New boss, bad boss

Dear Bob …

I am currently in a sticky situation. I am the senior IT person in a small to mid sized company. A year ago, there was a big upper management shakeup as some of the top executives left the company.

During this change, my new boss was hired and I have never been able to get on the same page as him. This person had no real experience with IT and he rarely makes time for it. I’ve been trying to do the best work I can and was seen as a star by previous management, but not any more.

Morale in the entire company is low. From the vibes I’m getting and the different stories I am getting from other staff, I’m pretty sure I will be replaced. The frustrating part is that there is nothing I can do to make things right or improve my situation.

While I’m looking for other work, would it it be best for me to quit before I’m fired? Even though there have been no formal discussions of performance issues, I’ve seen them build cases against other people.

Since I am an “At Will” employee, is it worse for me to be fired for cause or quit. How will it affect my job search and subsequent reference/background check? I don’t believe they will let me go with a severance package.

Any advice you could provide would be a big help.

– Worried

Dear Worried …

Just my opinion – if you can, find a job from your current job. That doesn’t mean you should be relaxed about your search – far from it. It means that in just about every respect you’ll be better off.

There are exceptions to this guideline (of course!). One is if you’re so badly overworked that you lack the time and energy to do a decent job of it. Another is if you’re considering a career change and not just a change of employer. Under those circumstances you might be better off clearing the decks so you can concentrate on finding your next opportunity.

You might be able to split the difference, too. There are companies that specialize in providing temporary executives to companies that need interim leadership. If you can hook up with one of them you’ll have the benefit of employment continuity without the emotional burden of a boss with whom you can’t see eye to eye.

I don’t recommend trying to fix your relationship with your new boss. There are times this would be exactly the right thing to do. From your description, he/she is keeping you around until your replacement shows up. The conversation you’d have to have would be all downside and no upside.

Don’t worry about the impact of being fired. No company is willing to risk the liability of providing any assessment of your performance beyond confirmation of employment. This might be a bad social trend (it also might not), but regardless, it works to your advantage.

Very important: Stay in touch with your former boss. You will want to use him/her as a reference, and it’s perfectly appropriate to do so. If asked, explain that the new management team had a very different style – not worse, just different, and one that’s a poor fit for you (be prepared to articulate the difference in a non-judgmental way). Your old boss has a lot more insight into who you are and what you do than the new one, and is therefore the more logical reference.

This, by the way, is another reason to hunt while still employed. Nobody would expect you to be such a schlemiel that you’d use your current boss as a reference.

– Bob

Powered by ScribeFire.