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Old 07-29-2016, 11:29 PM
 
1,500 posts, read 2,889,099 times
Reputation: 3608

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It's illogical to keep you in a lower role if you're truly qualified to be the manager and could therefore train a new hire to backfill you. Sorry, I'm just not in the "you're too valuable" camp. I think there's more to the story.

When the manager position was posted, did you throw your hat in the ring? Did you have a discussion with your boss about what you needed to work on to get to that next level? What do YOU think are possible reasons you are not ready for a manager role (in other words, what do you know you still need to learn and work on)?

As MrGeek mentioned, every new employee needs to be trained. Many people would rather complain about "having to train their boss" than turn it into something that could be used in their favor in a long game.

I know your ego is bruised, and understandably so, but you are not asking the right questions in this situation. Don't let a short term sting keep you from longer term success. If your boss thinks you are "too valuable", then overall your reputation is positive. It's worth figuring out how to move up where you are before throwing up your hands in defeat and going elsewhere, only to have to start at square one again.
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Old 07-30-2016, 01:20 AM
 
13,256 posts, read 8,336,284 times
Reputation: 31427
Yes I had the pleasure and pain of training a person. Fresh out of college and biting at the bits to be vp in five years. She was so pumped with college arrogance. At every step of training her response was... You do it! I didn't get a four year degree to do what you do. I said your absolutely right! College can't teach you to be civil and respecting of job tasks. That's why your here now. So here are duties AB&C, which can we tackle first? She huffed off and two weeks later , she was the owners right hand gal. I won't say where her left hand was... But She seemed to learn real quick how to hit her five year plan. I had left by then and the company ended up being audited for several federal violations. I do marvel at how some folks by pass working thru the system...
I'll take an honest day pay...
Op- jobs are not a dime a dozen... I found out the hard way... You certainly do deserve a bit more opportunity to move up in title.
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Old 07-30-2016, 02:47 AM
 
Location: Eugene, Oregon
11,119 posts, read 5,532,484 times
Reputation: 16595
I trained someone for two days, who had a higher rank and it was a very unusual situation. I was a PFC in the Army and a new 2nd Lieutenant was assigned to our Company, straight out of R.O.T.C. I was approached by a Captain who was the Operations Officer of the agency where we all worked. He said that I knew the job and my way around the military base as well as anyone and wanted me to take this new Lieutenant around and show him everything. I was to do this very unofficially and not tell anyone about it, as it was against protocol. But this young officer was very green and had to be given some background, before they turned him loose, on 24-hour duty sessions, as an Officer of the Day. There were no other officers in our Company, who had any spare time from their duties, to train him. A couple of them, knew nothing at all about what I would teach him.

So, we were given an unmarked car, on loan from the C.I.D. and wore civilian clothes, and dark glasses. We used our security badges, to get in and out of entry and internal gates and no one recognized us. I showed him the whole base for two 8-hour days and pointed out many individuals who would serve under him on duty. It was a high-tech base and I told him everything I knew about the equipment and the development and operation of it. I think I did a good job with him, considering the limited time. He became very well-liked and trusted by the enlisted soldiers, which was not the case with some of the other officers.

Several of the guys near me in the barracks were curious about where I had been disappearing during the day, because I wasn't pulling any of my usual assignments. But I wasn't talking. One of them told me he'd seen a couple of new C.I.D. plainclothes officers sneaking around (Criminal Investigation Dept.), which had been us.
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Old 07-30-2016, 09:53 AM
 
2,752 posts, read 2,558,203 times
Reputation: 4040
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve McDonald View Post
I trained someone for two days, who had a higher rank and it was a very unusual situation. I was a PFC in the Army and a new 2nd Lieutenant was assigned to our Company, straight out of R.O.T.C. I was approached by a Captain who was the Operations Officer of the agency where we all worked. He said that I knew the job and my way around the military base as well as anyone and wanted me to take this new Lieutenant around and show him everything. I was to do this very unofficially and not tell anyone about it, as it was against protocol. But this young officer was very green and had to be given some background, before they turned him loose, on 24-hour duty sessions, as an Officer of the Day. There were no other officers in our Company, who had any spare time from their duties, to train him. A couple of them, knew nothing at all about what I would teach him.

So, we were given an unmarked car, on loan from the C.I.D. and wore civilian clothes, and dark glasses. We used our security badges, to get in and out of entry and internal gates and no one recognized us. I showed him the whole base for two 8-hour days and pointed out many individuals who would serve under him on duty. It was a high-tech base and I told him everything I knew about the equipment and the development and operation of it. I think I did a good job with him, considering the limited time. He became very well-liked and trusted by the enlisted soldiers, which was not the case with some of the other officers.

Several of the guys near me in the barracks were curious about where I had been disappearing during the day, because I wasn't pulling any of my usual assignments. But I wasn't talking. One of them told me he'd seen a couple of new C.I.D. plainclothes officers sneaking around (Criminal Investigation Dept.), which had been us.
Great story, I love your attitude
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Old 07-30-2016, 10:01 AM
 
Location: Ft. Myers
19,719 posts, read 16,703,330 times
Reputation: 41861
Years ago, we had a new District Manager in training, and they gave him to me to show him the ropes. He spent a week or so with me. Many years later, he still remembered one thing I told him, and he would mention it at company meetings. I said " If a customer ever returns something and you feel it is not appropriate, do it anyway. The reality is, if you don't, and he calls headquarters, they are going to do it and it will make you look bad."

