Boss setting expectations that subordinates can't meet





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My grand boss has communicated out an unrealistic expectation to the board that we are unable to meet.



My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint.



The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.



However, in this case I think he has a valid point and I asked my grand boss what could be done to help us meet the expectations set, such as overtime and mentoring. My grand boss agreed to both but said no matter what we have to deliver on the date said.



I told my grand boss that my subordinate had put a complaint in about my grand boss and my grand boss responded saying that this has happened one too many times and that he wants my subordinate gone.



After discussing what has gone on with my wife, she said to keep out of it.



If I do so, the pattern will continue to repeat itself. So I am looking for a list of actionable points I can take away to resolve this situation and prevent it happening again if at all possible.










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  • As conformed by "My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint" and "The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command". Pink slip time. Show him the door. Give him the sack. Fire him. DTMFA.
    – Mawg
    Nov 27 at 9:31

















up vote
3
down vote

favorite












My grand boss has communicated out an unrealistic expectation to the board that we are unable to meet.



My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint.



The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.



However, in this case I think he has a valid point and I asked my grand boss what could be done to help us meet the expectations set, such as overtime and mentoring. My grand boss agreed to both but said no matter what we have to deliver on the date said.



I told my grand boss that my subordinate had put a complaint in about my grand boss and my grand boss responded saying that this has happened one too many times and that he wants my subordinate gone.



After discussing what has gone on with my wife, she said to keep out of it.



If I do so, the pattern will continue to repeat itself. So I am looking for a list of actionable points I can take away to resolve this situation and prevent it happening again if at all possible.










share|improve this question






















  • As conformed by "My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint" and "The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command". Pink slip time. Show him the door. Give him the sack. Fire him. DTMFA.
    – Mawg
    Nov 27 at 9:31













up vote
3
down vote

favorite









up vote
3
down vote

favorite











My grand boss has communicated out an unrealistic expectation to the board that we are unable to meet.



My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint.



The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.



However, in this case I think he has a valid point and I asked my grand boss what could be done to help us meet the expectations set, such as overtime and mentoring. My grand boss agreed to both but said no matter what we have to deliver on the date said.



I told my grand boss that my subordinate had put a complaint in about my grand boss and my grand boss responded saying that this has happened one too many times and that he wants my subordinate gone.



After discussing what has gone on with my wife, she said to keep out of it.



If I do so, the pattern will continue to repeat itself. So I am looking for a list of actionable points I can take away to resolve this situation and prevent it happening again if at all possible.










share|improve this question













My grand boss has communicated out an unrealistic expectation to the board that we are unable to meet.



My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint.



The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.



However, in this case I think he has a valid point and I asked my grand boss what could be done to help us meet the expectations set, such as overtime and mentoring. My grand boss agreed to both but said no matter what we have to deliver on the date said.



I told my grand boss that my subordinate had put a complaint in about my grand boss and my grand boss responded saying that this has happened one too many times and that he wants my subordinate gone.



After discussing what has gone on with my wife, she said to keep out of it.



If I do so, the pattern will continue to repeat itself. So I am looking for a list of actionable points I can take away to resolve this situation and prevent it happening again if at all possible.







management politics deadlines






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asked Nov 26 at 19:09









professor of programming 웃

1,3911719




1,3911719












  • As conformed by "My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint" and "The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command". Pink slip time. Show him the door. Give him the sack. Fire him. DTMFA.
    – Mawg
    Nov 27 at 9:31


















  • As conformed by "My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint" and "The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command". Pink slip time. Show him the door. Give him the sack. Fire him. DTMFA.
    – Mawg
    Nov 27 at 9:31
















As conformed by "My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint" and "The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command". Pink slip time. Show him the door. Give him the sack. Fire him. DTMFA.
– Mawg
Nov 27 at 9:31




As conformed by "My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint" and "The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command". Pink slip time. Show him the door. Give him the sack. Fire him. DTMFA.
– Mawg
Nov 27 at 9:31










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
7
down vote













I see two issues:





  1. The grand boss set an unrealistic deadline.




Take a look at the PM iron triangle. I've heard this paraphrased as "Features, Resources, Delivery Date - pick two". It means that if the boss has specified the delivery date and the resources (i.e., you can't hire 20 more people quickly enough), then the features delivered will be whatever they are.



