandstanding at meetings even when there is an agenda, not allowing others their time to speak. I was actually happy for this person that they were up for the promotion because of their ideas for improvements and their being able to see the value in our staff. I had discussions with them personally about these on going issues that they needed to work on even before the promotion. They took some classes and

attempted to utilize some of what was learned but still is a whirling top, spinning through the office, bouncing across everyone’s lanes and not accomplishing anything. I’ve set my own boundaries but other staff members and even their managers are struggling to do the same or to speak up. Our team overall is great, but exhausted having to navigate this crazy energy of a new boss. Any suggestions on how a team can thrive and survive this type of leadership?

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Kim KillionFebruary 19,2023 at 8:35PM UTC
I’d honestly like to hear opinions on this one…
AnonymousFebruary 20,2023 at 12:01AM UTC
Let him run himself out. Nod and smile until his bosses realize nothing's happening. Say one of his ideas is great and then start working on what real tasks that are vaguely connected.
AnonymousFebruary 20,2023 at 3:57PM UTC
I had a boss similar to this, minus the caring, big heart.
It's exhausting and people feel disrespected and micromanaged with someone constantly wasting their time or getting into their projects. This person's manager needs to be very direct, otherwise maybe it's not the right kind of role for the new boss.
I took my boss' role when he left and honestly the amount of clean up in the mental health/motivation areas was really quite intense. My team was really in a bad way and it took a lot of effort to get the team back to a good place. So, I'd stress.... escalate to this new boss' manager and get some permanent corrective actions in place before good people leave or become demotivated.
AnonymousFebruary 21,2023 at 3:05AM UTC
I spoke to upper management before this staff member was promoted and told them my concerns, they are fully aware. So our team needs to be able to navigate this challenge and hopefully stay intake. There are positives, but those positives get negated by the energy and time suck issues…
Dcre1977February 23,2023 at 3:20PM UTC
Since he does seem to be trying to address the deficiency, he is a step ahead of people who do not recognize where they are deficient. I would praise his good ideas but then tell him we need to break down his great ideas into concrete tasks.
AnonymousFebruary 23,2023 at 6:15PM UTC
It seems to bother you more openly than most. I think you have a choice to make, be organized track your work and power through, or bring in HR to view some of what is slowing you down and creating havoc. You could also sit your manager down if you have that kind of relationship and ask how you can help them to plan better. Do give them the feedback that interrupting and talking over is making you personally feel less productive and that you are okay with feedback but prefer it behind closed doors where you can plan together how to improve. Don't speak for the group. If you cannot live with how and who they are ultimately you may have to move on. I do think you can find the path to manage your manager and maybe bring others into guiding as well. It is well intentioned so hopefully he receives it that way.
AnonymousFebruary 23,2023 at 8:44PM UTC
Do you and your colleagues have the type of positions where it would make sense for you to have your own meetings for projects without your boss? If so, try to schedule these meetings to start right after the meeting with your boss is scheduled to end. What this will do is give an out so a meeting can't go over time, it will also hopefully help them see (after a few meetings) that nothing is happening in their meeting and it could inspire them to change.
You mentioned that they do this with meetings that have agendas. Do the agendas also have times? Or just topics? If just topics, maybe try having them add times to it. Also, would be good to have it so that they are the last person to speak in a meeting that way others get to say something first before the grandstanding starts.
From the sound of it they have lots of ideas, which isn't a bad thing, the energy, and ideas just need to be focused. What if you guys have a monthly brainstorming meeting where people throw out ideas for projects or improvements or whatever, then at the end of the meeting the projects/improvements are ranked and the top ones are assigned to people. These monthly brainstorming style meetings can embrace the chaotic energy and then the rest of the meetings in the month can hopefully be faster.
Not sure if any of this will help, but hopefully it gives some ideas of things to try. Good luck! :)
AnonymousFebruary 24,2023 at 11:30PM UTC
Update. It’s hard to manage the manager, however I have been able to set meetings to only discuss specific topics and that seems to work. In a large setting there is still a lot of grandstanding and talking over staff even with an agenda. I’ve suggested that for our weekly meetings they keep the recap to 10 minutes so that other staff has time to talk if they need to. I have a standing meeting weekly that is only between me and this supervisor and it is only for me to share the issues in the office. When they try and talk about their issues I politely put them back on track to what I need. The other staff I have guided them to set their own meetings for individual help and not to let the supervisor ditch them. This has helped. Each staff member needs to find a way to work with the new boss. He is willing, he just falls short on the finish. Thanks for the input everyone.