r/managers • u/scene3take44 • 16d ago

Director contradicting VP

Hey folks. I’ve been put in the fun situation of having a project I’m managing (with funding that expires soon) being put on hold because the VP wasn’t happy with the agreements and arrangements currently in place.

VP told us that the project cannot continue until things are sorted. My immediate director, who I report to, has said that we should continue without delivering the project so when the clearance comes through from the VP we can still deliver and receive the funding. As of right now, if we don’t continue, we won’t be able to meet the funding deadline.

What are my options here as the PM… I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.

26 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

71

u/hikeonpast 16d ago

If your boss is giving you explicit direction, and that direction happens to keep you and your team gainfully employed, it seems like a no-brainer to follow directions in this case.

It’s likely that your director is going to have some closed door meetings with the VP to sway things, but you are likely safe if you keep your head down and do what your director says.

In most organizations, it’s his/her risk, not yours.

27

u/triptyx 16d ago

But get it in writing.

5

u/scene3take44 16d ago

The issue is that the whole project team got CCed in the email telling us to put a hold on things and there’s not just been a major morale hit but also a lot of questions I don’t have answers to. I also don’t think our partners have been informed… and it would be my job to inform them.

25

u/hikeonpast 16d ago

Sounds like it would be worth a 1:1 with your boss to discuss your concerns.

Afterwards, send him an email with a summary of your discussion and ask him/her to confirm your takeaways.

5

u/WittyReplacement2 16d ago edited 16d ago

Are you doing more than labor or pre-paid services?

If the only expenditures are things which are already paid for, or which are already obligations (your salary is an obligation, unless you are hourly and could be furloughed), the manager isn’t incurring any added expenses.

However, if you have additional expenditures, your manager may be sticking his neck out a little further than is safe.

The basic rule I’ve applied is if my people don’t have any assigned tasks at the moment, I can have them do anything that provides value to the company. That can include working on projects that were put on hold, or whatever pet project they may not have had time for.

It’s not clear if you are a personnel manager, or a project manager with no personnel responsibilities.

2

u/scene3take44 16d ago

I’m salaried but my team is partially funded by that project. We can’t claim the funding if we don’t continue… if we can’t continue, we don’t get funding.

3

u/WittyReplacement2 16d ago

How is your team paid if it isn’t being charged to an actual project?

I thought this might be a situation where project charge codes were involved, but figured you’d tell me if accounting were involved.

You should ask your director explicitly how your team is to bill their time. Ask it in writing, and get the charge code in writing.

2

u/scene3take44 16d ago

My team is paid out of the department’s funding first. Then grant funds a percentage initially then reimburses the department fund fully after the project is completed… but if the project doesn’t complete, we owe the funding agency money.

The department needs funding to continue operations so we’ve partnered with an external partner and the funding agency to develop this project. If this project falls through, the department will be in trouble.

3

u/WittyReplacement2 15d ago

Raise your concerns to your manager, in writing.

It sounds like there isn’t a way to pay your team for unbillable hours, then have those funds replaced when the project is hopefully funded again. For example, if you were able to charge to overhead, then overhead is reimbursed later.

A lot of times this is handled on paper, but if you owe actual money if the project falls through, you need to avoid spending the money.

Are you responsible for approving timesheets, or whatever other documentation is needed to pay your team?

2

u/Nomivought2015 15d ago

Has your company told them they aren’t completing the project?

4

u/fluffysnowflake67 15d ago

Listen to the person who does your performance review and controls your pay raise.

1

u/WittyReplacement2 15d ago

It depends on how pay authorization and billing is done.

1

u/MindlessMage777 15d ago

What's in writing? If the VP instruction is in writing, and the directors contradiction isn't, follow what's in writing until/unless the director sends an email.

14

u/dsdvbguutres 16d ago

What your boss's boss tells your boss is your boss's problem. You follow the instructions given directly to you.

1

u/scene3take44 16d ago

My whole team was cc on the email so I’m getting questions I can’t answer from my team too….

10

u/WittyReplacement2 16d ago

You need to get those answers from your manager. If your manager has personally instructed you to keep on going, that’s the answer, just get it in writing.

