If you've been given a performance improvement plan you know exactly what you have to do to keep your job. Some conflict-averse bosses might delay confronting you with performance concerns. Here are some less direct indications that something is wrong:
- Your co-workers are doing your job - If your co-workers are picking up your assignments and doing (or re-doing) your tasks, that's a bad sign. It's certainly going to cause resentment among them. If your boss is redirecting work away from you, that's a worse sign.
- Meetings get held without you - If project meetings are held and you're not invited, you should be suspicious. Be a little careful with this one, though, because it's not like you have to attend every meeting or your job is in jeopardy. Sometimes there are legitimate reason to limit the number of meeting participants. If in doubt, ask your boss.
- Getting assigned to 'Special Projects' - Again, use common sense here. Some Special Projects really are special; others are just places to put people where they can't do much damage. Especially at the executive level, being assigned to Special Projects is just a code for 'we don't know what to do with you."
So what do you do if you find yourself in one of these situations? I think you know the answer: you have to talk with your boss and find out what's going on. Use the techniques in Dealing with Difficult People. It's especially important not to be confrontational or demanding. Just ask "I thought I should have attended yesterday's meeting since I have an important role on the project. Is there a reason I wasn't invited?", for example. If there's no problem, your boss should tell you. If there is a problem, the sooner it gets addressed, the better (assuming you don't want to get fired).
