When your onetime ‘dream job’ turns into a nightmare after a management change. Culture shift, micromanaging, and literal unrealistic goals and expectations.

I go to sleep and wake up with a level of anxiety that I would not wish on anyone.

Do we work for the same company? Makes me think of retirement sooner than anticipated.

Been there , done that . Retired early . No regrets .

I feel for you.
577 more days for me.

Getting ready to head to work now and not feeling it.

I’m glad I’m not alone.

I went from a star performer to someone who feels like he is on the radar for termination for not drinking the new corporate Koolade. I’m getting to old too start over again, this is not good for my mental health.

Damn, this thread is timely. I’ve been not posting since June about the same damned thing.

I have a great job. Great salary. Great benefits. I’m an expert in my field with 15+ years of experience and my paralegal and I did a job nobody else in the office understands and few could accomplish without another attorney or two and at least one more paralegal.

I put in 50+ hours a week and was pretty much running 24/7, but I did it on my terms, which made it very doable for me.

Been there 6+ years through two administrations and three General Counsel.

New GC hired from outside in June is a textbook micromanager. Arrogant, aggressive, incapable. On top of that, she’s a liar. She has turned the entire office toxic and I can’t tell you how many attorneys and support staff are actively seeking an exit, including yours truly. Just waiting for the right opportunity.

Dammit, it was a great job and we all did our jobs very well. She managed to ruin it inside of a few weeks.

So yeah, I feel your pain, brother!

-Rob

Been there, Done that.

The company I enjoyed working for closed down its operations. I found another job. But that turned into a hell hole and I was stuck there for about 8 years unable to get another job. My salary was excellent but I was putting in 12 to 14 hours first half of the month, then 14 to 18 hours second half of the month. I was also working from home every other weekend. I was a walking zombie.

This tell you how bad it was: they hired someone who used to work years ago in the same spot working with me. He said it was completely different from when he worked and he quit after a week. Another guy left after a month. He told me that he was a cancer survivor at an early age. That taught him life was not worth being in a place where we were. He felt so bad for me, he really worked to get me a job at a previous company.

I lost 30 pounds in a month at the beginning when I realized how shitty things were for me. I would grit my teeth during sleep. I would wake up at 4:30 am trudge to work then come back 10 pm.

After 8 years, I thought I found a job close to home, I've done the work before and thought it was a fresh start. The boss turned out to be going through dementia along with all the other bad aspects. He would give me different directions throughout the day to work on different projects. After six months, I finally quit.

Fortunately, it turned out I had enough saved that I was able not to have to work anymore.

Been there, done that and have the trophies to prove it. Walking away was the best decision of my life as the stress would have killed me. I was fortunate to be financially able to take time away from work to rehab a shoulder and spend time with my family after a decade of extensive travel. I hope you find a way to make things better. Best of luck.

I was there, also. Retired six weeks ago and don't miss that stress.
I managed to hang in there until reaching my ful retirement age, but it was extremely difficult to do that.

Oh do I know where you’re coming from. I had 13 years and for the first half it was the best place I’d ever worked. Last half was nuclear grade bullshit brought on by a CEO that wrecked the place from top to bottom. Blood pressure was 195/130 and I’d be dead if I had stayed. Took a $7/hour pay cut to go to a different place and it was worth every penny.

That sucks.

How is it that the ones above never see that whoever made the hiring decision fucked up and things aren't right? They don't want to admit a mistake and would rather see the company fail?

People don't quit a company, they quit their boss.

Been done that with a Sheriffs Office and the Medical Examiners Office.

The one that hurt the most was the Sheriffs Office in VA.

It went from a magnificent time and experience to one of dread, torture, anxiety and stress.

That one period of my life jaded me to this day and I carry a chip on my shoulder while serving at other LE agencies and the military.

I learned then and there that people will step/screw a person to get a head and not think twice about it.

Good Luck.
I hope you find a happy medium

BTDT
I went from a track record of significantly exceeds to "you are one of the reasons for our problems" in one year. That was concurrent with new leaders with great ideas that didn't work. I stayed because I was close to retirement. The company is now on the 3rd iteration of new leaders and things are pretty messed up. The current leaders firmly believe in the "here be the magic" box of a project plan.

I am retired so it was KMAG YOYO and out the door.

My advice? If you can, find another position. Once the cycle of new managers begins there will be a constant search for the "silver bullet" (aka the next brilliant leader) and each new leader will want their own team.

When I taught, it was a living nightmare.

I NEVER got a good review to keep me from advancing to leadership. Every incompetent new supervisor knew there was always someone gunning for their position.

The prison system was like that. I had a cadre of officers that chose to work midnight to 8 with me, because the suits stayed away. My last two years were hellish on Days.

Sorry to hear this. Been there, done that too.

I landed a dream job at a big company with a family business attitude. I was sure I would end my days there.

Long story short: There was a management coup. The new management were a bunch of soulless ghouls. I got out. A couple of months later, they had my entire department work from home one week while they “remodeled” the office. At the end of the week, a third of those folks got an email notifying them that they’d been terminated and not to come back.

quote:

Originally posted by mrapteam666:

I learned then and there that people will step/screw a person to get a head and not think twice about it.

That is the unfortunate truth.
Luckily I never experienced it.
Actually when I worked for a company my philosophy was always to support and make my supervisor look good.
Even when they did not necessarily deserve it.
I always found that those up even higher could sense it and it allowed me opportunities.
Maybe I was just lucky.

My experience- it will only get worse. Hold on until retirement, don't make it personal, and do the least you can

It happened to me. Dream job turned into a nightmare. I thought for sure I would stroke out if I stayed in the job. I left at age 62, couldn't find a job in my field (environmental) so I started social security and got a job as a substitute teacher. I don't make enough money to get ahead, but I'm not falling behind. I think about this often and still think it was good decision to make.