Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that you call him subordinate is telling.

+many. Screams "I am an egotistic jerk!"

Um no it doesn’t. Are you a millennial? She’s using precise vocabulary to describe the reporting relationship.

Ignore the judgypants pp's. I have been in a similar situation - the complaints were brought to me by my boss, who tried to demonstrate they had my back (sorta not really). Same as you, older man, I inherited him, never saw eye to eye from the start.

I confronted him about it upon my boss's urging to do so. We had an airing of the grievances, and honestly, I think it helped. We never had a great relationship even after BUT we were able to work together more cordially and he did do less overtly subversive things. He felt like he could be heard, and I felt I could reinforce that I was not trying to make his life miserable but that he was going to need to respect that I was his supervisor (and his work was going to need to step up significantly).

Good luck... It's not fun. I contemplating quitting because of this employee.

Anonymous wrote:The fact that you call him subordinate is telling.

+many. Screams "I am an egotistic jerk!"

What is your management style?
If you hear a complaint, is your first reaction to discredit it?
It is rare for people to complain. There really are not a lot of complainers.
The subordinates see and hear and do things you do not. If they say something, listen.

I have been on both sides of this. As an employee and I have a good relationship with my boss’s boss, I will go over their head for something important. Not for every little disagreement. But something related to say, a promotion, or something of that level. And only when my boss has said that they talked with their boss and answer was no. It hasn’t really come back to bite me. If something is that important, I am going to make my own case.

With that said, like I said, I only see normal people doing that when it’s really bad. So the employee’s intent here is to get change. In whatever way that might come. Doesn’t mean they will be successful but that’s the intent.

It sounds like you knew about the issues ahead of time, and did not resolve their to either of your satisfaction. What else is he to do but take them higher?

Did your boss tell you? if so, that is a CLEAR SIGN he wants you to modify whatever you are doing. If you want to keep your job, you need to consider change.

Op may I ask, what are your directs’ issues?

You may need to show that you are listening to their concerns and that you are open to other points of view.

All I know is, this will be a he said, she said if you don’t appear cooperative.

Also, how is your relationship with your manager? Do you think they have your back?

Anonymous wrote:With this attitude I am sure there are several other “subordinates” complaining about you. You need to hire a coach to work on your management style.

What?!?!? Ignore this, OP.

Unfortunately you’re in dangerous waters, OP. Document everything with this employee and related to your managerial performance. I don’t think you can bring this up with your boss head-on, but look for opportunities to promote yourself to your boss— It’s what a white male would do. And, I hate to say it, but discrediting the subordinate if you get the chance is probably a good move. Obviously he’s willing to do it to you, so taking the higher ground here may not play out well.

How did you learn this information?
What were the complaints about your “management style”?
I agree with PP that the phrasing of your question suggests an outlook I would not want in my own supervisor.

I don’t work in a hierarchy like this, but OP’s question sounds reasonable to me

With this attitude I am sure there are several other “subordinates” complaining about you. You need to hire a coach to work on your management style.

The fact that you call him subordinate is telling.

You NEVER "confront" a subordinate. You discuss their concerns with them. And then you only do that if you boss told you about what the employee told him. If you only have the information from a second hand source or office gossip, then do nothing.

Your boss should handle it.

I learned that an employee who reports to me has been raising concerns about me and my management style to MY boss. The employee and I do not see eye to eye on several topics. We have discussed these areas in depth but I think the employee is simply not satisfied with accepting my authority (I'm a 40-something woman, he's a guy, late 50s. maybe not anything to do with it, but those are the facts). , Incidentally, my boss used to be the direct supervisor of this employee at one point and they have a chummy relationship. In this situation, if you were me (the manager), would you confront the employee? Ask him point blank if he has made complaints against me to my management?