Note that you can sometimes juggle features and quality - deliver 2 great features and 5 horrible ones, or deliver 7 terrible-but-not-quite-horrible features. Another option is 3 great features only - the others remain undone.



You'll need to negotiate with the grand boss on this and have him prioritize.



Whatever you do, just know that this is a separate issue that has nothing to do with the subordinate.





  1. Your subordinate has a history of ignoring company hierarchy.




This one's easy. As Joe Strazzere mentioned in a comment, fire the subordinate. Ignoring the hierarchy is extremely disrespectful much in the same way that throwing a brick at someone's face is considered impolite.



You should start the process by meeting with your grand boss and HR. Expect them to guide you through the process. They'll know exactly what documentation you'll need, what warnings you'll need to give, etc. The process may take a long time, but it will be worth it in the end.






share|improve this answer























  • I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that you're in the US. Please let me know if I'm wrong
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 19:40










  • @JoeStrazzere in that case firing the subordinate may be more difficult but hopefully not impossible.
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 20:03










  • Firing the subordinate would be challenging, so would it be sensible to give a written warning first?
    – professor of programming 웃
    Nov 26 at 20:43






  • 3




    Talk to your grand boss and/or HR about giving written warnings. A badly composed written warning could cause a lot of the kind of trouble that HR exists to prevent.
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 20:55










  • @DanPichelman The grand boss doesn't want to participate in the actual firing. HR is the place to go.
    – David Thornley
    Nov 26 at 21:40


















up vote
1
down vote













Your subordinate has a history of this behavior. Your grand boss verbatim told you this happened one too many times. You will be doing some fighting if you want to keep this person. I am assuming this issue was addressed before with the expectation it would not happen again. And yet it happened again.



So the question is do you want to fight for a subordinate that repeatedly goes behind your back and damages your reputation? I'd say you already tried and it did not work. There is not much you can do except to let your subordinate go.






share|improve this answer





















  • Why would you want to keep someone who shows you so much disrespect?
    – Mawg
    Nov 27 at 9:41


















up vote
1
down vote













TL;DR Fire the subordinate




The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and
going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.
However, in this case I think he has a valid point




The problem is that subordinate has "cried wolf" too many times to where their opinion is not valued anymore. It's likely the previous instances of jumping the chain of command were not warranted. Even though your subordinate may have a valid point, they've burn all of the credibility in the company, which makes their word worthless.



I recommend you fire the subordinate and work with the grand boss' on setting realistic deliverable without the subordinate's backing.






share|improve this answer





















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    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes








    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes








    up vote
    7
    down vote













    I see two issues:





    1. The grand boss set an unrealistic deadline.




    Take a look at the PM iron triangle. I've heard this paraphrased as "Features, Resources, Delivery Date - pick two". It means that if the boss has specified the delivery date and the resources (i.e., you can't hire 20 more people quickly enough), then the features delivered will be whatever they are.



    Note that you can sometimes juggle features and quality - deliver 2 great features and 5 horrible ones, or deliver 7 terrible-but-not-quite-horrible features. Another option is 3 great features only - the others remain undone.



    You'll need to negotiate with the grand boss on this and have him prioritize.



    Whatever you do, just know that this is a separate issue that has nothing to do with the subordinate.





    1. Your subordinate has a history of ignoring company hierarchy.




    This one's easy. As Joe Strazzere mentioned in a comment, fire the subordinate. Ignoring the hierarchy is extremely disrespectful much in the same way that throwing a brick at someone's face is considered impolite.



