When to go over the boss's head?

[masraum]

SWEET!!!

All is right in the universe for a change.

It's not unusual for things to NOT work out how they should. Based on the info that you were providing about the German boss, it seems he could see the reality.

Congrats!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Congrats Rick! Sounds like you made the right decisions in the end, I give you a lot of credit for sticking it out.

[MBAtarga]

Glad you stuck it out and stayed under the radar! Congrats!

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I may be having delusions of grandeur, but in my perfect scenario, my friend would get hired and he and I would be tasked with turning things around in the US, left totally on our own to figure it out, but with whatever support we needed, and then held accountable. The way the scheduling is looking, the only way this thing can come together is by hiring my friend and having him go to Germany a week or two before the rest of us show up for our annual event. Then, as soon as we get back, we have to prep for a trade show in St. Louis. My buddy and I are experts at the trade show booth thing. I just don't know what's going to happen.

BTW, the above is exactly what's happening now. Still cannot process.

[Crowbob]

See post #80...

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

CRAZY UPDATE.

Boss was fired today, I keep my job and now report directly to big German boss. This day has been insane, still cannot process.

So you wear the white hat in USA now? that's what I would read it as, especially if you inherit his duties.

rjp

[dafischer]

Well played, Rick. Congrats.

[Rick Lee]

UPDATE

I'm in Germany now, got here a week ago and the company event is over. Most of my co-workers in sales said to me, either one on one or in small groups, that they are happy about how things turned out and how much better the vibe was at the event this year compared to previous years. Only one or two really slammed my old boss, but it was clear he didn't have a big fan club here. My good buddy who just got hired is staying for another week for training, but is really drinking from a fire hose. He hasn't gotten his computer or access to his emails yet. He'll have a full inbox of tasks as soon as he does. Two nights ago we were on a big boat for a ride up and down the Main River with the entire company. The CEO pulled me aside and said he understood how stressful the last few weeks had probably been for me, that he appreciated my work and had full confidence my buddy and I would be able to turn things around in the US in short order.

Honestly, I've traded one big problem for a set of bigger problems. But they are solvable and my buddy, a former Marine, has an even more can-do attitude than I do. I know we are gonna get our balls busted hard, but we can knock this out together. And the best part is that, when we start showing results, we are gonna be left alone, make good money and be free to do things our own way.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

UPDATE

....And the best part is that, when we start showing results, we are gonna be left alone, make good money and be free to do things our own way.

Pretty awesome outcome Rick! I thrive in that mode...y'all will too

[masraum]

Fantastic update, Rick!

[Seahawk]

Good.

You deserve the opportunity.

Go kick ass.

[Baz]

Happy for you, Rick. I know how important our work life is - and how stressful it can be when things aren't going smoothly.

Best of luck to you going forward.....give 'em hell!

[Rick Lee]

A final update .... and it's not good.

I was canned on Monday. Saving my salary might keep my friend employed there a little longer, and he's inheriting a healthy sales pipeline from me.

In October we had a conference call, on which the CEO and US-based admin. person did a screen share of the finances for us all to see how dire the situation was. They were basically betting (and with long odds) on some invoices getting paid to make payroll through the end of the year. The trade shows my co-worker suggested we need to be at to drum up leads in 2019, though cheap to attend, went out the window. And the one expensive one, coming up in six weeks, we had already paid for, we can't get out of.

This is how it went down and it really, really sucks.

A large deal I had been working on since August had died and come back to life several times. The Germans told us to offer 20% off to anyone who could sign by the end of the year. That brought this deal back to life, then the customer said a week later they just couldn't get it approved until late Jan. Dead again. Then a week later, while having lunch with my folks on a day off before Xmas, I got a call that the deal was back on. I jumped into action, worked Xmas Eve and even Xmas Day on this contract. No Germans were around to help at all and I was flying blind with no lifelines for help. I texted my German boss and he acted almost like he couldn't be bothered. Though we all know Germans take vacation time very seriously. I was on my own. After much back and forth and a lot of help from a co-worker I found in Brazil, I got it done, contract was signed and returned with one hour left in the day on 12/31. This was for $33k and our avg. deal size is about $7k. So nothing to sneeze at. And another $10k for implementation for this contract to be signed in January.

On my German boss's first day back at work last Friday, he texted me to make myself available for a call with him and HR on Monday at 7am. Then he called me. I let him have it. "Are you effing kidding me?!?!? This is the reward I get for moving mountains to close this deal?" Boss was pretty upset and confided that his own future there was now in doubt. He's a board member and is untouchable! But he is so embarrassed for having personally overpromised the CEO that firing my old American boss was all that was needed to turn things around in the US.

On the call this Monday with HR, my German boss was having a panic attack and could barely speak, couldn't add 14 days to January 7th, etc. It was no fun.

Anyone out there hiring a seasoned sales pro who speaks pretty good German?

[stomachmonkey]

Well that sucks.

Sorry Rick.

[masraum]

Wow, I'm really sorry to hear this news. Good luck, Rick. I'm sure you'll land on your feet and hit the ground running.

[ckelly78z]

Ah, work place drama.....some of the same chit has been happening at my company, but mostly with upper foreign management. There have been lots of early retirements, and re-assignments, with not alot of qualified replacements. Luckily, my job hasn't been affected. Good luck.

[Jim Bremner]

Damn.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Damn Rick, that seriously sucks. I know you'll land on your feet but I'm sorry it panned out this way. Best of luck with bouncing back quickly, I've been there.

[legion]

5 months isn't a whole lot of time to recover from a bad manager. Things have been pretty bad for awhile and the Germans weren't letting on.

[speeder]

Sorry to hear it but when you've done everything right to the best of your ability, what else can you do?

Will they at least give you some sterling reference for your next job?