Employer keeps changing goal posts

[harriet]

Hello. I am doing this for a friend who doesn't have internet access (except at work and it is monitored!)

Basically she is in a new job for about 6 months now and her company keep changing their minds on what she should be doing. She is a graduate and has been in the same profession for approx 6 years.

From one month to the next or even week to week she doesn't know what to expect. She took the job with the expectation of doing, lets say, X but now Y and Z have been thrown into the equation. There doesn't seem to be enough staff for the volume of work they have to do. Recently someone left and they are not replacing them so that work is now being dished out.

It seems to be a case of "putting up and shutting up". We have looked at the job description which seems broad enough insofar as if she makes a complaint and is referred back to job description then she shouldn't have had a complaint in the first place, if that makes sense?

Anyone got a suggestion how she can broach the subject in a constructive with her manager?

 

[Purple]

Is she actually a professional (a professional qualification/ member of a professional body) and if so is what she is being asked to be not related to her profession?

 

[harriet]

If you mean if she is a solicitor or accountant, that sort of profession, then no, but she has her college degree and has done further exams. When she took on the job it was to manage a certain portfolio, very much the same as her previous position but with a more progressive company.

She expected that she would be overseeing the portfolio which is what she was doing at the start but now she seems to be assisting in a lot of cases she is expected to be managing. Also whilst other stuff she is doing is job related it was not what was discussed with her initially and is expected to do other stuff for lets say "other" departments.

 

[Yeager]

Its a case of prioitising and some decent forward planning between her and her GL or manger. The system we use is as follows (and it works!)

Long term goals (12 months look ahead) should be looked at and documented. This should incorporate the predictable things that you know need doing/will need doing.

These should then be further broken down into four quaters i.e. 3 month intravels and what the expected target are. We always plan into this time for 'unexpected events' as everyone knows things pop up that you can't plan for.

The benefit of this system is that you can track progress and tick off achiements as you go. Likewise if your falling behind for whatever reason its captured early on and adjustments can be made. Likewise there will not be a big surprise at the end of year when something wasn't closed out.

The best way to approach this is to approach the GL or manager and say to them that you think a planning session would be benifical. Not olny will will there brownie points for showing this insight and forward planning when you achieve your targets at the end of the year its always good to have your documented achievements readily available for perforance apprasial time.

No right minded manger will turn down a planning session - they love that type thing!