    You should start the process by meeting with your grand boss and HR. Expect them to guide you through the process. They'll know exactly what documentation you'll need, what warnings you'll need to give, etc. The process may take a long time, but it will be worth it in the end.






    share|improve this answer























    • I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that you're in the US. Please let me know if I'm wrong
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 19:40










    • @JoeStrazzere in that case firing the subordinate may be more difficult but hopefully not impossible.
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 20:03










    • Firing the subordinate would be challenging, so would it be sensible to give a written warning first?
      – professor of programming 웃
      Nov 26 at 20:43






    • 3




      Talk to your grand boss and/or HR about giving written warnings. A badly composed written warning could cause a lot of the kind of trouble that HR exists to prevent.
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 20:55










    • @DanPichelman The grand boss doesn't want to participate in the actual firing. HR is the place to go.
      – David Thornley
      Nov 26 at 21:40















    up vote
    7
    down vote













    I see two issues:





    1. The grand boss set an unrealistic deadline.




    Take a look at the PM iron triangle. I've heard this paraphrased as "Features, Resources, Delivery Date - pick two". It means that if the boss has specified the delivery date and the resources (i.e., you can't hire 20 more people quickly enough), then the features delivered will be whatever they are.



    Note that you can sometimes juggle features and quality - deliver 2 great features and 5 horrible ones, or deliver 7 terrible-but-not-quite-horrible features. Another option is 3 great features only - the others remain undone.



    You'll need to negotiate with the grand boss on this and have him prioritize.



    Whatever you do, just know that this is a separate issue that has nothing to do with the subordinate.





    1. Your subordinate has a history of ignoring company hierarchy.




    This one's easy. As Joe Strazzere mentioned in a comment, fire the subordinate. Ignoring the hierarchy is extremely disrespectful much in the same way that throwing a brick at someone's face is considered impolite.



    You should start the process by meeting with your grand boss and HR. Expect them to guide you through the process. They'll know exactly what documentation you'll need, what warnings you'll need to give, etc. The process may take a long time, but it will be worth it in the end.






    share|improve this answer























    • I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that you're in the US. Please let me know if I'm wrong
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 19:40










    • @JoeStrazzere in that case firing the subordinate may be more difficult but hopefully not impossible.
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 20:03










    • Firing the subordinate would be challenging, so would it be sensible to give a written warning first?
      – professor of programming 웃
      Nov 26 at 20:43






    • 3




      Talk to your grand boss and/or HR about giving written warnings. A badly composed written warning could cause a lot of the kind of trouble that HR exists to prevent.
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 20:55










    • @DanPichelman The grand boss doesn't want to participate in the actual firing. HR is the place to go.
      – David Thornley
      Nov 26 at 21:40













    up vote
    7
    down vote










    up vote
    7
    down vote









    I see two issues:





    1. The grand boss set an unrealistic deadline.




    Take a look at the PM iron triangle. I've heard this paraphrased as "Features, Resources, Delivery Date - pick two". It means that if the boss has specified the delivery date and the resources (i.e., you can't hire 20 more people quickly enough), then the features delivered will be whatever they are.



    Note that you can sometimes juggle features and quality - deliver 2 great features and 5 horrible ones, or deliver 7 terrible-but-not-quite-horrible features. Another option is 3 great features only - the others remain undone.



    You'll need to negotiate with the grand boss on this and have him prioritize.



    Whatever you do, just know that this is a separate issue that has nothing to do with the subordinate.





    1. Your subordinate has a history of ignoring company hierarchy.




    This one's easy. As Joe Strazzere mentioned in a comment, fire the subordinate. Ignoring the hierarchy is extremely disrespectful much in the same way that throwing a brick at someone's face is considered impolite.



    You should start the process by meeting with your grand boss and HR. Expect them to guide you through the process. They'll know exactly what documentation you'll need, what warnings you'll need to give, etc. The process may take a long time, but it will be worth it in the end.






    share|improve this answer














    I see two issues:





    1. The grand boss set an unrealistic deadline.




    Take a look at the PM iron triangle. I've heard this paraphrased as "Features, Resources, Delivery Date - pick two". It means that if the boss has specified the delivery date and the resources (i.e., you can't hire 20 more people quickly enough), then the features delivered will be whatever they are.



    Note that you can sometimes juggle features and quality - deliver 2 great features and 5 horrible ones, or deliver 7 terrible-but-not-quite-horrible features. Another option is 3 great features only - the others remain undone.



