u/amateur2166

There is a board that oversees the governance of the organisation, but essentially they leave the CE to 'run' everything with very little oversight, aside from checking the financially each month.

The CE is an inconvenient combination of micromanager, that is rarely in the office and takes a lot of leave, often holding up processes or leaving things completely up in the air until they get back or remember to look at it again. They will tell middle management that they have delegated authority in their absence, but will be upset if anyone dares to actually make a decision on anything before they return.

Recently their have been complaints made about employee conduct that ultimately go no where, because the CE favours the employee in question, with no follow up or even a response to complainants. The CE have themselves flipped out at middle managers recently, with no apologies or admission of wrongdoing, just carry on as if nothing happened.

So my question - has anyone here gone to the board or over the head of your CE to make a formal complaint? How did that work out for you - was it taken seriously or brushed off, did you ultimately end up leaving the organisation/company? This is a not-for-profit organisation, so less about KPIs that are more easily monitored, however this laissez faire attitude will impact our funding and very well already may have.

Half rant half discussion topic for anyone that's been in this position..

I'm EA to the CEO, and support the senior leadership team when I've got capacity. Last year we hired an Ops manager after a long hunt for the right skillset within the right person to fit with organizational culture.

My boss and the Ops manager have never really gelled, for a variety of reasons, and the CE recently asked for my perspective on a situation involving multiple management staff. Concerns largely lay with the Ops manager, and as much as I tried to offer a different perspective, a reasonable possible explanation, the apparent lies keep coming.

I've long wondered how this person actually got the job - particularly as they are paid significantly more than all other managers - with apparently so little skills or experience relating to the responsibilities at hand. I assist them with often basic tasks, not because they're snowed under, but because they actually don't know how to do them. Trust me when I say I've tried teaching them.. But alas to no avail.

I actually have the requisite skills and experience to do the job, quite easily. I don't say that with arrogance, it's simply how it is, as I have a much broader skillset outside of my current role. It's becoming painful to watch them struggle tbh, and even more difficult to maintain objectivity when I too see their shortcomings. I recently joked about taking the role if they left, but the CE doesn't want to go through the hunt of finding a new EA, so unlikely. Would be nice to have more than double my current salary though..