Replacing a Demoted Manager

Based on your post, I'd say stop worrying about this guy.  I could be wrong, because you've essentially expected us to throw him under the bus based on a pile of innuendo that will get YOU in trouble now that you're a manager.  

I really dislike having to make recommendations that include phrases like, "let's just say it did not go well."  When you follow that with, "assuming he doesn't take a swing at me" you encourage conjectures that are inherently inaccurate.

What does "no love lost" mean?

You don't "need" your folks to see you as a leader.  You need to lead.  You haven't yet, and expecting them to see you as a leader without that is asking for them to celebrate before you've earned it.

You're "fairly certain" he will "undermine" you.  I'm not certain, lacking much more details of what you know of his lobbying, his behavior as interim, and the specifics of ONE meeting he had. 

To answer your questions:

1a.  Manage him as you would everyone else.  Treat him with respect - that's how one earns respect.  If you treat him as an enemy, you imply it's legitimate or you insult him by suggesting he would be such.  That will breed DISRESPECT.  He will feel that you are doing so because you are not confident in your power and must put down others who might be a threat.  Work on your relationship with him. Have one on ones, like you're going to do with everyone else, because he's part of the team until significant actions on his part prove he's not.

1b. How are you going to feel if he comes in as a professional?  All this time spent thinking about defense against him, rather than on what it should be spent on - getting the most out of you and your team.  You win by leveraging the good. 

1c.  Give him the benefit of the doubt.  If he does something to ruin that, THAT will be HIS mistake.  Address THAT, not some conspiracy.

1d.  If he addresses you disrespectfully but privately, and HE is clear that the source of his issue is you getting the job he feels he deserved, tell him that time is past and you want him to be a part of the team.  Ask him to keep that to himself, and sharing that with others is unprofessional.  THEN it will be on his head.

1e.  If he actively works against you, talk to him about it repeatedly and keep the company informed.  Be careful you have facts and behaviors as opposed to general fears and low team performance (which always happens during transitions and may not be due to his actions.)  If it goes on long enough and is noteworthy, the company will likely help you get rid of him. It will be a failure, but that happens too.

2a. Address the rest of the team as if he is not a threat, not a problem, not an issue.  If he MAKES himself one, they'll align with you.  If you align against him, they will assume you could do that to them...without cause, if this guy does nothing overt.  Do what good managers do.

2b.  NO, do NOT address them separately.  He's part of the team until he steps away due to his overt behaviors.

2c.  Again, your team doesn't owe you any rallying yet.  If you behave as a professional, and set a standard of that, his unprofessional behaviors will stand out IF he does anything.  If he doesn't, everyone will be on the page you're setting the example of.

2d.  There's going to be gossip.  Address it politely, but don't punish.  There's a cast on that.

Your next to last paragraph is false, in the sense that someone else's behavior can keep you from being a leader.  Lacking the nature of his egregious interim performance and awful response in the ONE meeting, I'd say your thoughts are heading in the wrong direction.

Mark

 I had to chime in to say that strikes me as such a (galactically!) good and comprehensive answer by Mark - it's like a textbook example of so many things that I understand MT to be about.

I have been in a similar situation and Mark is right on.  Lead and you will earn the respect of the team.  Treat everyone on the team with equal respect and accountable to the same standards.  Understand there will be gossip - and there is nothing you can do about it.  Trust me - if you are a positive professional leader the team will rally around.  If he does participate in behavior that is detremental to the team, give feedback and document. 

I have a situation that is a little different from Bluestreak's but would appreciate comments and any recommendations.

Should I stay and tough it out, or should I start looking for ways out the door.

Here's the situation, a little less and 2 1/2 years ago, my supervisor retired and I was appointed to his post (while still retaining mine) on a interim status.  Officially, my
responsibilities increased from 11 to 28 staff (9 to 15 directs or so) and the
oversight from 2 admin units to 5.  (I received a salary suppliment due to this
increase in responsibilities).

The transition was relatively smooth because for the years prior to my supervisor's
retirement, I was involved (and actually did) much of the work of the Unit.  (I also redelegated many of my old tasks) 

The vacant post which I have been "occupying" has now been opened three times for
selection. 

The first two times, it closed due to "technicalities".   I was informed during the second process that I was not selected but due to technicalities with bringing in the other selection, the process ended without anyone being hired (hey, I was getting the work done in the meantime, right?)   Without getting into the details of this failed selection process (I was told I didn't have the right profile, whatever that means), I was left very frustrated and bothered.

However, in an effort to improve my work, I discovered Manager Tools, and have since improved significantly (I think) and now apply O3s, routine staff meetings, feedback, etc.  (thing DO happen for a reason). 

I was preparing for the interview with the Interview series podcasts, was selected as a shortlisted candidate and informed that interviews were planned for last week.

However, at the last minute, the interviews were abruptly cancelled and I was informed that due to a redeployment situation, a senior level person (one grade higher than the post I am applying for) will be transferred from a different office in a different continent to this post.  (My organization has a very generous redeployment process when posts are eliminated and this person's post had been eliminated due to delayering)

Thus, the vacant post which I have been performing, efficiently and effectively (at least since I discovered MT last October) and keeping warm for 2 1/2 years is going to be used to resolve this redeployment case.  

