New manager and performance review run amok.

[Anonymous]

I am in a senior technical role in my company. I have been here for 30 years. I am partially responsible for about 5 mil per year in revenue. And multiple projects are fighting for my time.

I have no desire to be in a management role. I would rather work on technical innovation; my company historically has been ok with that.

Three weeks ago, while swamped on three projects, I was asked to complete an out of cycle performance review. I did the minimum. Spent all of 5 minutes on it. The culture of this company is that for non-junior employees, performance reviews are a formality.

Last week, we sat down for the Perf. Review. Now, this was at 1:00, and I had a 2:00 teleconference with a customer. My manager, a reasonably new MBA, starts by criticizing my supplied text, saying I did not take it seriously. She then proceeded to spend 20 minutes critiquing my review -- not my work, but my review. She said she was going to have to report me to HR. Then she made her mistake. She said that she can not manage me because she does not know what I am doing on the projects. National security and need to know. Plus, she is not cleared at the level of the projects. I told her that. She tried to tell me, either you tell me, or I can't manage you. We were up to 1:45 PM. I said, I have to go. A customer meeting which required me to be in a closed area. She wanted to attend, but is not cleared at the level of the meeting.

I do my meeting, and come out. In my in-box is notice to go to manager's manager. I go there, and he is there with the group manager...uh oh, I think. Apparently, my manager had written me up for insubordination and recommended termination. At this point I started listing the issues, starting with security, and going on to the manager's focus on the process and not the work. At this point, my manager said, relax. I am not firing someone who brings in 5 mil/year. Then, they all break out in laughter. Manager comes in. She is laughing....Group manager says: Got You! Then, proceeded to hand me a 6 figure bonus check....

[Anonymous]

I'll take things that didn't happen for $100 Alex

[Anonymous]

https://www.reddit.com/r/thatHappened/

[Anonymous]

I believe you OP. At what point in this story did the bald eagle fly in and perch on your shoulder?

[Anonymous]

Finally, a post worthy of

Cool story bro.