Should I go or should I stay now? - Job question

I left a truly toxic workplace about 16months ago. So... very recently, in other words. My buddy, who is a nice and kind man (nothing like me, in other words) stayed with the company. I moved to a new company and....... it's not quite working out. 

I work in Project Management and I'm damn good at it. I work on a senior project/program manager level or as manager for a PMO-department. I'm good at change management and I have implemented new processes and systems at earlier workplaces, with really good results. I was hired (as manager for the project managers) at this new place with the intention of making drastic improvements and changes to the way the project managers work. I was VERY clear during the hiring process that there is NO point in improving PM-skills if we don't also upgrade the Portfolio Management, Project Governance and yada yada ding dong etc. I also said "If you hire me to take the company thru this change, you must WANT to change and accept that change is necessary. Otherwise, it's not going to work". 

Well, as you guys guessed by now, it turned out that they don't want to change. Not really. My boss is constantly stepping on the brakes and desperately clinking to old (and VERY far from best practice routines) routines. I feel like a master chef who tries to serve fine dining to a table of people who thinks a good meal is going to the local pizza joint, instead McDonalds. They just don't get how far from best practice they are or how huge potential there is to be gained from a better way of working. I know I sound condescending when I say (write) that, but this is my expertise and I do know what I'm talking about. 

Bad things: This results in conflict. My boss is a VERY special person. Sleeps 4h per night, works and works and works some more, gets aggressive and loud when he doesn't agree with people and he doesn't agree with me quite often. We are both frustrated at this point. I'm bored, often unsure if he is happy with me or not, unsure of how he will react to news or suggestions, etc. I work with no enthusiasm and at a low pace, with a feeling that my work is pointless. 

Good things: They pay well! And I work from home 95% of the time, which I love. And the work/life-balance is really good. I really like my team and they like me. 

And now this: My buddy, (the guy who who stayed at the toxic place) has been promoted to local manager for the PMs. 3 high level manager (who basically all were (are?) the spawn of Satan and the root of MUCH of the issues at that company) has been fired/left. Things are much better and he needs a Senior PM. I would no longer have my own team and I'd work as a PM again, which feels like a step back, but not a huge bother. There are positive aspects to not having people reporting to you. It is a 5% pay cut, which I also can live with. I won't be able to work 100% from home, but around 4 days per week - reasonable.

No brainer, right? Right? Not so fast...... I have some  light ADHD and I get bored very easy. I HATE loud people and I quickly get frustrated with "red" people, if anyone understand the reference. Am I quitting too soon? Am I stupid for considering returning to the same company again? Advice, please....

You already know the answer. You just are trying to justify it in your head because some internal voice is telling you what you're "supposed" to do.

What will make you happiest?

In reply to Beer Baron :

That is a damn good answer! And you are absolutely right: I AM thinking of how it will look in my resume!
 

I'm just worried that I'm quitting too soon and that I'm going to regret not riding out the bad times. You know: Forming, storming, norming, performing. 

You know how it goes:  If I go, there will be trouble.  If I stay it will be double. 

In reply to Torkel :

It says a previous employer liked your work well enough to bring you *back*.

In reply to Torkel :

You can always redo your resume so that instead of:

Company A 2 years (or however long you worked there)

Co. B 1.5 years

Co. A whatever years you stay there this time

To:

Co. A, total time worked there

Co. B, total time worked there.

You don't have to say that you bounced back and forth in an effort to feel satisfied at work.  That isn't relevant to your skill level.

I think these days a single fast switch job change is not an issue at all. Besides that I don't think 16 months is considered too quick now (sadly).  

Torkel said:

I'm just worried that I'm quitting too soon and that I'm going to regret not riding out the bad times.

The bad times might get better. They might get worse. They might stay at roughly the same level of bad.

I know what order I'd rank how likely each of those possibilities is...

Beer Baron said:

Torkel said:

I'm just worried that I'm quitting too soon and that I'm going to regret not riding out the bad times.

The bad times might get better. They might get worse. They might stay at roughly the same level of bad.

I know what order I'd rank how likely each of those possibilities is...

Many thanks, that is solid advice. Reminding me of something I myself sometimes ask people to trigger action:"If nothing changes and you are in the same situation/position 6months from now, would that be ok?"

i would never take a paycut to willingly switch jobs...  5% may not seem like much, but that maybe 1/2 of your retirement savings or your annual vacation budget, etc.  

If you're a zero dollar budget where does 5% come from?  

If the company wants you bad enough ask for signing bonus of 5% and an out of band raise/review that would help you restore the delta over the initial 12 months.  They could even tie the signing bonus to your commitment to stay for a given period of time overcoming any fears that they have over you leaving one role after only 16 months.  

All of beer baron's advice sounds right to me, despite being firmly in the blue collar end. 
Go for it... being satisfied with what you do is worth it, and I don't see it as moving backwards at all. 

