Geez that’s eerie- almost exactly like my life coerience. We had a team leader who was a good bloke who everyone got on with, wanted to work hard for etc. pretty much what you want but rarely get. The nearest comparison I can come up with is Neil from the office.
The minute he got promoted to director (wank name) he changed. We need this done now (didn’t know what I did anyway), you need to dress like this, silos, team players, ongoing improvement swirly tornado thing. He became a bully, condescending, unsure an just plain disrespectful. That we could deal with.
What we all struggled with was when out department was merged with another after that depts director “resigned” suddenly. Now the GM had always stated he didn’t really know the point of that department and it was transparency clear what was about to happen next. Everyone who used to be in that department “resigned” also. Slowly because they reckoned it wouldn’t cause suspicion.
This task had been given to our good bloke no more director. And he was just terrible at it. He made up reasons for why each of them resigned yes they where told to resign). One was a drinker and was ■■■■■■ at work. One was inefficient and didn’t meet deadlines. One was too young, one was too old etc etc. we found out later they where also checking emails, mobiles. The new director even claims one guy got turfed because he picked up a USB in the car park and when he read it “found out” this guy had been sending sensitive docs to another organisation.
Our new director wasn’t dumb by a long shot, he was excellent at his profession but got tasked with so many ■■■■ jobs he forgot how to manage people. His annual review for me was sticking his head in the doorway of my office and going “you’re going ok but maybe wash your pool car a bit more”.
We had some sensational Donnybrooks too. The day I got another job teed up and contract signed I relaxed a bit (I’d developed high anxiety by this stage) I started giving a bit back. He was famous for not following process (and I mean of a statutory compliance, legal reprisal type processes) and would get things signed off without it crossing my desk first. Told him I wasn’t following up stuff I hadn’t been signed off on. Told him I wasn’t signing stuff that I actually saw that needed to be rushed off cause it was something for a big $ project. Wore what I wanted to work, went off road with my work car, turned up when I wanted. Demanded pay rise, professional level increase. I knew I wasn’t going to get the st$e cause there was no one round but just stuck it up him because he turned into this head case nob with an agenda to carve out. He made some people really sick to the point of not knowing if their fob was going to work in the morning or their computer was going to give them access. One guy couldn’t login one morning and the next thing got a call from a mate saying his job had been advertised.
Ended up with those who could get another job walking. The only ones that stayed couldn’t get a gig anywhere else.
Horrible place.