Need Advice on How to Deal with a New Director Who Does Not Communicate
Hi! Would love some career advice on how to make this marketing team work!
Background: I work for a large national dealership group. I am over 5 stores in a marketing capacity, with only a new Marketing Director over me. I work in a different part of the country than the new Marketing Director.
So, to summarize, we got a new Marketing Director – he does not communicate AT ALL on any plans, projects, goals or anything he is working on. I was very excited to dive into our new initiatives and work as a team. A big example is about 20 new websites – he said it would be a team effort, but everything is done in the shadows and he does not share timelines or plan deviations, or even short term goals, about this or ANYTHING. I have heard from higher-ups he is working on SO many things that our team has no idea about. I am getting to the point where I'm starting to believe he does not share these projects so that, when something good happens, he will get all the glory. His communication style sucks, and we all believe (not disparagingly) that he is on the spectrum. Managing and communicating are very well impossible for him – his past work places and contacts who know him have also confirmed all of the above. Brilliant – not a team worker, can’t communicate his way out of a paper bag.
Everyone has been going to the head of the company that he doesn't make sense, he doesn't tell anyone anything, his communication sucks, etc. etc. The head of the company is listening, but he's at a loss for what to do. This guy is extremely smart and knows a lot, but my upward trajectory in this job has seemingly stopped.
What I need advice on: The head of the company asked me to think about what we could do to make the team work. I don't know a team structure where this guy is not over me, but I can still defer to him for expert advice, because I do really value his input. It's also a big issue that when I DO get him involved, he takes whatever it is over and no longer includes me. He has many conversations with my GMs without me knowing anything about it.
The head of the company thought of “project boards” to force him to have open communication because he can't force this guy to communicate with the team. I feel it is a bit juvenile to bring out working style down to his level, but I am not 100% opposed to not doing this – but if the issue is with him and his communication with the 3 of us under him (who work together well and never had an issue prior to him taking over our team) why would we need to?
Anyone have any ideas on how or what I could pitch? I would like to ideally be the manager under him of my region and have managers over the other regions, but I don't know if that is appropriate to pitch as of this moment.
I LOVED my job before this guy came in. It's began to get EXTREMELY frustrating and I've thought about rage-quitting more than a few times. Desperate for advice!