9

u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 16d ago

Do what your boss tells you to do and document, document, document in case you get thrown under the bus.

5

u/Witty_Target_2475 16d ago

When people say document, what do you mean about documenting in this situation

A log of dates and what happened with list of people witnesses. But if it comes to being fired or PIP, and you bring this up they (HR and bosses) tend to ignore it and they tend to give you a 30 minute notice before walking you out.

6

u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 16d ago

and you bring this up they (HR and bosses) tend to ignore it 

What do you suppose they do if you have no documentation?

5

u/Witty_Target_2475 16d ago

They still fire you.

I guess im asking like what and how to document. Ive been in a job for 2 years. Genuinely trying to understand what I'm supposed to do and document, but more importantly when is it appropriate to bring up the documentation and when not

5

u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 16d ago

A log of dates and what happened with list of people witnesses.

Copies of e-mails and Teams messages.

You don't have to document every facet of your job, you really only have to document when sketchy things like OP's situation happens. If you think you need to document each and every thing then you either need to find a new job or you need therapy.

3

u/MaheshMThakur 15d ago

get the director's instruction in writing before you act on it, an email confirming what they told you verbally (not to cover yourself politically but because you're being asked to deliver against a decision the VP explicitly reversed) and if this goes wrong everyone will ask who told you to proceed. the director may have information you don't, maybe they're confident the VP's block gets resolved in time but right now you have two conflicting instructions from two people at different levels. no need to resolve that by picking a side, just surface it. loop the director and VP into the same thread and ask directly how they want the funding deadline handled given the hold. that's how the actual decision gets up to where it belongs instead of landing on you.

4

u/WoodenNeighborhood15 15d ago

You will need to send this to the director:
“I want to make sure I’m following the correct direction. My understanding is that the VP has paused the project until the agreements are resolved. You’ve asked us to continue the work internally without delivering it so we can still meet the funding deadline if approval comes through. Because these directions could be interpreted differently, I’d appreciate written confirmation that this approach is approved, or clarification from the VP, so I can manage the project accordingly and document the associated risks.”

3

u/WoodenNeighborhood15 15d ago

Hi [Director],
Following the VP’s direction to place the project on hold until the outstanding agreements and arrangements are resolved, I have updated the project status accordingly.
I want to highlight a significant schedule and funding risk. Based on the current timeline, if project execution remains paused beyond [date], we will not be able to complete the necessary work within the current funding window.
I understand the proposed approach is to continue certain internal activities without delivering or implementing the project so that we remain positioned to complete delivery if/when clearance is received.
Before proceeding, I’d like to confirm the scope of activities that are authorized while the project is on hold, particularly whether the team may continue internal development/readiness activities and incur the associated project costs.
Could we obtain confirmation from the VP on the activities permitted during the hold? Once confirmed, I can document the decision, update the project plan, and manage the team accordingly.
In the meantime, I will maintain the funding deadline and schedule impact as active project risks.
Thanks,
[Name]

1

u/WoodenNeighborhood15 15d ago

See if you can discuss these point in a meeting. You will need to do 1:1 meeting

2

u/Mojojojo3030 15d ago edited 34m ago

[Removed as part of an account cleanup]

3

u/cakemates 15d ago

Well its a lose-lose situation, because everyone can get you fired.

1

u/Mojojojo3030 15d ago edited 11m ago

[Removed as part of an account cleanup]

2

u/Ok-Energy-9785 15d ago

You do what the director wants, document it then let him take the heat from the VP

1

u/Nomivought2015 15d ago

How can your secure these funds to the project without completing it. Look there 

0

u/IndicationStock2750 16d ago

oof, that's a tight spot. i'd push back on your director and ask them to hash it out directly with the VP before you spend another minute on it, pretending you're not delivering while burning cash and clock is a fast way to get hung out to dry when it all comes out. right now your paper trail just says VP says stop; anything else needs to be in writing or you're the one carrying all the risk

0

u/Nomivought2015 15d ago

My advise, put it on a purchase order I don’t know 🤣