Is your boss trying to get you to quit?

Unless you’re lucky enough to work yourself, you have a boss to answer to.  Although not all bosses are bad, in fact, there are many can really help your career, at least once in your career you’ll work for someone you simply can’t stand.  Whether they are incompetent, overly demanding or just simply not a match for you, it’s important to know if the situation is worth salvaging or it’s time to quit because you never had a chance from the start.

 

Incompetent bosses will eventually be discovered by higher ups, so if you work for one of these, you may want to give it some time.  In fact, if you continue to get your job done you may even put yourself in a position for promotion once this boss’s lack of skill is exposed.  Bosses with high expectations can be challenging to work for, but as long as they are fair and trustworthy, you can learn something new.  This boss will push you to another level of performance.  Although you may feel frustration at times, being pushed out of your comfort zone, the experience could very well be one of your greatest resume builders and worth a little patience on your end.

 

Something just doesn’t feel right

What about those boss relationships where something just doesn’t feel right –you can’t put your finger on it but no matter what you try, you are not seeing the results you need to move your career forward.  Delegated nothing but busy work? Not invited to team lunches?  Passed up for promotions?  Even though you may never understand why your boss doesn’t like you, you can tell if it’s bad enough to cut your losses and find a new opportunity – before they do it for you. If you are a real performance problem your boss can usually go down a path of termination, but if you aren’t and they just don’t like you, they may try, consciously or subconsciously, to create a situation where it would be easier for everyone involved if you just walked out the door.

 

5 signs you’re being pushed out

Here are 5 telltale signs your boss would be happier if you quit. Busy Work: Although you were hired to perform more meaningful work, you are consistently delegated thankless tasks.  Yet you notice others on the team, some potentially less qualified, are given opportunities to complete work that adds more value and get exposure to clients and executives.

  • No Feedback: Despite your efforts to ask for performance feedback, your boss seems to avoid giving it or when he or she does it’s always negative.
  • Excluded: You find out about important meetings last minute or after the fact and may not be included in team social gatherings.
  • Can’t Get Time: Your boss doesn’t honor your scheduled time together. Whether they cancel you meetings with you last minute or are chronically late to them, you can’t seem to get the time you need to get your job done.
  • Documents Performance Conversations: Bosses that want you to quit may try and create a trail of documentation that they tried to “coach” you on your performance problems. This usually means that when they do meet with you, they make the meeting about a specific deliverable and they proceed to document the conversation.
  • Overworked: You have so much work on your plate you are forced to work late nights and weekends. This is especially frustrating when the work you’re assigned isn’t related to results that will help the business and your career.

 

Of course, any one of these reasons alone doesn’t necessarily mean they want you to quit.  However, in combination, may be screaming for you to open your eyes and head for the door.