    You'll need to negotiate with the grand boss on this and have him prioritize.



    Whatever you do, just know that this is a separate issue that has nothing to do with the subordinate.





    1. Your subordinate has a history of ignoring company hierarchy.




    This one's easy. As Joe Strazzere mentioned in a comment, fire the subordinate. Ignoring the hierarchy is extremely disrespectful much in the same way that throwing a brick at someone's face is considered impolite.



    You should start the process by meeting with your grand boss and HR. Expect them to guide you through the process. They'll know exactly what documentation you'll need, what warnings you'll need to give, etc. The process may take a long time, but it will be worth it in the end.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited Nov 26 at 20:53

























    answered Nov 26 at 19:40









    Dan Pichelman

    26.5k127487




    26.5k127487












    • I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that you're in the US. Please let me know if I'm wrong
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 19:40










    • @JoeStrazzere in that case firing the subordinate may be more difficult but hopefully not impossible.
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 20:03










    • Firing the subordinate would be challenging, so would it be sensible to give a written warning first?
      – professor of programming 웃
      Nov 26 at 20:43






    • 3




      Talk to your grand boss and/or HR about giving written warnings. A badly composed written warning could cause a lot of the kind of trouble that HR exists to prevent.
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 20:55










    • @DanPichelman The grand boss doesn't want to participate in the actual firing. HR is the place to go.
      – David Thornley
      Nov 26 at 21:40


















    • I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that you're in the US. Please let me know if I'm wrong
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 19:40










    • @JoeStrazzere in that case firing the subordinate may be more difficult but hopefully not impossible.
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 20:03










    • Firing the subordinate would be challenging, so would it be sensible to give a written warning first?
      – professor of programming 웃
      Nov 26 at 20:43






    • 3




      Talk to your grand boss and/or HR about giving written warnings. A badly composed written warning could cause a lot of the kind of trouble that HR exists to prevent.
      – Dan Pichelman
      Nov 26 at 20:55










    • @DanPichelman The grand boss doesn't want to participate in the actual firing. HR is the place to go.
      – David Thornley
      Nov 26 at 21:40
















    I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that you're in the US. Please let me know if I'm wrong
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 19:40




    I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that you're in the US. Please let me know if I'm wrong
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 19:40












    @JoeStrazzere in that case firing the subordinate may be more difficult but hopefully not impossible.
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 20:03




    @JoeStrazzere in that case firing the subordinate may be more difficult but hopefully not impossible.
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 20:03












    Firing the subordinate would be challenging, so would it be sensible to give a written warning first?
    – professor of programming 웃
    Nov 26 at 20:43




    Firing the subordinate would be challenging, so would it be sensible to give a written warning first?
    – professor of programming 웃
    Nov 26 at 20:43




    3




    3




    Talk to your grand boss and/or HR about giving written warnings. A badly composed written warning could cause a lot of the kind of trouble that HR exists to prevent.
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 20:55




    Talk to your grand boss and/or HR about giving written warnings. A badly composed written warning could cause a lot of the kind of trouble that HR exists to prevent.
    – Dan Pichelman
    Nov 26 at 20:55












    @DanPichelman The grand boss doesn't want to participate in the actual firing. HR is the place to go.
    – David Thornley
    Nov 26 at 21:40




    @DanPichelman The grand boss doesn't want to participate in the actual firing. HR is the place to go.
    – David Thornley
    Nov 26 at 21:40












    up vote
    1
    down vote













    Your subordinate has a history of this behavior. Your grand boss verbatim told you this happened one too many times. You will be doing some fighting if you want to keep this person. I am assuming this issue was addressed before with the expectation it would not happen again. And yet it happened again.



    So the question is do you want to fight for a subordinate that repeatedly goes behind your back and damages your reputation? I'd say you already tried and it did not work. There is not much you can do except to let your subordinate go.






    share|improve this answer





















    • Why would you want to keep someone who shows you so much disrespect?
      – Mawg
      Nov 27 at 9:41















    up vote
    1
    down vote













    Your subordinate has a history of this behavior. Your grand boss verbatim told you this happened one too many times. You will be doing some fighting if you want to keep this person. I am assuming this issue was addressed before with the expectation it would not happen again. And yet it happened again.



