Very bad day at work

[Anonymous]

I started a new job earlier in the year and I thought things were going great- it’s government consulting so lots of great feedback from the clients, my. Direct reports and teams seem to like me and I had turned around some delivery issues.

This contract is very important to the CEO so we have had frequent check ins about it.

Yesterday, one of my direct reports announced that the work was not done for a very big deliverable. Two days ago- according to this same person- everything was fine.it is due today COB.

I got everyone together to get the details and figure out what to do so I could let my boss and the client know. The CEO called me and I was telling him what I had heard and he cut me off and basically said this was all my fault. I was:speechless. He was making no sense- this program had major problems before I arrived. But I got the message that I am to blame.

And he called the client and expressed this same sentiment. They reached out to me to let me know that they told him that I was the only one who was not to blame.

I know the advice will be to find a new job which I was going to start this weekend. I just feel so terrible and confused. I feel like I am going to get fired in the next few days and that has never happened to me.

[Anonymous]

Did you monitor the progress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you monitor the progress.

I did. All the work is tracked through tickets and we had a meeting three times a week about this work since I started. Tickets were marked complete and status was reported that everything was on track. I have gotten weekly demos on how it looks.

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP. No matter who is at fault, calling the client like that was messed up.
I hope this is a flash in the pan and they don't fire you, but honestly, in order to stay long term you'll have to figure out how to deal with the CEO. Not sure if this is the kind of person who could receive feedback about handling something better!

[Anonymous]

Fire the person that lied about the progress and move on.

Get a thicker skin about being blamed for things.

Every time the computer systems go down at work I am blamed, I have nothing to do with it but I'm blamed. IDGAF, blame me. Get there.

[Anonymous]

Did your direct report outright lie or just stop working? What happened?

I would definitely be looking for a new job. Your boss threw you under the bus. Yes you are responsible for your direct report - but if that is true, he is equally responsible for you and the failure.

[Anonymous]

Find a new job and move on. Sorry it happened, but that sort of thing happens in some workplaces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started a new job earlier in the year and I thought things were going great- it’s government consulting so lots of great feedback from the clients, my. Direct reports and teams seem to like me and I had turned around some delivery issues.

This contract is very important to the CEO so we have had frequent check ins about it.

Yesterday, one of my direct reports announced that the work was not done for a very big deliverable. Two days ago- according to this same person- everything was fine.it is due today COB.

I got everyone together to get the details and figure out what to do so I could let my boss and the client know. The CEO called me and I was telling him what I had heard and he cut me off and basically said this was all my fault. I was:speechless. He was making no sense- this program had major problems before I arrived. But I got the message that I am to blame.

And he called the client and expressed this same sentiment. They reached out to me to let me know that they told him that I was the only one who was not to blame.

I know the advice will be to find a new job which I was going to start this weekend. I just feel so terrible and confused. I feel like I am going to get fired in the next few days and that has never happened to me.

Go to work for the client.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started a new job earlier in the year and I thought things were going great- it’s government consulting so lots of great feedback from the clients, my. Direct reports and teams seem to like me and I had turned around some delivery issues.

This contract is very important to the CEO so we have had frequent check ins about it.

Yesterday, one of my direct reports announced that the work was not done for a very big deliverable. Two days ago- according to this same person- everything was fine.it is due today COB.

I got everyone together to get the details and figure out what to do so I could let my boss and the client know. The CEO called me and I was telling him what I had heard and he cut me off and basically said this was all my fault. I was:speechless. He was making no sense- this program had major problems before I arrived. But I got the message that I am to blame.

And he called the client and expressed this same sentiment. They reached out to me to let me know that they told him that I was the only one who was not to blame.

I know the advice will be to find a new job which I was going to start this weekend. I just feel so terrible and confused. I feel like I am going to get fired in the next few days and that has never happened to me.

Go to work for the client.

Yep, I read it and was thinking this, too. The client clearly likes you and needs the services you provide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How big is this business. Is the CEO a boomer?

Here we go. What if she/he was?

[Anonymous]

The client defended you so you should not be fired. Thank goodness for that client!

You haven't said whether you know who dropped the ball and why, but you need to side-line them, or if you can point to fraudulent tickets, get them fired for cause. I don't know your workplace rules.

The CEO is neither right nor wrong, OP. The fact is, from their vantage point of 10,000 feet, the buck stops with you, even if they are fully aware that your underling messed up, and not you specifically. They don't care. They just want the work done on time, and done well enough that the client is reasonably satisfied with it. If I were them, since this is your first mistake and the client likes you, I wouldn't eject you right away. But there shouldn't be a second such issue, so root out the rot in your team and be ruthless!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The client defended you so you should not be fired. Thank goodness for that client!

You haven't said whether you know who dropped the ball and why, but you need to side-line them, or if you can point to fraudulent tickets, get them fired for cause. I don't know your workplace rules.

The CEO is neither right nor wrong, OP. The fact is, from their vantage point of 10,000 feet, the buck stops with you, even if they are fully aware that your underling messed up, and not you specifically. They don't care. They just want the work done on time, and done well enough that the client is reasonably satisfied with it. If I were them, since this is your first mistake and the client likes you, I wouldn't eject you right away. But there shouldn't be a second such issue, so root out the rot in your team and be ruthless!

shouldn’t the buck stop with the CEO? the CEO throwing OP under the bus is a huge problem. I would be splitsville.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to middle management. I'm sorry!

Until you know your direct reports better- trust but verify. I have been lied to way too many times that work is "going great! almost done!" and then it's not. I'm in a complicated program area and my direct reports often get lost and aren't sure what to do next. So I am there to hold their hand nonstop. I hate that I have to do it, but it's what my direct reports want and it seems to be the only way to get things done. I'm not micromanaging, this is more offering assistance and expertise. Managers with my same job title often wonder how I can get my direct reports to do so much and the answer is- holding their hands nonstop.

Next week, this employee needs placed on an immediate PIP. They lied to you and their work was not completely timely. They dropped their ball and you had to pick it up. Every week you need to go through their files and verify that progress is being made.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. I haven’t been fired yet but no one is speaking to me so I feel like I have been shoved in a corner.

But on a positive note- when I took my current role I interviewed at several places and one of the people I interviewed with was behind me on line at the grocery store! He recognized me and after some casual chit chat- he said “if you are ever in the market again, don’t hesitate to reach out.” So I took the opportunity to give him a very high level view of what was happening. Recruiter has reached out! They are still looking to fill that role!!

My terrible, no good day has turned around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. I haven’t been fired yet but no one is speaking to me so I feel like I have been shoved in a corner.

But on a positive note- when I took my current role I interviewed at several places and one of the people I interviewed with was behind me on line at the grocery store! He recognized me and after some casual chit chat- he said “if you are ever in the market again, don’t hesitate to reach out.” So I took the opportunity to give him a very high level view of what was happening. Recruiter has reached out! They are still looking to fill that role!!

My terrible, no good day has turned around.

That’s great! What a day!