cartmen34

So I'm a software QA specialist. I've been in the industry since '98 and I've worked for one of the largest software companies in America. (no, not m$soft) For the last year I've been working for a small-medium sized company doing web site QA. Now, my fellow team members are a hodge-podge of personnel. None of them have any technology experience, much less any QA experience. The manager has zero tech experience, and also has no QA experience. One person on my team even worked the office front desk before coming to work in QA! Anyway, our testing is very unstructured and basic (In the tech world it's known as ad hoc testing). With my knowledge of QA and QA methodologies, I've been trying to get my team to move toward more structured, formalized testing and quality control standards, with a mind toward improving the overall quality of our product. (So far, the team has missed many bugs on most all or our products.) My efforts have met with nothing but push back. The team thinks "we are doing just fine". They see no need to change what they do or how they do it. Apparently, me finding bugs in a product they thought was perfect isn't proof to them that they are doing a bad...make that unfinished job of QA. My manager is constantly holding meetings asking for ideas on how to improve quality. When I state and re-state my ideas, I get nothing but "we don't need that" from the entire team. I think you get the idea...

In the background is the company, which has hired a "repairman" to come in and fix the IT departments problems. He's now my manager's boss, and he basically is running the company. One day he came to each member of the QA team and asked for feedback on how to fix our team's problems. In response handed him a 4 page novel on what we do wrong and how I propose to fix it. Once my manager got wind of this, she blew a gasket (of course). Now the big boss liked what he saw, and wants to meet with myself and my manager to discuss what he says are "obvious problems." However, since he's running the entire company, he's a very busy guy, and he has not had time to get to us and solving the QA team's problems yet. It's now been 3 months and he still has not met with us. In the mean time things inside the team have escalated to the point of a "me against them" state of mind. My boss has turned to nit-picking to try and shoot me down. I am immediately questioned about anything I say, even from other team members. Often times my team emails go ignored, as well as my advice on work related items. I am often criticized on every project I do, and my manager has turned to having other member's of the team "double check" my work. My work was never a problem before.

So it's obvious my boss is out to get me now. I’m not sure where I went wrong, but it’s clear I’ve not clearly communicated my intentions to my team. I only want to improve the quality of our team output by setting quality standards for our product. I think the team has taken it and flipped it around. They interpret it as me insulting thy way they do things. I see it as trying to fix what is clearly broken, nothing more.

So what do I do? It’s clear my boss/team does not like or appreciate my experience or talents. I now hate my job. It’s causing my more stress than it’s worth. And being employed full time AND a full time college student, I’m stretched as thin as I can go already. Do I quit? Look for another job within the company? Keep pushing my ideals at my own risk? Try to oust my manager from power? Somebody…please advise me!! Argghhh!!

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"The problem with quick and dirty, as some people have said, is that the dirty remains long after the quick has been forgotten" - Steve McConnell

Cynthetiq

since you say the company is large, first stop HR. Discuss it with your HR manager. Let them know you are unhappy and you are being unfairly treated. The reason you are doing this is for documentation. You want to document that you feel your boss is out to get you, so that you have some sort of recourse if you unexpectedly get reprimanded etc. Do it at that point and you look like a cry baby.

Document. Document. Document. I cannot stress that enough. Document your conversations with your boss, and reactions to the conversations from your point of view and his.

Bide your time.

Dot your i's and cross your t's. Don't give them ANY reasons. You need to be on your best behaviour in order to come out ahead.

Also, determine what your needs are from the company, what you like about it, what you would miss about it if you left. Remeber the grass isn't always greener.

good luck

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Redlemon

Everything you have done was with good intentions. However, it is likely that you didn't communicate your ideas in a way that your coworkers/boss appreciated. Let me highly recommend the book People Skills (Amazon link); it might be too late for this job, but it helped me out tremendously in gaining the respect/trust of a difficult boss.

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sailor

Good advice. Play the game. Hopefully, things will work out.

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--Plato

Ustwo

I'm a grab'em by the balls type of guy (figuratively).

Right now you are screwed with your group, you have no future with them, and owe them nothing. HR might make your boss be less of an ass but you are still screwed. You have no future with them in your current position.

As such I'd go directly to the big boss. Maybe remind him about the meeting he wanted to have, try to get it set up and go from there. Unlike your boss who is in CYA mode and out for a little revenge on the whistle blower, he just wants the company to succeed. This might backfire of course, but I don't think you have anything to lose.

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Rodney

I agree with ustwo. You have nothing, repeat nothing, to lose. If you can document your coworkers' resistance to the ideas that the CEO finds attractive, your position will be stronger.

Fearless_Hyena

You are right on the money, bro. Good advice, and if nothing else works, it's time to move on. Your current boss & coworkers are gonna try and barbecue you every chance they get.



EDIT: I'm caught in the crossfire of a hostile situation myself at work too, although I didn't have anything to do with initiating it. Cover your ass, and document everything!! I'm doin just fine but I'm ready to give the company the big ol' middle finger salute.

Also I just got a book called The Art of War for Managers, the basis of the book is not confrontational at all but it has a rock solid plan for strategy and for defending yourself against corporate jackasses who are constantly trying to blast you. Based on Sun Tzu's The Art of War (great book!!) but it's not a translation. Highly recommended!!!
You can get it for like 10 bucks at the bookstore.

thingstodo

Some good advice above from all angles.... discuss and document.

Most companies have an "open door" policy, meaning you can safely go over your boss' head without fear of retribution. Obviously the new big boss os interested but also busy. However, it sounded like he had some interest in the success of the company.

I've heard that every success requires a certain amount of boldness. You're in a situation where you should probably go for everything. Lay out the situation like you did for us to the Big Boss.

I'm a so called big boss myself and it is amazing what I don't know that is going on that would kill me if I knew. Kije it always does when I find out! I appreciate information presented well and with a higher interest in mind.

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cartmen34

All good tips. Thank you all!

I should re-state the point that I USED to work for a big company, now I work for a small to mid-sized company. HR is only one person, and she is the biggest joke of an HR person I've ever seen, so that's not really an option.

And I should also mention that I do have to tread very carefully here, because keeping this job is important. In my area the tech job posibilities are slim to none, so it's important for my career that I stay where I am. Also added to that is the fact that I simply cannot afford financially to quit and go somewhere else on a moments notice. Quiting the company would be an absolute last straw.

Thanks again, one and all for you thoughts!

__________________
"The problem with quick and dirty, as some people have said, is that the dirty remains long after the quick has been forgotten" - Steve McConnell