So,time for a rant. I've been with this firm for a couple of years and while there was enough bullshit going on things did, all considered, work pretty smoothly. Work is interesting, colleagues are alright, clients are madly in love with me because I tend to provide answers, not bullshit and the pay is less than what it should be, but quite a bit more than most of my peers make, so again no big reason to complain.Then they decided to hire my new boss, who is ruining everything.1. I can literally not fathom why they hired him, because I have yet to find out what exactly his "skill" is. Allegedly he is proficient in almost anything, especially "project management", yet every project he managed was simply saved because of my colleagues and me put extra work in, to work around him. Now that I think about it, in a half year's time he did not ever answer a single work-related question nor can I pinpoint to a single example of when he would have himself done any kind of work, other than "managing" others, which usually involves him giving an extremely vague order that may or may not change in the course of a phone call, day, week or year. 2. On several occasions he was personally responsible for for some bullshit that he then retroactively blamed on me or my colleagues. I.e. promise a client something completely unrealistic, then somehow convince both client and upper echelons within the firm that this was in fact a shortcoming of my colleagues and me, not him. Now, clients seemed to have caught on to this to the point that he's effectively persona non grata, yet he's still being supported all the way within the firm. They love this guy.3. I get really frustrated by this. It's maddening to see how somebody without any kind of discernible skill would be made principal in the first place. The only thing that makes this even worse is that this shit has been going on for half a year now and everybody notices it, but my firm. I know quite a few people in my team have started to actively look for new roles, simply because they're qualified and don't want to put up with this shit no more. I am leaning towards the same thing, yet I would like to somehow salvage this. Also I'm not motivated enough to go full nuclear or put a lot of time and effort into sucking some higher up's dick. In fact I am quite content to simply work with intelligent people for intelligent people. If you bring a low-functioning idiot in this equation, shit gets ruined.<Please imagine generic disclaimer on how this is not me being pissed at not being promoted and/or maybe a whole lot more stupid than I think, and insubordinate etc etc. here. New guy didn't take the place I had aimed for but is kind of 2-3 years ahead in hierarchy.>Ok, any ideas? Is this shit worth it, or am I seeing signals for a bigger troubles here and should just be like: yo, you did this for 3 years. Time to pack it in.Cheers,CM

Two options:If the firm is large enough or you would fit in well with a different group, try to stay, but transfer to another location (in or out of country), or department there.If that would not work, start looking. In the meantime, pay careful attention to see if anyone in a position of power notices his shortcomings.However, waiting for an ouster could take a long time and you'd be better off interviewing and seeing what else is out there.You come across here very well, so I am sure that you will land on your feet one way or another.Good luck!

QuoteOriginally posted by: trackstarTwo options:If the firm is large enough or you would fit in well with a different group, try to stay, but transfer to another location (in or out of country), or department there.If that would not work, start looking. In the meantime, pay careful attention to see if anyone in a position of power notices his shortcomings.However, waiting for an ouster could take a long time and you'd be better off interviewing and seeing what else is out there.You come across here very well, so I am sure that you will land on your feet one way or another.Good luck!Well thanks Trackstar :)I should add that I'm not in crisis mode yet. I am completely certain that I can find another gig, and this is far from being an economic problem. I just find it highly annoying and I would have much preferred to stay with my old team. I also start to wonder if I was just lucky before. So who's the outlier: New idiot hire, or my previously idiot-free team? If it's the latter:

There is a broad range of options, I would say, eg: start your own business taking with you valuable colleagues, start to date your new boss' wife and see how things develop at your workplace, leave everything and join a jihad group in Syria, move to a bohemian lifestyle with the junkie friend of yours, keep patient if you're right (better than your new manager) they will eventually notice and that will pay .... i mean imagination is the only limit.HTH

QuoteOriginally posted by: CrashedMintWell thanks Trackstar :)I should add that I'm not in crisis mode yet. I am completely certain that I can find another gig, and this is far from being an economic problem. I just find it highly annoying and I would have much preferred to stay with my old team. I also start to wonder if I was just lucky before. So who's the outlier: New idiot hire, or my previously idiot-free team? If it's the latter:...I think it has a lot to do with randomness. Good luck inside of bad luck and and visa versa.You did say you have been there for three years and that might be an appropriate time to be moving onward and upward anyway. The main thing is to maintain good relationships with others, internally and externally, while you are there.If you do wind up leaving, stay positive about the firm in your public demeanor and don't burn bridges.It is a small world! Especially in QF.