I had seen it too often, where a store manager tried to do the right thing, but when the customer called our home office, the manager was told to "call the customer and apologize, return the item , refund his money, and give him a $25 gift certificate for his inconvenience." One customer returned 5 of the same item in a row, claiming they were defective, and our manager finally said no more. He was called by HQ and had to eat crow, so he never did that again.

That District Manager I trained and I became good friends, and he told me he always remembered that lesson. It is the one truism in business, if it comes down to the employee vs the customer, the customer will always win........so why make it tough on yourself ?

Don
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Old 07-30-2016, 10:29 AM
 
Location: plano
7,885 posts, read 11,325,368 times
Reputation: 7789
I've done it dozens of times. Had 28 different jobs with same company over 38 years. I was trained briefly for each job and would get a new boss generally half way be teem job switches. None of the bosses came from the group I was in by design si they all had a learning curve. Show some maturity, it's a job do what they need done or find a new place where you can.
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Old 07-30-2016, 02:28 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
11,495 posts, read 26,733,345 times
Reputation: 28029
When I worked as a cashier at Exxon, I used to train their manager trainees to use the cash register. It never bothered me because I didn't want their job. They had me train them because I was easy to understand, not tough and intimidating like some of my coworkers, I wouldn't try to seduce them like some of my other coworkers would, and I gave the impression that their store clerks would be polite, intelligent and cooperative. When I left to be trained as a manager at another chain, I found out how horrible being a convenience store manager really was.
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Old 07-30-2016, 02:57 PM
 
Location: La Jolla, CA
7,284 posts, read 16,599,264 times
Reputation: 11675
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_grimace View Post
On one hand I can't blame him since I'm doing 75% more work than the three other employees that report to me, on top of facilitating their work and making their lives as easy as possible.
First Law of Holes: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

The above imbalance is exactly why you were passed over. You have too much on a daily basis, and you can't walk away from it and leave your employees to do it. Yours isn't an uncommon situation, but continuing to do 75% more work than your 3 employees will not have a positive effect on your career. It also might be an issue for your senior management to promote someone whose own department is so out of whack.

Either way, a different job will dig you out all at once and let you focus on your goals rather than doing the jobs of other people.
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Old 07-30-2016, 08:38 PM
 
9,694 posts, read 7,333,273 times
Reputation: 9931
yes, two or three of them, and they all became my boss. but because they know i know what im doing, they leave me alone. in fact I havent talk to or seen my boss in nine years, I just get email every once in a while

but why is everything about promotion, why do people get their panties in a wad when they dont get promoted
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Old 07-30-2016, 09:10 PM
 
6,822 posts, read 6,598,012 times
Reputation: 3769
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_grimace View Post
So I was recently passed up for an "official" promotion to management even though I have been acting as manager for the past 6 months. The owner said he liked me better doing our departments task oriented work and couldn't afford to lose me there. On one hand I can't blame him since I'm doing 75% more work than the three other employees that report to me, on top of facilitating their work and making their lives as easy as possible. (Even though the four of us are all at the same level and pay grade!) I guess the extra effort didn't matter this time!

Long story short, the owner decided to hire someone else for the official manager position who would ultimately be my new boss. I was frustrated at the entire outcome of this, especially since I've been killing myself the last 6 months managing the department while also performing my own assigned work, but the real kicker came when the owner told me he wants me to train the new manager who will be starting in two weeks.

What...

I've trained people on my level, I've trained people below me, I've trained people in other departments, but never have I been asked to train a manager, director, or basically anyone above me in the hierarchy. The owner wants me to train him on how we use all our software, show him how to use various spreadsheets, and basically walk him through the process for how we book and onboard new clients, handle certain tasks, track work, etc.

I am completely appalled by this request. I haven't met the new manager yet so I have nothing again him, but my pride is too strong to have to stand there and train someone who was supposedly hired for his expertise in management and "multiple years of experience" in the field. You got so much experience? Figure it out on your own like I had to do when I started! Think critically, research relevant and valid info, analyze your options and make the best informed decision. To think I'm somehow OK with training a person making 60% more than me is just unbelievable, especially since I've been performing this role and was passed for the promotion.

I got to ask... Is this completely ridiculous or is it just me. I've never heard of something like this in my life. I don't want to be the bad guy that refuses to show my new boss how to do his job, (Which will make him look good while I sit in the shadows) but COME ON! If he's the new boss, he's gotta make the effort to figure it out on his own and make due!
This is pretty standard actually. How else is the guy supposed to see how the operation he will be overseeing is run?

I was a department head for a bit. No one wanted the boss job, I was qualified, so I got it. I had to learn all the positions in the department. Ultimately the new boss needs trained. My employees was who trained me.

Now it wasn't like I wasn't making observations the entire time through. Things certainly changed in different areas.

It's a pretty standard thing to do.
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