Fake it til you make it

[Playa]

This is mostly just thinking aloud... feel free to back button now.

In Nov 2015 I left a career I had done for almost 10 years and was really good at it. But the culture of the company was really unhealthy and I took their move to the metroplex as an exit opportunity and took a job with a vendor I had worked with that provided a web based project I had spearheaded internally.

Company has a great culture for the most part, but really doesent have job roles systematized. I had 0 career experience in web dev or project management (my new role). I realized pretty quick I had much to learn. But figured I'm pretty heady and learn quick, you can fake it til you make it... and the owners promised not to worry about lack of technical knowledge, our tech staff will handle those. So I figured "fake it till you make it."

We hired a new VP who is now my boss on Monday. Wednesday we met for an hour and he basically implied I'm not very good at my job and I need to decide what I'm going to do.

I've never failed at a job. I've found success and rose to the top every place I've worked since age 18. What I'm really struggling with is the inability on his part to assess the situation. In the 2 years I have been there we have churned through 3 of 5 PM's, who have either been fired or left to do completely different things. I can't get an accurate count of the ones before me, but there have been another 2-3 in previous years. If I leave or am forced to leave that would make 4 of 5. To me that indicates a systemic issue with the processes ( or lack thereof) in the job role.

End of the road for me it seems either way. But I don't think it's a people issue. There needs to be process in place that enter a refining process before you assume the people are bad.

How would you respond if you were in this position?

[FireNguns]

First off, sorry to hear about possibly loosing your job. Bad situation.

Second, if you have been there for 2 plus years and still don’t know how to do your job good or up to standard, your hurting the company and have to understand that your boss is responsible for your performance or lack there of.

I would either step it up and perform or find something your better at.

Edit: I guess the moral I was trying to say is stop trying so hard to fake it and focus on making it. Good luck!

[Playa]

First off, sorry to hear about possibly loosing your job. Bad situation.

Second, if you have been there for 2 plus years and still don’t know how to do your job good or up to standard, your hurting the company and have to understand that your boss is responsible for your performance or lack there of.

I would either step it up and perform or find something your better at.

Edit: I guess the moral I was trying to say is stop trying so hard to fake it and focus on making it. Good luck!

No argument here that after 2 years there should be a level of proficiency. I have improved and far better and more knowledgeable that I was on day 1 and I was blunt when I interviewed and said I had no knowledge of the industry.

I've made them money, managing nearly 1M in revenue the past 2 years.

The only reason I am still here is my obstinance. All of my other colleagues departed shortly after their 1 yr anniversary and left with similar frustrations.

[eradicator]

Fake it til you find something else!!This guy sounds like he already has his mind made up. Kill him with kindness

[bowhuntntxn]

If you really want to keep the job, then ask your new boss what he suggests you do to improve. Things like on line training, or tech classes at the local county college.

It might show them that you are willing to scarifice your time to improve your professional performance.

If not, then find something are more comfortable and knowledgable with, and let this one go. Staying to prove you can outlast the system or saying the system is flawed will leave you in a bind every time.

[merlin]

Sounds like poor training on the company's part. Don't worry about it. Like someone said: be kind to him and be looking for another job

[Mudslinger]

Probably can't fire you without the proper documentation of not doing your job especially after 2 years. Not sure about this though. Knowing you, no way you have been slacking and have done the best to your ability. Sounds like the new guy is wanting to get rid of people and bring some of his own in. Good luck in whatever you choose to do or whatever happens. Sometimes things happen for a reason and you could come out better in the long run.

[fullsizeaggie]

He could be faking too.....

[Hooverfb]

Im a web developer that never planned to be a web developer ( was looking to work on server side stuff originally), and wound up also coordinating our guys in Shanghai, collaboration between multiple teams, and at one point managing tasks for a release because my manager was moved to a different project. If you've got specific questions, I'm sure I'm not an expert but can share what I can from a methodology or technical perspective possibly.

[txarcher]

Probably can't fire you without the proper documentation of not doing your job especially after 2 years. Not sure about this though. Knowing you, no way you have been slacking and have done the best to your ability. Sounds like the new guy is wanting to get rid of people and bring some of his own in. Good luck in whatever you choose to do or whatever happens. Sometimes things happen for a reason and you could come out better in the long run.

Texas is a "right to work" state. An employer can let anybody go at any time without notice and an employee can quit at any time without notice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BigL]

Playa any company still using the command and control model of project management for knowledge work will never have the culture needed to support the learning and growth your looking for.

Learn what you can about agile and Scrum. Find a company based on rapid feedback loops and learning opportunities. If you have any questions feel free to pm me. I'm an agile coach and have helped multiple companies make the switch.