The Life of a Twenty-Something...growing up.

Letter I want to give to my idiotic manager for being so stupid.

I really, really want to send this to him for being such an idiot.  I am planning on resigning from my company because my manager is completely incapable of doing what his title requires—“managing.”  It is a bit mean and I may not send it to him, but God, I wish I could!  Read, laugh, enjoy.

I had been thinking of leaving the company long before you suggested it this past Thursday, though I was very surprised you suggested that I consider it.  The reasons I am surprised is because, you, being my manager, should have the goal to help develop me to be better, not suggest I quit when you can’t help me.  I wonder that should I have caused your retention rating to dip below the required minimum 33%, would you have reconsidered suggesting I leave the company?

I think what bothered me most about this company is the fact that I received very little individualized direction or help from management, even though I actively reached out for guidance and help.  I was asked on more than one occasion, “where are your apps for this week?” but I was not helped at all to prospect nor was I given much assistance with my cases.  When I did turn in applications, I was happy to be able to—though I wondered why on earth I should be working this hard to get these in when the only help I received, though useful, was product training with Dana.  Dana did her job very well and for that I am grateful; why didn’t you do your job to help me when I needed it?

The turnover rate was always a huge red light to me in the beginning, are we really that easily disposable to the company?  What bothers me is I am not paid to make the phone calls I make, the 52+ long (and now useless) hours I spent studying for my Life and Health Exam, my 60-mile round trip commute, the time I spent in endless trainings.  You know that, and while you understand that, you have done very little to help me get paid.

Though in our conversation on Thursday we discussed how I was frustrated with this company because I am always above-average and have always succeeded in all that I attempt, I feel that in this company, my reasons for not succeeding are not my lack of effort nor my lack of ability, it was the lacking from my Partner who is hired for the sole purpose of guiding me to success.  I did not fail; I feel the company failed to fulfill its promise and its obligation to me.  You are compensated for managing and leading a team of individuals, I ask, what sort of ethical manager aims to only keep 33% of his employees are required by the company?

You said that you did not survive in this industry 22 years without “having done something right,” if that is the case, why couldn’t you effective teach your team that?  Why couldn’t you transcend that?  In all the tasks I have succeeded in and spent far less than 22 years doing, I can teach anybody how to do them, and they would learn to perform them better than I could because I’ll let them know my mistakes well in advanced.

Yes, it would be wrong of me to blame you 100%, I do feel that you are a great deal responsible.  The man who spoke at the kick-off said new agents must have good work-ethic and be coachable; I am both those things, yet I lacked a coach.

Though I appreciate you agreeing to make phone calls with me today, I do not find that to be effective nor timely; had you offered this service when I was struggling back in November or early January, I think it would have been better served.  For you to do this is a kind gesture, yet completely untimely and will not be a productive use of my time.