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Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

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Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#41

Post by dazeandconfuse »

mushufasa wrote: post #24

> Part of the reason it had taken so long is because I put a substantial amount of work into a part of the project that's no longer necessary due to changing requirements, which I don't think I could have forseen. One of the things that I've experienced with new grad junior devs is that there's an adjustment needed to change from academic working to business working. In academia, usually the professor gives an assign…

Thanks. I definitely will take that into consideration in the future. I'm not sure if it would have helped in this specific case but I can definitely think of other situations at work where taking your advice would have helped me.

Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#42

Post by renewiltord »

The problem here isn't the feedback. The problem is the surprise. It's on your management chain to reduce surprise. Concrete achievable actions on your part are:

* Ask for weekly 1-1s with your manager

* Proactively bring up the subjects of difficulty here.

  * This means you bring up the subject of how long it's taking etc.

  * Don't be afraid to look stupid. It's her job to make you non-stupid if you are.
* Ensure progress is both real and visible to every level. It might not be that easy for someone fresh out of uni.

* Don't get too down on it. You are at the beginning of your career. 10 years from now it'll be a memory you can only bring up with conscious thought.

Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#43

Post by dev_tty01 »

HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #18
zwieback wrote: post #8

The first meeting where your manager just abandoned you and you ended up talking to your manager's boss is totally inappropriate. Being so new to the job basically all the responsibility is with your direct manager and her boss is wrong to dump on you without your manager present. I'd give it another chance though, sounds like the work is fun and maybe you can communicate your concerns to your direct manager.

Agreed. OP should schedule a meeting with the manager to find out how they're doing, if expectations are being met, etc. It's entirely possible that things are just fine, but the boss has the wrong idea about this particular employee. I think it's a sign of bad company management, but it's by no means a dealbreaker. i.e., not something to quit over.

Before that, OP should get a clear set of expectations from the manager. If a manager doesn't express clear expectations and the metrics used to measure outcomes, then they can't expect them to be met.

Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#44

Post by [deleted] »

invisible wrote: post #2

>but it seriously bums me out Talk to your manager. If you don't have 1:1s, ask to have routine meetings. If your manager can't help you, alleviate your stress, or guide you forward, look for a new job. It's hard to really say anecdotally if things were fair or unfair, but your manager's job is to help you (and selfishly, for you, they should help you grow in your career).

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#45

Post by rambambram »

Dogs have a boss. Start using the right names for things - at least in your own head - and you will work it out, I'm sure. And besides, he might act like a boss, but this is probably not a good leader. There's a difference.

What helped me in these kinds of situations, is having a very clear picture in one's head of the relationship. It's work, there's a horizontal agreement made upfront. This dude is not your father, not your king, not your slaveholder.

Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#46

Post by cocoggu »

myowz wrote: post #7

This boss telling you that they felt the project should have been done a long time ago: I wonder who that comment benefits? Feels like no one. You get bummed, they give late feedback without a lot of constructive aspects to it. I am trying to think of one way it was useful to tell you that, but I can’t. Seems like you should feel justified in not being a fan of working under this person. What you do with that is hard…

I think it is useful to let the employee know what are the accepted delays in this company, for future projects. But the boss or the manager should have said that earlier, at the beginning of the project, then the employee knows what to expect.

That's quite clumsy to say it only once the project has been released. Anyway, don't take it too personally, he/she probably just wanted to keep the pressure on you so you keep improving and never stay satisfied with your current pace. That's not very good management, but that's the way it is in most companies.

Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#48

Post by davidw »

tacostakohashi wrote: post #26

A few takeaways from an old-timer here: > First, he basically tells me this project should have been finished a long time ago and he can't believe it's taken this long etc. I had no idea that he felt this way before the meeting - I've mostly just been working to get it done before the revised deadline my manager gave me. You need to communicate, build relationships, and get feedback from many people in the organizati…

> Do not put work into things that may or may not be needed.

You're a junior dev, someone tells you something is needed, you work hard on it. I guess you learn to question your boss as to whether it's really needed, but that sometimes isn't optimal, either.

Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#49

Post by dwt204 »

Whatever you do, DO NOT QUIT. The lessons that you just learned are going to help you and most likely will guide you in the future. After a while you will meet other people like these two, who are most likely responding to pressure from above, and since both of them seem to micromanagers (my assumption) they would find something to fuck about with you regardless. You know what you have done, and there is no possible way to respond or meet deadlines when there is a hidden agenda. Just do what they ask to the best of your ability and the rest will take care of itself. Good luck and Godspeed.

Re: Ask HN: My boss doesn't think I'm doing good work, how to proceed?

#50

Post by BobbyJo »

1) Take the constructive criticism and use it. That's the most important, most objectively actionable, part of this whole thing.

2) Your management structure is broken. You can fix it or leave, but you should definitely do one of the two. If you want to fix it, it seems like you should be talking to your manager. She is either not giving you feedback that you should be getting, or you should completely ignore the boss, but which of those two is the case needs to be cleared up. If it is the former, you're probably being managed by someone that isn't comfortable being a manager yet, and you can help her by asking for feedback while being super transparent about the work you're doing. If it's the latter, then just ignore away.

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