Senior Manager: "We'd like to see more of your work and impact on our unit."
Me: "Could I ask you to involve me in any project I could take on, on top of my current commitments?"
Senior Manager: "Just concentrate on your current commitments and that will be enough."
[Two months later, during the exit interview]
Senior Manager: "Your projects weren't impactful enough."
Me: "But on top of my projects, I also volunteered for a project intended for my manager."
Senior Manager: [Cricket sound]
My Manager: "I'm creating this wonderful career plan for you that you could use for your whole career."
Me: "That's wonderful."
[After the exit interview]
Me: "I'm sad the points brought up weren't mentioned in my career plan, but could I ask for the file you intended for my whole career?"
My Manager: [Cricket sound]
(All this after I moved from Amsterdam to Paris at their request, worked more hours than expected, and raised uncomfortable questions that were impacting the team.)