My issues include:

- The person does not have the background or professional profile to fulfill the post description responsibilties.  I have been unofficially informed that I will continue carryout the role and this individual will take one item and expand upon it (I assume that other work will eventually be delegated to him)
 

- The individual will get the post and keep his higher salary while I do the work.

- In order to maintain continuity, I have been requested to keep the "big" office and find a different "regular" office for this individual.

- He reaches mandatory retirement age in four years

- I am 43.

- He will officially be my supervisor.

- When I consider his perspective, I assume he isn't too happy about changing countries to do work that he hasn't been trained for.

- I like the work I do and my life in the country where I live (and I still have a good job).  If i want to change jobs, I will need to change countries.

- I have been surprising at peace over the whole situation.At this point, I would appreciate any comments or feedback, recommendations and guidance from fellow members.  I am not sure what my next steps will be and am trying to gather ideas.

Thank you,

Mike

 Hard as it might be I'd recommend just keep performing in the role (or at least those parts that remain with you).  Keep up the O3s, Feedback &c.  Prepare a briefing book for this new guy.  Resist the urge to 'stick the knife in'.  Make sure that what you are doing is acknowledged and recorded (present evidence at your performance reviews)  without throwing him under a bus or dropping dimes.  Be Professional.

If you haven't moved in upwards/diagonally past this guy by the time he retires in 4 years you should be in a stronger position to just slot in or to beat the pants off anyone else in a selection process.

Alternatively, apply what I said in the first paragraph whilst getting your resume out there and look for a different job.

 Stephen

--

Skype: stephenbooth_uk  | DiSC: 6137

"Start with the customer and work backwards, not with the tools and work forwards" - James Womack

Mike, I would stay.  It sounds like you like your company and a relocation is not desirable at all.  It also sounds like you have a good perspective and are not bitter over not being chosen.  Becuase it sounds like you are interested in moving up I would ask your boss what weaknesses kept you from getting the job.  I would insist on specific and measurable items that you can work on.  This way you can put together a plan and demonstrate measurable improvment. 

I think the feedback you recieve from you boss will let you know if you can move up with your present employer or not.  If you are given a lot of general, vague and non-measurable answers I would suspect a promotion is not in your future there - sorry to say it.  I speak from personal experience.  The "not a good fit" line is, in my experience, often used as a catch all phrase when someone does not want to tell you why they dont want to promote you. 

Mike:

I echo what JRLZ and Stephen said. It sounds as if you've done all the right things in terms of doing the job, improving yourself, and gamely jumping through the hoops the company has set before you.

I particularly like where you said that Manager-Tools has shown you where you needed improvement and that you imagine your incoming supervisor isn't wild about this situation, either. Self-awareness and empathy towards putative rivals are rare (and admirable) qualities.

JRLZ is spot-on about ask your superiors (the ones who have denied your promotion) for "specific and measurable items that you can work on." My only addition is that you set a timeframe in which you will serve your new boss dutifully, meet or exceed the criteria set forth by your supervisors, and then you either get the promotion you seek or you need to move to a new company. I don't recommend you wait the full four years for your incoming boss to retire; that would be 6 1/2 years of your life spent gunning for a promotion in the absence of many encouraging signs.

Three years into my last job, I realized I wasn't a good fit for the company, but I spent two more years there angling for a transfer to another city (San Francisco). I was in a rut and I had no timeframe for breaking out. Finally, I told my manager that I could see the writing on the wall and that while I would continue striving toward the transfer I sought, I intended to move to San Francisco in six months, even if that meant leaving the company. To his great credit, he told me that while he appreciated the innovations I'd brought to the department, he didn't feel I was the right man for the job. We put my final six months to good use, I left on excellent terms, and I'm loving life in my new city.

Six months may be too short a timeframe for you; you know your situation best, but I'd suggest four additional years is too long.

Thanks for your comments and words of encouragement. 

I will let you know how things play out once the person arrives in country.

As an American in Latin America, sometimes I wish that people were as direct as I am used to but in many cases, the culture is different and people don't like to say "no", give accurate feedback or in the case of my boss, tell me exactly what it is what he expects from me.  I always considered that I had a good relationship with him and he never gave me negative feedback (that was direct - there were some indirect comments from time to time).

I learned how to talk with him (short comments, get to the point, etc (when I started listening to MT, realized that this is a high D person).  I have a high S profile, so this was probably the main issue.  He is totally Ready, Shoot, AIM and I like to think about it and have an immediate negative reaction to the immediate type of  CHANGE he requests.

MT has taught me how to recognize this and I think I have improved significantly...better late than never.

I think that I piggybacked onto a different issue.  Next time, I may need to start my own topic...sorry 'bout that.

Thanks again.

The part of your future that is out of your hands depends to a great degree on (1) what was really said and done, which isn't clear to me at all, and (2) what kind of person this new guy turns out to be. 

It sounds to me like your company has made a total hash out of this process, and in the process you have been treated poorly.  But that doesn't mean they intended that...that's the result of poor management - no harm intended, but harm nevertheless.

But you have a good job, and I'd be willing to bet there's a fair chance that this guy is not going to be a big problem. 

Let him work in that other area.  Prepare a great briefing for him, which will tell him what he needs to know, while also showing him how well you are running things.  Treat him with respect, and keep running things.

And you're right, next time start a different thread.  I'd hate folks to miss your question... I almost did!

And good luck.  You're on the right track.

Mark