BLUF:Is it ever OK to request a meeting with my director (and without my direct manager) to attempt to get around roadblocks posed by my direct manager?
My relationship with my manager is challenging. She has 20+ directs and in my opinion is too distant from my work to fairly assess it. Our company has a semiannual career planning process coming up, and I'm getting mixed messages. Senior leadership tells us to embrace learning more about aspects of the business, but my attempts to do so have not gone over well with my supervisor.
Could it be acceptable to request a meeting with my skip-level director (without my direct supervisor)?
Rationale: I have a lot more to offer the company that should come out in a career planning process, but won't with this particular supervisor. I am planning to leave the company if nothing changes but want to give it a fair chance if we can improve things.
Of course this is terrifying because it could go badly wrong. Two people who know the director well have told me I have nothing to fear, that he is a good listener and will be open to my approach.