Since this is the OT, let's celebrate with a traveling song...To young men who find it's time to:Ramble On - Led Zep

Maybe a short vacation

Well thanks for the advice and music.I'm now strongly leaning towards moving. I am equally if not more strongly leaning towards letting this idiot know what I think of him and/or simply not giving any fucks at all any more. Both additional ideas seems really tempting, and would probably feel really good. In addition to being impossibly dumb. Or is it? Can one burn a bridge to a place where you know you will never want to come back, or will this backfire and simply make me seem an arsonist... to everyone?So i guess that from a purely strategic position the best way forward is to cease any/all irony, eye-rolling, fraternizing with with my equally disillusionized colleagues but instead put a bit of effort into a "oh i haaaate to leave, and i learned so much, and it was such a great time, but i was approached by a head-hunter who still had me on file (not the other way around) and the offer was just too good to pass on" narrative.Also, how bad of an idea is it to quit before having lined up something new? From an economic ("me having to pay for shit") perspective it would have a limited impact, but probably like a new car driven off the lot, the moment i am "technically unemployed" my market value will detiorate rapidly?Side condition: 60 work days notice period. Yeah, that may seem like a lot, but that's the way it is.Ok, what do you think?

There is very little upside in burning bridges. I know numerous people who left a company and then ended up working back there, not least because of M&A activity. If they have someone that you do not rate and you move, they are a competitor. You might end up working with people there again in other firms (this has happened to me a lot as people move around). Keep quiet, get on with the work. If you are asked be objective and factual.

Agree with rmax - write a short story, throw tennis balls at a wall, take up a violent sport like rugby to express your aggression, but don't make a mess of things there. Even with your peers, you should more or less try to take the high road. They will remember your calm and dignity later.Acting out and especially confronting the nemesis could come back to haunt you in bizarre and unforeseen ways. For example, he must have friends somewhere, or he would not have gotten that job...so why create an enemy who is older and maybe more connected than you are right now.I would also say, find and secure your new job before quitting. That keeps you in a much better negotiating position, even if you could last a long time on your savings.Think about ideal jobs and locations, generate a few offers, and then pick the best one. PS: You don't need to explain when, how, or why you are moving on to your colleagues. You are taking care of your career and people move on all the time.I'd keep quiet about that until the very last minute before you go, though word may get around once you tell HR.

This boss does have a skill -- "looking great in the eyes of his superiors" -- that is more valuable than any other skill he possibly could have. In any battle of his word against your word, you will lose. I'd not burn any bridges. Even if it feels great emotionally, it will never reflect well on your reputation professionally.Is there anyway that the clients would/could talk to higher-up people about this guy? If the firm knew that this guy was hated by the cleints, they might change their minds about him.

QuoteOriginally posted by: Traden4AlphaThis boss does have a skill -- "looking great in the eyes of his superiors" -- that is more valuable than any other skill he possibly could have. In any battle of his word against your word, you will lose.Yes.I believe this is exactly what's going on, yet I don't know how. In any case it's probably save to assume that there are aspects in play I don't know of, which is never a really good position to be in. Lots of people complained about the guy A LOT but nothing happens. At the very least it might simply be that ih is my boss' boss (the person I would have to escalate to) who made the hiring decision and would have to acknowledge having hired an idiot.

People know each other from other places and times and sometimes favors are owed.For an excellent view on corporate politics, read The Prince.Though maybe you already have!Some say it is better to be feared than loved.