Career Advice: I Can't Keep My Head Down

Full disclosure: When I was kid, I was diagnosed as ADHD and took medicine for many years. Friends whom I've known since will tell you that I was a hyper "all over the place" guy who had a hard time concentrating on anything that didn't interest me. I stopped taking it in highschool because it made me irritable, and graduated with a C average "on my own". I took medicine again in college and it really helped me get through many maths classes, as well as have stable energy levels to balance both work and school. It still made me irritable, so I went to the lowest dose possible and still had good results. 

As an adult, I haven't taken it much, mostly because of more stringent requirements surrounding stimulants. Dr's often times say "you have a good job, a successful marriage, a house, do you really need this?" 

Here's the thing: I just can't keep my head down at work.

I've been in the utility industry for going on 7 years now, and despite really liking my job, I can't seem to sit down, shut up, and stop being noticed. I'm a natural born problem solver. I'm very curious. I have an interest in my job, and everyone else's job too. I'm an advocate for myself as well as my coworkers. I'm excellent under pressure, and do my best work when decisions and actions must be made on the fly. 

At first glance, I'm a enthusiastic employee who loves his job, shows up to work every day (sometimes late), and whom can be relied on to be both well spoken and outspoken. I'm a great advocate for my coworkers, will ask questions for others even if it makes me look dumb, and who isn't afraid to ask controversial questions for the sake of the group's benefit. 

I get super excited to learn new stuff and solve new problems. 

Upper management sees me as a great employee because of these traits. 

My boss, however, sees this as a negative trait. He doesn't like someone in his department attracting attention, especially when questions I ask may appear to some like my attempts at exploiting the system, or highlighting others doing the same. Ironically enough, he also hates workers who aren't enthusiastic about work. He feels that people SHOULD know what happens "outside their cube." It's not that he's an attention hog, but he feels that when someone asks about his employees, they should be invisible. He's not a quick talker, and stumbles on questions he's not prepared for. It makes him feel his job at is at risk (it's not at all because he's awesome) because his employees are getting more attention than other groups. Our company is very supervisor-to-supervisor in terms of professional interaction, and when people are dealing with me about topics he might not be aware of, he thinks I'm sticking my nose where it might not belong.

I struggle to stay on task, instead I'm always looking to improve systems and processes to avoid "the boring stuff." As a result, I get involved with stuff that I'm not asked to do. It's not that I can't do boring stuff, I can, but I so prioritize learning new stuff that I'll put aside boring "old stuff" to work on exciting "new stuff."  

When I talk with some people about these issues, I've heard the following: 

1) If I love new challenges and dont like busy work, I should apply for jobs and promotions that have less busy work and more decision making. 

2) Part of being a good leader is being able to do the boring stuff. I need to focus. 

3) I'm in an industry that doesn't favor my "work-style." 

I actually feel slightly threatened in my job security. Even though I'm a great employee, and have no formal disciplinary actions against me, I feel like my boss is about ready to fill out the forms as way of "scaring me" into shutting the hell up and keeping my head down. As my knowledge of the industry, our company,and my place in it grows, I'm finding that harder to do, but I'm not sure if there is a place in the company where I'd fit and be happy, or where I wouldn't piss off and even more "oldschool" supervisor. 

Advice?

EDIT: sorry this was one part advice - one part vent.

If upper management knows you by name and sees you as a great employee and your direct manager tries to fire you, chances are that will not go well for your manager.

It's pretty easy to justify why someone isn't a good fit. 

One person could say "this person had perfect attendance and was never tardy, but lacked enthusiasm for the job." 

Another could say "this person was the best employee in terms of enthusiasm and interest, but had issues with tardiness and staying focused on necessary tasks." 

Upper management's opinion is that many things are up to the supervisor in terms of decision making. 

Our company recently axed some well loved and very successful leaders because they made some stupid mistakes. My boss believes if he allows me to be so outspoken and unfocused that he risks his job. He doesn't have much room for growth locally, and with jobs in our town being somewhat limited, he's pretty sensitive when it comes to protecting his job. 

I'm a lot like you in being outspoken.  Thankfully, I've found management has either accepted it or just lived with it (or even expected it).  

Not sure what to suggest- since if you are anyway like me, it's really, really hard to not be yourself.  Other than find a place where that is valued in your company.

This might not be politically feasible, but have you had a sit down with your boss to discuss these concerns?

You live in AZ. It’s an at-will state.  They do not need a reason to fire you, or to justify letting you go. 

I could not tell if you were bragging complaining, venting or what? I have a feeling your boss is pretty much my same shoes. As bosses we are often tasked with managing talented people who could do our jobs when we could not do theirs. Some bosses are threatened by this and others take it in stride and take credit for finding and cultivating  these talented people.

I don't know you and hence have no idea how you are perceived by your peers and supervisors. If your feeling is that they like you and enjoy working with you, then relax and enjoy the ride.

