WWTBAM Bored

My new immediate supervisor is a complete doofus...can't stand her. Lazy, self-absorbed, does happy-to-glad edits on everything I write, clearly over her head in dealing with the substance of our unit--got the job via a connection.

Her boss, someone I've come to think of as a friend, just got moved to another job to run a division and wants me to come with him to run one of his teams.

Ordinarily, wouldn't hesitate to go but here's the rub--I am deep in the middle of a bunch of important projects right now that I want to see come to fruition. I am personally committed to these projects and have asked many people to put themselves on the line. If I leave, don't know if they'll succeed and, frankly, wouldn't really want anyone else to get the credit for what was in some cases years of hard work.

If I stay for the sake of the mission, I will miss the chance to escape the doofus and may not get another one for some time.

Pleh.

Sounds like you need to bring those projects to a conclusion. Their success will help you escape the doofus.

I am learning that you have to look out for yourself first, because no one else will. If you will be happier in another position, I say take the other position. It will seem less like working. The boss you don't like may eventually sense it and get rid of you anyway. And in this economy, finding a new job is not easy.

Buffacuse wrote:My new immediate supervisor is a complete doofus...can't stand her. Lazy, self-absorbed, does happy-to-glad edits on everything I write, clearly over her head in dealing with the substance of our unit--got the job via a connection.

Her boss, someone I've come to think of as a friend, just got moved to another job to run a division and wants me to come with him to run one of his teams.

Ordinarily, wouldn't hesitate to go but here's the rub--I am deep in the middle of a bunch of important projects right now that I want to see come to fruition. I am personally committed to these projects and have asked many people to put themselves on the line. If I leave, don't know if they'll succeed and, frankly, wouldn't really want anyone else to get the credit for what was in some cases years of hard work.

If I stay for the sake of the mission, I will miss the chance to escape the doofus and may not get another one for some time.

Pleh.

You know what they say about running for President. You can't choose the time. The time chooses you.

Good luck on your decision. --Bob

Take the new job. The doofus will probably figure out how to get credit for your years of work anyway.

You have to decide what feels right in your heart. If you do not, you may second guess yourself later.

That is the hardest question, and unfortunately, only you can make it.

Sorry, that did not make your answer any easier.

JMHO

But I hope you make the decision that is best for you.

Buff, you have to weigh the facts.


You have three most important reasons to be happy in what you do, sane and whole and satisfied.

Doofus and the others do not have any claim on your loyalty or your efforts, as they would probably not hesitate to throw you under the bus, should the projects perhaps not go as well as hoped.

Look out for number 1. You owe it to lil Buff, Buffette and Buffettina.


(translation - run run run to the new division and save yourself.)

a1mamacat wrote: Look out for number 1. You owe it to lil Buff, Buffette and Buffettina.

(translation - run run run to the new division and save yourself.)

Sounds right to me. It's easy to get a distorted sense of loyalty to your current job and co-workers, especially when you have integrity. But when you work in a big organization, people are rarely missed as much when they leave as they assume they should be. In my case, I stayed at IBM longer than I really needed to, out of loyalty and inertia, but last I checked, they're doing okay without me. By all means, arrange to do what you can to assure a successful transition, but if the grass is greener elsewhere, go for it. Good luck.

I would have a real open and honest conversation with the guy who wants you to go with him. I would tell him all of your concerns (maybe minus the stuff about wanting the credit). Given he was your supervisor's boss, he may have some input for you. Given he knows the projects you were on, he may have some insight for you. Maybe he will agree to have tou come over to his division later.

Almost anything can be worked out through open and honest conversation.

Personally, I would jump ship in a heart beat, as loving the work I do and with whom I work is # 1 in my book.

Get away from the bad boss. Your life will be much happier.

Bad bosses manage to take their entire group/team/division down and they've usually become adept at avoiding the blame...

The right or wrong boss makes a huge difference in your eventual career success.

And if they ever want to get rid of you, they won't care one bit about how many projects you've worked on or whether you'll get credit for them or how close to fruition you are.

The thing I've learned the hard way is that there's only one person in the entire organization who's looking out for your best interests and that's you, so you always need to make decisions with that in mind.

Take the new job.

If the projects are that important, they will succeed.

And, as others have pointed out, the doofus will probably take credit anyway.

I will underline - make sure you tell your future boss your dilemma.

If nothing else, it shows loyalty.

You owe your new boss as much loyalty as he does to you; zero.

Buff, the factor you may not be putting into the equation is how you -- personally as well as professionally -- would be affected by moving or staying.

Here's an analog in teaching. Teachers are some of the most risk-averse people I know. One of the things that leads to old, out-of-touch burnout teachers is the fact that mid-career changes are nearly unheard of. The excuse most teachers use is "What about my students? I couldn't abandon them?" But as a student who had two different teachers in high school who could have (and finally, eventually did) move on to other careers, I can tell you they were much better off moving, and the people who took their place, who may not have been as good as those teachers were at one time in their career, did not hold up anyone's learning or destroy the system.

In short, I agree with others, especially Ed, who say that it's difficult to objectively evaluate those projects you're talking about from where you are. You're too close. If you will be that much happier (and honestly, it sounds like you would be) then you should think seriously about moving.