QUESTION: My manager has put the blame solely on me for the failure of the Project, even though he was equally responsible.
REALTY: You do not have the right contact with your manager’s peers and with the manager’s superior to explain your side of the story.
Some employees have bitter experiences with their managers’) particularly when a project fails. They-also feel that they are being mocked at by other teams and may receive a ‘poor’ appraisal rating and, consequently, a. lower salary hike. (Here, do note that in addition to a team’s goal, one is also appraised on one’s individual contribution; therefore, even in .the case of a failed project, if one has contributed well, one could get a ‘good’ appraisal rating.)
In all this, the manager seems unaffected; he has even identified a few scapegoats and pinned the failure on them. When you are saddled with such a bad manager, it is important that you tell your side of the story to the manager’s manager. And this should be done quickly, not at the very end. It should be done when you detect the first sign of failure in a project and know that there’s no good leadership around to salvage the situation. You could seek help from your mentors, as also from the manager’s peer group, if appropriate. When you find that there are issues that will jeopardize ‘a project, you could promptly send an e-mail to key people raising these issues, or explain these problems at project meetings where multiple teams are present. It is important that the escalation should happen at the right time.
But let us also consider other aspects. In the case of a failed project, the manager too would get his share of the flak from his superiors—but not in front of the team members. The manager could be replaced or transferred in due course, or he might be given less responsibility in the future—by way of a reduced team size or by placing him in a less complex project. It’s when such things don’t happen immediately that the team members feel the manager is being allowed to get away ‘without facing the consequences.
But the matter takes a worse turn when the manager is promoted or given greater responsibilities. As an aggrieved team member, you may also have to realize that the manager could well have raised issues about the project in a timely manner and had sought help which was not granted. He might have also told his superiors at the outset that the project was risky and while he would do his best, the project outcome should not impact him. Furthermore, he might have asked for the replacement of those ‘scapegoats’ during the project execution phase, which might not have been granted by the management. There’s also a possibility that the management might have felt that he had taken all the right steps, and so there was no reason to punish him. And his promotion could well have to do with natural career progression.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AS THE EMPLOYEE? It is incorrect on your part to form an opinion based on appearances, as you are not privy to the conversation between your manager and his boss. There could be many reasons behind the current situation, and it is better for you to focus on how to learn from this failed project and apply the lessons to future tasks. Also, see to it that your contributions are visible even beyond your immediate team.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AS THE MANAGER? Team members expect you to make a correct assessment of any situation. You should not hold employees responsible for events outside their scope. Even if a project fails, you should recognize the contribution of those who went beyond their call of duty and did their best to make it successful. Any assessment of team performance should be carried out objectively, weighing each individual’s performance against the responsibility assigned to him.