Pete

There is a saying I like. “There is no limit to what a man can accomplish if he’s not worried about who gets the credit”. 

Right now, you are being perceived as the opposite, and that is a threat to your boss. I think you are right- your job is at risk. 

So, I would suggest starting to look for the things you can do that will make your boss look good, with no credit for you. Like Tim said, talk with him. Ask him how you can serve him better, what you can do for him. Then do it as invisibly as possible, and keep your head down. 

My recent job loss was similar. My boss perceived me as a bit of a loose cannon, and felt threatened. Didn’t take long for him to shove me out the back door with a fabricated story designed to ensure I wouldn’t sue for age discrimination and to send a message to other employees that kept them in their place. 

I do everything I can in my new job to make my boss look good. I do some of his work,  and try not to bug him or be center stage. I make sure he gets the credit for most of what I do. 

Life is just a little easier that way. 

Some bosses have loved me.  Some have hated me.  Some didn't know I existed.  I'm the same me.  

You just can't expect everyone to like or appreciate you.    

  On the other hand if you know that your behavior is noticed in a negative light I would tone it down, focus on tasks more, make sure your work load isn't suffering while you go around communicating with others.  If you are missing due dates I would call that a negative.

If you are a manager then management by walking around is a good idea.  If not then not so much.

Get into training? I get to poke my nose into pretty much everything. 

In the utility industry,  get into whatever department is spearheading your Human Performance initiatives.  That rabbit hole changes so often that you will always be working on new stuff,  and your rapport with upper management will make your transition natural and effective. 

SVreX said:

You live in AZ. It’s an at-will state.  They do not need a reason to fire you, or to justify letting you go. 

Yep. My usefulness only extends so far as I can be tolerated. 

BoxheadTim said:

This might not be politically feasible, but have you had a sit down with your boss to discuss these concerns?

We're pretty open with one another, but admittedly opposite ends of the personality spectrum. He's a Type-A, I'm a Type-....E? (for eccentric!) He pretty much lives for work, and I can match him in enthusiasm, but not in effort. We get along really really well, but that doesn't mean I don't irritate him to no end. He's told me outright that he's spoken to HR about many of my issues and they can never find anything wrong with what I do or how I act. Other people in the company, including his boss will readily admit that my boss "cares more than he should about stuff that doesn't matter." Unfortunately, that stuff is the stuff I'm bad at. 

Oddly enough, my bosses boss is super chill. Like, probably the most lax supervisor in the company. He's also got enough seniority that he can say what's on his mind even if it pisses people off. He'll only fire someone he doesn't like, or someone who refuses to make the effort to try to work done. He likes me, and my work gets done. No issues there. 

I will say that I absolutely could not do my bosses job. He's a rockstar in that regard. I could however do some other supervisor's jobs, and my boss would probably really value me as peer, but not as a subordinate. 

Not helped is the fact that a real high-effort coworker joined our team recently. This guys SHREDS tasks. You can give him the most boring stuff and he'll have it done by end of day. Thing is, he's not a strategic thinker. Doesn't get along with old people. Has a hard time working in groups. Isn't very engaged in planning and process improvement. You say "do this" and he gets it done, provided he's been trained. He often times asks me questions that I ask my boss, and then I look stupid on his account. He doesn't threaten my boss because he's a long way from being skillful or diplomatic. 

The other guy on the team is more like me, but he's a quiet type. My boss likes him, pushes him to be more vocal and engaged. This coworker HATES that. He'd prefer to avoid public speaking, doing trainings, being the center of attention. This coworker tells me "I'd prefer you be the voice of our department because I hate public speaking." I'm his advocate. 

Problem is, we're not doing stuff where my skills shine.

oldopelguy said:

Get into training? I get to poke my nose into pretty much everything. 

Bingo.

Don't let the "at-will" thing bother you. If it's truly egregious, you would likely win a wrongful termination case in court. 

Oklahoma is also an at-will state and I know quite a few people who have won cases for it. And personally know someone who is about to win their 2nd case against a different employer. Any big company or government agency will go through detailed documentation of mistakes, attempts at correction, etc, just to cover their ass. Short of you showing up to work drunk/high and/or threatening people................or making racist/bigoted remarks on social media. 

In reality, I suspect you're being paranoid. 

Does an "at will" state still require signed-by-all-parties documentation of performance related issues?

I've been tardy. It happens. I've got a infant in the house and my wife was working full time as well. Issues came up. We're sleep deprived. 

Would the employer need to have me sign something admitting that I've been late?

In reply to pheller :

Your employer could just print out this thread where you admit to being late at times.

Based on what you wrote, I wouldn't be too worried about being let go. I would try to work out an understanding with the boss, so you two can be on the same page.

In reply to pheller :

I have nothing to offer, but you have just described my oldest grandson to a T.   

oldopelguy said:

Get into training? I get to poke my nose into pretty much everything. 

