Ask HN: Manager listening to my calls, dropping references in open meetings

Hello Hacker News,

I wanted to share a situation I am in and ask for help or advice. I suspect there isn't much hope for me other than "get a new job ASAP."

My company has gone through some changes and a new executive was brought in to oversee my group.

This person's style is highly unusual, they do not do "open discussions." They never ask for anyone's opinion or advice. They seem to be intent on dictating everything. When they run a meeting, they do not let anyone discuss the topic. The meetings are highly controlled.

Things went from merely low-level intolerable to "wtf" recently for me when this manager began including specific words and phrases I had said to others in his weekly presentations.

It would be easy to assume this is accidental or maybe he overheard these phrases somehow from others. But after multiple iterations of this, I have become convinced he is somehow listening in to my conversations using the company communications app.

I feel he is taking this approach to cover for his lack of skills or qualifications, probably a fear driven strategy to preserve his job. He knows I am significantly more skilled than him so he seems to be dealing with that my trying to use indirect public shaming to control me.

I feel he is highly threatened by me. Despite repeated attempts to get 1:1 meetings with him (he moves them all or cancels them or schedules over them) to have a normal human conversation, he does not want to talk directly.

I am highly alarmed and feel invaded by what this guy seems to be doing. Is this common? I am so against this and find the practice completely repugnant. I would never do anything like this to my direct reports.

I need this job, but this environment is incredibly sick and off-putting. What do I do?