Should I feel guilty?!

Hi 675!

So this is the first time I've posted to this section, but I have a moral dilemma on my hands!

I accepted a senior position job in a pretty cool company in the need for a turnaround, you will know who they are! They effectively sacked the previous incumbent to make way for me.

I've been here for 3 months and hate it, its insanely bureaucratic, ridiculously dysfunctional, most of the staff have given up, my peers are unhelpful, I'm working to 10pm+ 4 nights a week, and its effectively broken in almost every way. Its simply no wonder why they are where they are. All of this I could probably stomach but the CEO is a beast, the culture of management is beast your staff to get the best result, the exact type of management I left my old position to move away from and does not motivate me at all.

I've now been offered a less prestigious position (by title) at another company that you would also know, but its the same money with way more bells and whistle and has a huge amount of long term potential with a management culture that appears to be pretty grown up.

The issue is I now feel dead guilty?! I feel like I'd be moving on because its a nicer place to be. Like I'll be letting this team down by jumping ship when they need me.

Weird because I almost resigned 4 weeks ago because I had enough!

So do I endure this place or do a bunk to what can only be a greener field?

 

I would say just go with whatever makes u feel happier and who cares what anyone else thinks. You only live once mate and your a long time dead so do what u want to do out of life. Reading your post it sounds to me you have already made your mind up but just want to be told to go for it.

 

Depends if you are in a senior enough position to invoke change? If not why would you stay and endure it if there is no way you can rectify the current infrastructure and management style. If the change is possible but hard work (sounds a given) then (not to be rude) but surely u would stay because you believe in your abilities to do this?

If you can, then stay and do it, make it a success and that is validated upside to your career and CV, proven and trackable. But if not there is no need to feel guilty as how can u feel guilty for not being in a position to evolve transformation?

 

Cheers gents.

I'm actually trying to be fairly balanced about the situation, but it is a nightmare there. Some impartially perspective help me validate my choices. So appreciate the feedback!

I can fix my part of the problem, although there's no silver bullet and will take time to level out. It's a culture and way of working change, which is seriously hard to do right and takes time. Despite the CEO's relentless pressure for instant results.

But in reality if I fix my piece it's like putting a plaster over a shot gun wound, so may be completely invane.

More reasons to go then stay if I stack them all up, it just feels like unfinished business.

 

Take the new job and some of the current staff with you? Win win

 

Takes a long time to change a culture. Do you live to work or work to live. It's your choice and yours alone. No one else is on your position and can know how you feel. My two penny's worth is lives too short. Your obviously in demand. Go and make a difference you can be proud of and enjoy doing.

 

You know that deep down you have made the decision.

I say go. Life is for living, not for feeling guilty or whatever. Where you are sounds just awful. You won't change the place, and for how much longer will the other people wait?

It's like changing a bike you loved. You feel guilty, miss it like hell, until the first corner.

Go.

Ed

 

No is the simple answer. look after number 1. Life is short.

 

Yeah, that's it really.

Life is too short to grind away at something you hate. I think my tolerance for tyrannical management is ZERO these days.

I probably shouldn't feel guilty as the CEO would sack you in a heart beat without a moments thought if he felt you weren't preforming.

So why should I feel guilty for sacking him off for being sh#t to work for...

 

"Cheers gents"

....and ladies

Hence the reason I've gone freelance, my tolerance for tyrannical and set mindset thinking has been used up, so i've gone down the consulting route. I chose who I work with as my partners and if a clients is a douche bag I don't have to put up with them for too long. However its all about closing the next contract so not without stress either.

 

Lol when I said "Gents" I did think I might have got it wrong!

Yeah, I have thought about doing my own thing. Being my own boss even if that meant taking a hit for the short term. I have no issue with the pressure of delivering targets and making things happen. I've got a pretty good track record of doing some pretty big things. I just can't and won't tolerate working under the gun.

In addition to that, as a very general rule. Working conditions and your enjoyment for something rarely gets better and normally gets worse. If your not in a good place to begin with then it's pretty unlikely to change.

 

Turning around a business that is in a downward spiral absurdly difficult, and if the employees are already disillusioned and you have to work against an incumbent management structure that created the status quo........ :shock:

If you hadn't got an option, it would be a stressful challenge that may take the rest of your career to never fully accomplish.

As you do have an option, take it as quick as you possibly can IMO.

 

If you were to stay, and get everything rectified, what would be the best and worst possible outcome for you? Are they likely to promote you, give you a massive bonus or buy you an Aston Martin? Or are they likely to say thank you, you've done what we employed you for, and you no longer have any responsibilities here, so we're letting you go? Would your efforts there be genuinely rewarded? Would your efforts &/or the changes you envoked add great weight to your cv? What did you genuinely think it was going to be like when you took the role on and how does that compare tho the position you're being offered?

 

Go - what's the point of a "great cv" (no guarentee) and feeling like a "beast" if you're stuck in there all hours, expected to treat your staff harshly. We go to work so we can live and love, not the other way around - I want to be doing something interesting, useful and constructive at work, whilst having a bit of fun. But it's still just a job. My old boss had worked hard to get the big houses, toys (3 bikes, 3 flash cars) and used to "work" from the south of France each summer for about 8wks. Problem was he was travelling so much, his 8wks in France were really more like 3 broken weeks and he didn't get the time to ride his bikes... Not much point in living that sort of life IMO, although because he put the hours in (he owned 50% of the company) he expected his staff to have a similar ethic. "Sleep is optional" still rings in my ears. I no longer work there and am far happier, especially as there's more time for the bike (and family!).


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I was in a similar situation with my current job. I didn't like the culture when I actually started to work there but being in a leadership position meant I was able to gradually introduce a better way of working and now it's a much better atmosphere and a more productive environment.

Like you there were many times I wanted to bail but in the end I'm glad I stuck with it as it is something I can point to in future where I made a real difference. It also helped that some of the most troublesome people have now gone.

However this has taken some time so it's not a quick and easy process but I think some satisfaction and future gain can be had if you can make a real improvement.

 

Thanks all.

This feedback has really helped sort this out in my mind.

Great forum and great to be part of it!

 

What have you decided to do?

Ed

 

It's tough!

I'm going to resign, and try and live a more balanced life. From a cv perspective it won't look great, but I can explain it.

Shame really, because the company I'm trying to help turn around is Uber cool, I just can't/won't put up with tyrannical management. I've actually had an ok week, but that 1 week in 3 months.

 

Tyrannical Management? Hmm, it sounds like Bully Boys to me. Fuck 'em, life's too short. I learned a lot about myself last year when I was being bullied at work. It will never happen again, ever. Am I happier now - fucking right I am.

 

I discussed with my level headed brother today, who quickly suggested I was suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Felt pretty accurate.