 

Or in my industry: Quality Assurance.  I have a pretty good grasp of all trades. I've been in the company for nearly 18 years, so I know our standards.  As a result, I was nearly drafted into the QA dept, but for better or worse, my current dept (Electrical Engineering) is so understaffed they couldn't afford to let me switch.  

In my previous job, I was a Project/Client Manager and thus responsible for all trades our company worked with beside my focus trade (electrical). I still occasionally dig out my old PM cap when I see something that may not involve electrical at all, but feel it is not being addressed. 

Right now, I'm working with a PM who comes from a process background, so naturally he tends to micro-manage that part of the project we're working on.  In this case, his task involves herding 6 other process engineers, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.

All that said, I have learned that occasionally I need to keep my mouth shut - or at least make sure to pose a question in private vs in an open forum.  I'm a "company guy" and I don't really care about getting credit for something as long as the company as a whole doesn't look bad. This is a somewhat different attitude than many of my coworkers up here who may or may not be around after this project ends.

"At will" means they can let you go at any time, for any reason, without warning. However, ths can be industry dependent. In my industry (consulting engineering), a company will have a hell of time getting employees if they get a reputation for doing that.  We have a hard enough time as-is finding workers.

When you go passed your manager and get involved in random stuff, you undermine him and make him look bad. It’s disrespectful and very avoidable. If you actually like your boss, you should change this behavior.

Just think about this:

- He might be asked about stuff he has no idea you are involved in. Makes him look as if he isn’t up to date on his own department. When the person you are working with, without informing your boss, answers instead, your boss looks incompetent.

- He is responsible for the resource plan and budget for the department. You are spending hours on E36 M3 he hasn’t assigned you to and the people above him see that. The next time he wants to discuss the departments workload, he is screwed, thanks to you.

- He is responsible for the result of your work. Dandy as long as all is well, but sometimes people screw up. If things go to hell, he is responsible for the E36 M3 you did. That is the danger of running around, doing other people’s jobs. 

Keep your boss updated on what you do. When you are starting to get drawn into something, go talk to him right away. Make sure he knows what you are doing, and he can support you instead. 

pheller said:

Does an "at will" state still require signed-by-all-parties documentation of performance related issues?

I've been tardy. It happens. I've got a infant in the house and my wife was working full time as well. Issues came up. We're sleep deprived. 

Would the employer need to have me sign something admitting that I've been late?

No. 

“At will” means you work at the will of the employer. When they no longer will it, you no longer work. 

They don’t have to give any reason at all. 

They don't have to give a reason, but they then have to pay unemployment. Most employers work on building a case to fire someone for performance reasons so they don't have to pay unemployment (or, more accurately, have the unemployment counted against their experience rating with the unemployment insurance agency applicable to your area).

Robbie said:

If upper management knows you by name and sees you as a great employee and your direct manager tries to fire you, chances are that will not go well for your manager.

Maybe not.

Are you familiar with the Peter principle?  

Basically managers are promoted to their level of incompetence.  Then kept in that position because of his past performance.  Usually because of loyalty.  

Top management doesn’t have any loyalty except to the bottom line.  

dculberson said:

They don't have to give a reason, but they then have to pay unemployment. Most employers work on building a case to fire someone for performance reasons so they don't have to pay unemployment (or, more accurately, have the unemployment counted against their experience rating with the unemployment insurance agency applicable to your area).

Ding ding ding.

People in professional positions are rarely fired for occasionally being late or other "just because" type reasons. 

Just like in another thread, I mentioned doing some research into the NDA/Non-compete I had to sign for my current gig. It seems in practice, unless you're a "Board of Directors" level employee, Non-competes are hard enough to enforce that companies rarely even try to take someone court over it. 

Lots of good advice here, and you are ahead of the curve since you know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your boss' strengths and weaknesses.

Find a way that you can make him look good and he will value having you on his team more. If you are being asked to participate in projects through other channels than through him, that's a huge compliment to your abilities, but find a way to include him and make your successes his successes as well. 

pheller said:

Problem is, we're not doing stuff where my skills shine.

Is that "we" as in "my team" or "we" as in "my employer"? If it's "we" as in "my team", I think that will be an opening for you to have a chat with your boss.

Keep in mind most employers don't like hiring professional staff unless they absolutely have to. It's usually a PITA and consumes both time and money, so if you can work out thing with your boss and maybe get moved into a position that suits you better, this is a win-win for both.

BTW, point the new guy at your boss if you can't answer the questions. You don't want to get into a "you touched it, you own it" scenario.

Get into sales.  Many I know share your personality and end up doing well.  

I agree with the sentiment several folks are offering that companies don’t like to let people go (for various reasons). This is true. 

But Mr pheller also said in his first post that he feels threatened for his job security. That’s an important factor in an at-will state.