    So the question is do you want to fight for a subordinate that repeatedly goes behind your back and damages your reputation? I'd say you already tried and it did not work. There is not much you can do except to let your subordinate go.






    share|improve this answer





















    • Why would you want to keep someone who shows you so much disrespect?
      – Mawg
      Nov 27 at 9:41













    up vote
    1
    down vote










    up vote
    1
    down vote









    Your subordinate has a history of this behavior. Your grand boss verbatim told you this happened one too many times. You will be doing some fighting if you want to keep this person. I am assuming this issue was addressed before with the expectation it would not happen again. And yet it happened again.



    So the question is do you want to fight for a subordinate that repeatedly goes behind your back and damages your reputation? I'd say you already tried and it did not work. There is not much you can do except to let your subordinate go.






    share|improve this answer












    Your subordinate has a history of this behavior. Your grand boss verbatim told you this happened one too many times. You will be doing some fighting if you want to keep this person. I am assuming this issue was addressed before with the expectation it would not happen again. And yet it happened again.



    So the question is do you want to fight for a subordinate that repeatedly goes behind your back and damages your reputation? I'd say you already tried and it did not work. There is not much you can do except to let your subordinate go.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered Nov 26 at 19:42









    Victor S

    1,17815




    1,17815












    • Why would you want to keep someone who shows you so much disrespect?
      – Mawg
      Nov 27 at 9:41


















    • Why would you want to keep someone who shows you so much disrespect?
      – Mawg
      Nov 27 at 9:41
















    Why would you want to keep someone who shows you so much disrespect?
    – Mawg
    Nov 27 at 9:41




    Why would you want to keep someone who shows you so much disrespect?
    – Mawg
    Nov 27 at 9:41










    up vote
    1
    down vote













    TL;DR Fire the subordinate




    The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and
    going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.
    However, in this case I think he has a valid point




    The problem is that subordinate has "cried wolf" too many times to where their opinion is not valued anymore. It's likely the previous instances of jumping the chain of command were not warranted. Even though your subordinate may have a valid point, they've burn all of the credibility in the company, which makes their word worthless.



    I recommend you fire the subordinate and work with the grand boss' on setting realistic deliverable without the subordinate's backing.






    share|improve this answer

























      up vote
      1
      down vote













      TL;DR Fire the subordinate




      The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and
      going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.
      However, in this case I think he has a valid point




      The problem is that subordinate has "cried wolf" too many times to where their opinion is not valued anymore. It's likely the previous instances of jumping the chain of command were not warranted. Even though your subordinate may have a valid point, they've burn all of the credibility in the company, which makes their word worthless.



      I recommend you fire the subordinate and work with the grand boss' on setting realistic deliverable without the subordinate's backing.






      share|improve this answer























        up vote
        1
        down vote










        up vote
        1
        down vote









        TL;DR Fire the subordinate




        The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and
        going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.
        However, in this case I think he has a valid point




        The problem is that subordinate has "cried wolf" too many times to where their opinion is not valued anymore. It's likely the previous instances of jumping the chain of command were not warranted. Even though your subordinate may have a valid point, they've burn all of the credibility in the company, which makes their word worthless.



        I recommend you fire the subordinate and work with the grand boss' on setting realistic deliverable without the subordinate's backing.






        share|improve this answer












        TL;DR Fire the subordinate




        The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and
        going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now.
        However, in this case I think he has a valid point




        The problem is that subordinate has "cried wolf" too many times to where their opinion is not valued anymore. It's likely the previous instances of jumping the chain of command were not warranted. Even though your subordinate may have a valid point, they've burn all of the credibility in the company, which makes their word worthless.



        I recommend you fire the subordinate and work with the grand boss' on setting realistic deliverable without the subordinate's backing.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered Nov 26 at 21:59









        jcmack

        6,55411036




        6,55411036






























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