Couldn't Organise a P*** up in a Brewery

[Orcs]

I work for a large Telecommunications company.  My manager is on holiday this week and I have a performance review booked with him for when he returns.

However when we all came in this morning a chance look by one of the team at the internal directory showed that we all had new managers.  Two of the team have been placed under one manager, the rest of the team under another manager.

My new manager has just walked in and when we said "Hello Boss"  and explained what had happened he was absolutelty astounded. He had not been advised, there had been no discussion even on an informal level in the management meetings. He just got sent an email overnight advising him his staff list had gone from 7 to 17 !!!!

Fortunately I have no problems with him being my manager as i have worked with him for 20 odd years - Just cannot believe how an large international company can get things so obviously wrong.

I suppose they could look at thier own advertising "Its good to talk"

[Steve J]

It happens in small companies, believe you me .

[Sandinista]

I can relate to that, I work for a large consumer products multinational. In December my manager (who shared the same office) moved to a competitor, so my manger became someone in Germany. A few months ago it was announced that my manager was to become a lady in Stockholm who was due to return from long term sick leave in April - this is now put back to September. My interim manager was to be the N European Finance Director (also Stockholm) who is now on paternity leave. So I have to report to another person in Germany. My performance revue was last week, she did not know what I did, so I had to write my own with no managerial input, which in our company is not good as it is based on feedback from managers 1 and 2 levels up.

[Hertsblue]

I can relate to that, I work for a large consumer products multinational. In December my manager (who shared the same office) moved to a competitor, so my manger became someone in Germany. A few months ago it was announced that my manager was to become a lady in Stockholm who was due to return from long term sick leave in April - this is now put back to September. My interim manager was to be the N European Finance Director (also Stockholm) who is now on paternity leave. So I have to report to another person in Germany. My performance revue was last week, she did not know what I did, so I had to write my own with no managerial input, which in our company is not good as it is based on feedback from managers 1 and 2 levels up.

Well, at least you wouldn't get anything negative. Anyway, it's good to know that it's not just the Brits who are inefficient, muddle-headed and clueless.

[Leman]

Back in the days when I did that thing called work a post as my assistant was advertised, which carried £1000 price tag. No one applied (knew I should have taken more showers). I asked the Head how this would affect my pay. He replied that I would continue to do the whole job and receive no extra pay.

[Ithoriel]

Looks like we've worked for the same outfit Orcs and nothing in that story comes as a surprise to me but, as others have said, I'm not convinced other organisations are any different.

    "We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life."
    ―C-3PO

[Leman]

Actually I just did £1000 less work per year for the rest of my career. Never took another book home and painted FPW figures instead.

[paulr]

On one occasion I got to write not only my own appraisal but my boss'  because his boss was too busy to do it and so was he

[FierceKitty]

A former boss has been known to ask me to write my own reference for a job I had cited her as a referee for. I got the position.

[Last Hussar]

My wife works 18 hours a week (well, 20ish - its supposed to be 18) for the main town C of E  church.  The Church Wardens have recently decided that employed staff (as opposed to volunteers) should really have some sort of annual review/appraisal/call it what you want.

The thing is, they are Church Wardens.  She used to be senior Manager for all tax collection offices in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

As far as I can tell the meeting went something like this.

She told them how these things work.  They did it. She got a glowing report.

My mangers since 1991.  Bob, Mavis, Bob (again), Christine, (I then transferred office) Gerald, Mark, John, Linda, Mary, Tracey, Robbie (had heart attack), Sue, Kim, Mary (again) Chris, Ed, (transferred department), Debbie, Barry, Wayne, Kev, Penelope, Gary and now Catherine. That's 23 in 23 years.  I'm wondering if it's me...

[Ithoriel]

My record, with a couple of people appearing twice, was 11 changes of people manager in 12 months.

We had "people managers" and "task managers," with the former responsible for appraisals and other HR type stuff and the task managers responsible for ensuring you got the job done and (not infrequently!) the aims of the two ranged from the divergent to the diametrically opposed!   

[Orcs]

My record, with a couple of people appearing twice, was 11 changes of people manager in 12 months.

We had a some changes 9 in the company I stlll work for)  in the mid 90's and I managed 6 formal change 0f boss in 7 weeks.