I’m second in command in my division, my boss and i transferred from two different offices to get this office started.
When offered the role i told him the pattern i had observed for this role in every other office was this person was expected to continue to handle the largest most complicated projects, and simultaneously manage the department. I told him if that’s what the expectation was that i wasn’t interested. He assured me we’d staff it properly so that i was able to lead, train, and mentor the department, not stay in the weeds.
Fast forward 3 years and I’m burnt out from doing exactly what i predicted would happen.
He’s also hosed me at every opportunity. Here’s 1 example.
We offer internal recruitment bonuses if you recommend a candidate and they’re hired, it’s much more successful than rolling the dice with external recruiters. So i manage to recruit an absolute rock star that I’ve worked with previously. We fill out the paperwork and submit it and then I’m told that my position doesn’t qualify for that program…..
Shitty, but i somewhat understand.
So the CEO visits us a few months later, it’s me, him, and my boss in the room. We’re talking about staff, upcoming work, strategy, etc. We mention the guy i recruited and he gets excited, he’s like did you get that bonus??
I said well, apparently my position is exempt from that program.
He looks around and goes oh bullshit! Looks at my boss and says you gotta make this right, write him a check, send his family on a trip, something.
My boss does absolutely nothing.
So if i wasn’t in the room for the conversation, you were willing to screw me….. but i was there and not you’re not even savvy enough to go shit….. he heard that….. if i ignore it I’m fracturing a relationship that i need, and he’s doing the work of 3 people, this is to my advantage.
I’m being offered his position at another firm, and it’s going to gut his division.