ClearWaterMS said:

i would never take a paycut to willingly switch jobs...  5% may not seem like much, but that maybe 1/2 of your retirement savings or your annual vacation budget, etc.  

It's cheaper than a heart attack.

ClearWaterMS said:

i would never take a paycut to willingly switch jobs...  5% may not seem like much, but that maybe 1/2 of your retirement savings or your annual vacation budget, etc.  

If you're a zero dollar budget where does 5% come from?  

If the company wants you bad enough ask for signing bonus of 5% and an out of band raise/review that would help you restore the delta over the initial 12 months.  They could even tie the signing bonus to your commitment to stay for a given period of time overcoming any fears that they have over you leaving one role after only 16 months.  

I get your point but I'm fortunate enough not to have those issues. The salary change is fair - I would go from managing 4 persons to no management responsibility at all. They are still offering me a very competitive salary, way above average. If they matched my current salary, I would get more then my new boss.

I make good money and I have a taste for racing Miatas, not Ferraris. That 5% would certainly not have any effect on my retirement savings or on the family budget, I don't live like that. It would be perhaps 20% less Torkel-play-with-cars-money a months. 

The whole signing bonus routine is a very American thing. Those kind of deals are pretty much unheard of here (Sweden).

Yeah, this seems like an easy decision based on finances, personal happiness, and work situation - all your criteria.

I also strongly second the comment that 16 months is no longer a short time, especially within the chaos of the last two-three years.

Good luck. Kudos to you for keeping relationships strong and being a good enough professional they want you.

A 5% change is going to be hard to notice on a single paycheck.  You don't want to be where you are and you're almost 1.5 years in.  It's not a new job anymore.  I'd split.  Having a manager that doesn't respect you and your work is not a good situation and can affect all sorts of things.  

Not sure it's a no-brainer to go back there but it does sound like a good idea. Your current employment situation doesn't sound very stable, your last place may offer that stability.

Flip a coin with heads stay, tails go. 

When you flip and hope for one particular side to land "up" you have your answer. 

I returned to a company I left after 14 years.  It was good for 7 years until a bigger company bought us and then I left after 2 years of the new ownership.

Go back - get matching money.  

Torkel said:

"My boss is a VERY special person. Sleeps 4h per night, works and works and works some more, gets aggressive and loud when he doesn't agree with people and he doesn't agree with me quite often."

This doesn't sound like a sustainable situation regardless of how you cut it.

And I agree... going back to a company doesn't look bad on paper. If it were 3-6 months I might see it differently. But it has been over a year. 

And while everything looks better going back, be wary of working not with... but for a buddy. It can be a fast track to ruining a relationship or another toxic work environment. It all depends on the people involved. As a matter of practice I avoid it based on a number of situations I and other friends have been in. I've seen people not be able to manage the balance between the friendship and their responsibility as being a friend's manager.

To me, going back to the previous company sounds like a better option than staying where you are, but the best option IMO — in ways the hardest option and with the most unknown — is finding a new spot altogether. 

This seems like a no brainer. 16 months is plenty of time in this era. 

Thank you all for your input and advice! Much appreciated!

"Well, that escalated quickly!"

I have had an informal and quick interview with my old boss. He'd love to have me back and want med to come asap. One more interview (with his boss) to go before I can expect an offer. 

Meanwhile at my current place: I've had 2 1on1-meetings with my current boss (we do them weekly). Last week I asked if the company was doing buy-outs (they don't), regarding another colleagues who is also leaving. I also checked what my notice period is - it's three months. In this weeks meeting (7minutes ago, actually), he was in a bad mood. Started interrupting me, picking on little bullE36 M3 things, raising his voice, talking over me, etc. And suddenly, I just realized that "This is bullE36 M3.". I told him that I'm not going to accept that he treats me in such a disrespectful manner, but that I'm happy to restart the conversation when he had cooled down and were ready to have a respectful dialog. 

We hung up - he is now checking if it is possible to reduce my notice period. Fun times...

Good for you not letting him treat you like E36 M3. What is this notice period? Do you have a contract with a financial incentive to stay for a period after giving notice? They don't own you, just rent so if you want to walk away they can't make you stay (that I have ever seen, I am curious). They can try to enforce a non compete and they can try to not pay you out money that you would otherwise owe but I have never seen a deal where you can't leave.

Does he have to give you 3 months notice to fire you?  berkeley that guy.

It's a notice period, just as you have in standard employment contracts in the US. Here, 3months (instead of your standard 2 weeks) is pretty common. 
 

Basically, they have to pay me three months salary from the day of giving me notice. On my side, I have to stay and work for 3months after resigning. Failure to fulfill the contract can result in legal actions and one part being forced to pay damages. But it pretty much never ever comes to that. Normal procedure is that you work your three months, so that the employer can find a replacement for you and you can hand over in a controlled and professional way. Or you reach a mutual agreement to cut the period short.