[VA] Weird workplace dynamics that I am not understanding. Need perspective. I don’t want to quit my newish job.

Most of my work experience has taken place at non-profits. My last job was awful, as I dealt with sexism and racism on the daily. One of my last supervisors taught me how terrible and dangerous stupidity really is, and how much it holds entire organizations back when it’s running the show. My nervous system and mental health were just wrecked by it. I was incredibly grateful to be hired at a university, after an exhausting and demoralizing job search. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly when I came on board. I really was in love with my job. I kept hearing about people who were hired and quit in the last 3 or more years. It kind of raised an eyebrow but I don’t put much thought into it as I was focused on learning my way around.

My boss raved about my work. Faculty complimented my work. I realized that there was a lot to learn to fully embrace my role there and deliver, but thought it would come in time. I have a counterpart in the office and really like working with her, we seemed to have a lot of common interests. They told me about their experience when they started, it was terrible but they stuck it out, they’ve been there for a decade. My boss has been there for 3, she immediately mentioned a power struggle with the other manager, who has been there for many years. My boss is the highest level of management in the office, second only to the Chair.

A few months ago, my boss and the other manager had an argument. It was bad. For weeks there was palpable tension and it sucked. I tried to stay out of it.

My boss has not been the same since. My training just kind of stopped. She said it’s easier for her to do some things than to explain how to do them to someone else. Still, a lot of what I’m expected to do, I’m just left to figure it out. I am also learning that my boss doesn’t understand some of my work, and her “managing” is actually more like over-complicating interference. I feel like I’m fluctuating between information deficit and wrong information. She’s also noticeably unhappy at times.

The other manager seems to have loyalists. Most of the office, in fact, including my counterpart. She does look out for her team. They are well trained, they are not micromanaged. I kind of envy that. They actually went to talk to the chair about my boss.

I mentioned to my counterpart that I was facing a big change in my personal life, but left it at that.

It seems that everyone in the office knew because they were all asking me if I was okay. I was, in fact, very okay. Just adjusting.

My boss called me in to “talk”. She told me not to sit on tasks. I had to clarify that the task she thought I was sitting on was actually something entirely different, a faculty member told her what it was, I told her what it was, but I had to explain a fourth time, that the task was not what she thought it was. So I took the opportunity to tell her that the sphere of my job was unclear. I felt like I had much more to learn and that I understood she was busy. Really, I’ve been noticing that my coworker was doing the work that I was hired to do. I’ve been feeling frustrated that boundaries in our office are so poorly defined.

Meanwhile, my counterpart feels my boss is overwhelmed and needs to delegate more work to her.

Yesterday, I noticed that another task that my boss has emphatically asked us to do was done by my counterpart. I have been doing it for months. So, I messaged my boss and asked if they were instructed to do so. My boss said she would ask them to stick to their own task. Immediately the entire office knew about it. They were seemingly inflamed about it. I have no idea what’s happening, but this dynamic is bullshit. I’m not there to be popular or social, but I also don’t want to be rude to anyone — and I definitely don’t want a target on my back. I really am just there to earn an income and develop professionally.

Can anyone provide insight? How do I keep my cool and proceed in a freaking landmine of office drama that I can’t even pinpoint? Is this even about me? I don’t want to lose my job and I don’t trust these people right now.