How does a employee deal with an incompetent manager? Someone who was promoted due to no other applicants and none of the other works have confidence in?
When ordered to do something inimicable to the company, get the manager to put it in an email or other written memo, "so i am sure i get it right". Protects you when later the fool tries to throw You under the bus for her mistakes!
I went through that similar situation whilst working on the Railways, we had a District Manager ( Boss of our Section) who was deliberately sent out into the ' back blocks' where they thought he could do the least amount of damage.
He was, and I'm being quite factually honest here btw, a complete and utter Dickhead which suited his name, that being Richard Richardson, a.k.a 'Dick da Dick', everything was run as if an Infants school child had been in charge, no discipline, no order, no directions from the top, just rank stupidity and childishness week after week.
Thankfully they replaced him with a REAL Manager and everything began to operate as it should.
If they are that incompetent they won't last forever. Not sure what your industry is but managers don't last all that long in my experience. Sometimes the worst ones go down the hardest. Keep your nose clean. Do your job the best you can and enjoy the show.
@RapidCityKelly Always an option as well.
I once had a supervisor who was less qualified for his position than me. I wouldn't say he was incompetent. He was partially responsible for hiring me, so he couldn't have been all that bad. I just did my job to the best of my ability. Mine was a technical position and his a combination of management and technical. Eventually, he discovered that my knowledge of the field far surpassed his, but he would do things that really bothered me. He would not give me access to some information that was critical to my job, which I interpreted as a way to protect his turf. He would often stand over my shoulder while I was working, questioning everything I did. I eventually stopped working when he did this and just stare at him (passive-aggressive behavior on my part?) until he went away. To make a short story long, I ended up creating my own position in the company, most of which was outside of his domain, and eventually became his supervisor.
Does this person care? I mean, enough to listen to employees who could be supportive with good advice?
If policies are being broken, there is HR. Shop steward if you have a Union. The manager’s manager if you think it’s safe.
Finally, my personal fave: sabotage.
@RapidCityKelly Yeah, the smaller businesses can be the worst, or the best, depending on the people. Several times in my life I just had to decide if my work environment was unhealthy enough to justify leaving, and did. Luckily, I can do enough different things, and had a good enough reputation, that I always “landed on my feet.” We spend so much time at work, that a toxic work environment really can impact your health, and what price do you put on that?
Dilbert principle - it's what runs America businesses.
I threatened to quit and asked to be moved to another part of the company. That plan backfired when the incompetent manager was given half of my group, all the people I recruited, hired, and trained, and suddenly I was one of his peer managers. He eventually screwed that up and went back to the department he came from. Should have been fired, the asswipe. Kelly, you need to move to another manager, or another company. In my experience, this won't improve for you any other way.
@RapidCityKelly Life is too short, good call!
Is he/she a relative of the owner? Blood,or through marriage? A longtime employee,trusted,but failing miserably?
@RapidCityKelly If they are efficient and productive,work becomes almost a joy,but the introduction of "Kingdom Makers",rapidly spoils any pleasure there. Aerospace work is like that,a new manager turns almost everything upside down,putting up charts,diagrams,efficiencies,until another comes along.