Service Delivery Manager making threats

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

I am an IT Technician working for a company in the UK. Last year, a project over ran by 3 weeks and the Project Manager was sacked as a result. I was also involved, but as a pawn I only had my knuckles rapped as the issues resulting in a delay were out of my control. Fast forward 3 months we are repeating the project. Our service delivery manager (not my direct boss or a HR member) spoke with me, he told me my job was at risk if this doesn't go well.

Are they allowed to say this to me? It was definitely more a threat than 'friendly advice' as we have had a sour relationship up to date (they are a hot head). I told a friend of mine working in HR for another company who said only my boss or HR should be allowed to tell me such things or I could take them to the cleaners via tribunal.

Should I inform HR/ my boss this was said to me?Or carry on as usual, hoping for the best I can prove myself capable in the repeat project.

manpreet 2 years ago

You should talk to your boss about this, but don't approach it as reporting the service delivery manager (SDM). Instead approach it as asking for advice. This way you can get a feel for whose side your boss is on while not starting trouble by making an official complaint.

Hey Boss, I was talking with SDM, and he said that if this project doesn't go well I could get fired. I know that we really need to succeed since we're repeating the project, but I didn't realize it was this dire. Are things really this bad? Do you have any advice on how to make sure my role in this project is successful?

If your boss thinks the SDM is out of line, then hopefully they will reassure you that your job is not on the line and that it's their decision , not the SDM's. That should give you the ability to relax a bit so you can hunker down and make this project a success.

If your boss doesn't give you a straight answer and instead tells you how important this project is and that a second failure is really not acceptable, then you know that complaining is not going to get you anywhere. If this is the case I would work extra hard on that project, but also brush up on your CV just in case things don't go as well as they want.