The worst manager I ever had was completely oblivious to the chaos and ill will he reined over.
A technical PM that didnโt seem to know anything about tech or possess the soft skills for managing knowledge workers.
Instead, the Gantt chart was always at hand and every newly identified task, be it from a meeting, lunch at Pret, or standing at the urinals, would be diligently noted down and studiously tracked.
Staff noticed this habit and stopped discussing the project casually in front of the manager.
Meanwhile, despite gleaming project documentation that garnered management approval, I faced a technical delivery rapidly going up in smoke.
The creative agency was producing nice logos and bespoke fonts, yet the entire technical architecture and CMS selection remained unplanned. Unacknowledged, even. Same for data protection and compliance reviews.
The managerโs frequent absence due to parenting, new pet dog and a gymnasium side business meant the lead supplier often had no allocated tasks, despite being on the hook for the massive delivery.
I was empathetic, having once been a parent to young children. I also wanted to do right by my new client.
So as best as I could, I brought order to the chaos. I guided the supplier, carried out several procurements and engaged with the compliance teams. Along with doing my Business Analyst role.
It was a lot to take on, but unfortunately it wasnโt enough. The PM was so shrouded in formal authority that staff and suppliers simply waited for work to be allocated rather than proceed with common sense.
Stalled work and missed deadlines were preferable to acting outside of authorised boxes.
I came to see the project managerโs behaviour as damaging. I felt the same towards his employer for overseeing such a poor hire.
This Business Analyst found the environment simply too difficult to thrive in. Iโm glad I no longer work there.