Reader Claire is getting frustrated with a new boss who keeps changing things – but she doesn’t know whether to speak up or not. Our Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice
We have a new manager who arrived a couple of months ago and seems determined to change almost everything.
Meetings have moved, responsibilities have been shuffled around and things that used to work smoothly now seem more complicated.
I know a new boss is entitled to do things differently, and I really don’t want to come across as one of those people who hates any change at all because that’s really not me. But at what point is it reasonable to say: “Actually, this isn’t working?”
How long should you give a new manager before challenging some of their ‘bright’ ideas?
Claire, Taunton
Well, now, Claire. New managers do sometimes arrive as though the office has been waiting years for them to discover electricity. I’ve definitely had experience of managers like that myself!
Some changes may be sensible. Some may just be a new boss wanting to put their fingerprints on the place. And you do need to give them time before deciding which is which.
I wouldn’t challenge every change just because the old system worked. That can make you look set in your ways, and it really is possible that the newcomer may spot things everyone else has stopped noticing.
But equally, don’t sit there muttering into your tea whilst good ways of working are pulled apart for no obvious reason. I have seen that too often!
Do pick your moments, though. If a change is creating a problem you can point to, say so. Calmly. And “We used to do it this way because…” is much, much stronger than “We’ve always done it this way.”
Ask what they are trying to achieve. There may be a reason you haven’t seen.
If, two or three months on, everything is still being rearranged every other Tuesday, then you may need to tackle them for a proper conversation. But that is definitely best avoided!
Top Tip:
Give a new manager a little room, but do keep examples of what’s no longer working. Specific problems are much harder to dismiss than general grumbling about change.
Spotlight On: Managing Managers
There’s a particular kind of manager who can’t resist changing something simply because it was there before they arrived.
I think we’ve all seen this. The meeting gets renamed. The spreadsheet gets redesigned. Extra steps. Colour-coded trackers… Some of this is ostensibly harmless. But some of it is insecurity dressed up as leadership. What matters is the effect.
If the changes are merely annoying, you may be better off waiting. If they’re wasting time, upsetting customers or making people’s jobs harder, that’s different. But moaning and groaning doesn’t help.
Document things, get clear evidence and remain polite, calm and rational about it. You really don’t want to ruffle feathers if you can avoid it.
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .