I received a written warning for my performance, how can I save my job?

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

The Situation

I just walked out of a conversation with my boss. The HR person from the head office also joined us via phone. I was served with a written warning 'for consistent disregard of work and attendance policy'. My boss says I am not communicating my whereabouts properly¹, am not motivated, am not being accountable for my responsibilities within the team, am not actively taking part in office meetings.

While this is partially true², I am alarmed by the fact that, while listing everything I've done wrong, he repeatedly made false allegations to inflate the case for the HR person, and leave me unable to deal with the avalanche of allegations one by one. I was not informed of the real nature of the meeting or the fact that the HR person will be there, and so was not prepared (unlike my boss). When I asked him to share his findings he refused, told me to look up the e-mails.

I have thirty days to 'improve significantly' or face 'further disciplinary action'. I was told that the working hours are nine to five, and if I take a longer lunch then I need to make up for it. I was given an order to move desks such that my boss could see everything I do any time he raises his head.

I also need to produce a written plan of the steps I want to take to improve productivity, attendance, and gain back the lost trust of the company, my boss, and (allegedly) my teammates.

The Question: what can I do?

What do I put in that plan, besides the obvious points?

Do I refute his false claims? We have a similar discussion scheduled for tomorrow.

Do I communicate the fact that micromanagement will not help? My boss was very hostile towards me in the meeting, pointing out that there are only two ways out of this, and that I 'know where the door is'. It is the first time he is leading a team, his last position was that of the product manager. Since he started leading the team from one year ago our team has shrunk by 30%.

Quitting is not an option at the moment.

Edit

I read the Does receiving a Performance Improvement Plan suggest my job is on the line?, and the answers are helpful, however it doesn't address my questions:

• How can I mitigate the current situation?
• What to put in the plan, since it looks like I'm the one who needs to create a Performance Improvement Plan, or at least a draft of it?

Status Update

One week after the conversation described above the two of us had a short briefing, at which my boss kept comments to a minimum and didn't give me much feedback, only instructing me to proceed. I assumed it was because he didn't have enough time to formulate anything constructive, preferring to wait a bit longer. Another week later (two weeks into the 30-day trial period) we reconvened; he said he is not happy with my progress. This time none of the issues brought up two weeks prior came up; instead he chose to focus on my productivity. Having realized that the decision has already been made, three or four days later I submitted my resignation e-mail. A noticeable "relaxation" in my boss's overall attitude towards me followed immediately thereafter. We parted two weeks later, on reserved terms.

Footnotes

1. Before I was hired we agreed that I would be working from home once a week. Later my boss's attitude escalated into significant resistance to my doing it. I brought it up at the meeting, and he answered that this is because I was hired with trust which was subsequently lost. Basically he doesn't believe I'm doing much work when I'm working from home.

2. Due to me currently dealing with personal issues outside of work that I am not comfortable disclosing to any of my co-workers, including my boss.

manpreet 2 years ago

What do I put in that plan, besides the obvious points?

You provide a list of actions that you are going to take to show your manager that you are improving in the areas that he sees as deficient. It does not matter if you were actually deficient or not, you appeared to be deficient and that is all that matters. So now you need to show your manager that you are performing up to expectations going forward. Do not focus on the past, only look forward. Take this seriously. Do not get sarcastic or bitter about having to do this or try to "make a point" with your suggested action items.

Do I refute his false claims? We have a similar discussion scheduled for tomorrow.

No. Your boss does not want to hear excuses or to have you tell him that he is wrong. Refuting his claims is only going to put you even more on his bad side.

Tomorrow you will talk about the plan you have and ask him for help in how you can address any of the issues that you were not able to figure out how to address appropriately. Do not argue with him. If he gives you a vague action item do not argue with it at the time; it is your job to figure out how you can fulfill that requirement. After you've thought about how to complete the action item, if you are still unsure then you can take what you have to him and ask if that is what he meant. If it's not, then ask him to clarify or tell you how to accomplish it. If the action item seems impossible, just say OK I will do my best.

Do I communicate the fact that micromanagement will not help? My boss was very hostile towards me in the meeting, pointing out that there are only two ways out of this, and that I 'know where the door is'. It is the first time he is leading a team, his last position was that of the product manager. Since he started one year ago our team has shrunk by 30%.

Here is the truth of your situation: you have one foot out the door, and if your manager was allowed to remove you right now, you would probably already be gone. Your manager went through a lot of work to get to this point. His expectations for you are low and he is not likely to give you any slack at this point.

He has no intention of helping you, the point of this exercise is to either forge you into a quality employee or break you. You will come through this either stronger, and with a better understanding between the two of you what the expectations are, or you will be gone. If he gives you an impossible action item at your meeting tomorrow just realize that it is his out if you step out of line. It is the proverbial axe over your neck. It is there to make you feel uncomfortable and to remind you that your future with the company is in his hands.

Another thing to consider is did you do something to upset your manager or make them look bad? If you did, you need to figure it out before your month is up. Your greatest action item here is to apologize for stepping on your manager's toes and admit you were wrong for doing so. Do not make excuses here; the damage is done and your manager does not want to hear it. Acknowledge that you were wrong, accept responsibility for your actions completely, apologize, and promise to do better in the future.

If you made your manager look bad, but what you did was not technically wrong, you should wait for a few weeks to apologize. This would be things like pointing out in a meeting with his managers mistakes he made or even just publicly correcting him in that situation. You need to jump through his hoops first and demonstrate that you can be a good soldier. Let him make the first move in acknowledging you are doing better. Then you can "give unto Caesar that which is due." Apologizing now will act to point out that he is acting like a childish bully. And Since he is a childish bully with your career in his hands right now that is not a good idea.

For the record: I am not condoning the behavior of your manager, just trying to provide a some clarity into your situation, and provide you a road map that may allow you to move forward without getting fired. I would make it a point to look for other options as well. It is entirely possible that there is nothing you can do to save your job, only to extend your period of employment by a few months. Being prepared will make landing on your feet a much easier task.