political appointee with my portfolio - how to handle?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest recommending your political meet the folks superior to your contacts. S/he is your superior right? So shouldn't have time nor desire to work with your contacts. So tell him/her you'd be happy to set up meetings with the bosses of your contacts - who are his/her natural counterparts. The bosses will likely have their own set of issues to work on, which will prevent your boss from going to them with every little thing.

9/4 20:23 here,

OP said same GS level, so it would help to know if they are peers or not. I agree that OP doesn't want to alienate or be secretive. But also have to walk a line to try to avoid (delicately) handing off enough that he political can usurp OP's portfolio and then try to burrow in. I saw any number of those mopes from both parties who were not particularly stellar but took up space & oxygen. But yes, OP does not want to alienate and risk a trip to Siberia, while remembering that (usually) no good deed goes unpunished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in a federal agency, and a political was just brought in above me. Their job description overlaps with what I do. I just introduced myself, and was asked for all of my high-level interagency contacts.

My initial reaction is that I don’t want to give them my high level contacts so that I get shunted to the side.

So how can I handle this? I’ve worked hard to get to the position where I am and get the contacts. I think I do a good job, and feedback from all around is that I do a good job. I don’t need yet another layer of supervision. All I can think of is that they will receive communication on my issues and not share them with me.

Help!

What is. In the best interest of this country!!!!! This is not about you. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest recommending your political meet the folks superior to your contacts. S/he is your superior right? So shouldn't have time nor desire to work with your contacts. So tell him/her you'd be happy to set up meetings with the bosses of your contacts - who are his/her natural counterparts. The bosses will likely have their own set of issues to work on, which will prevent your boss from going to them with every little thing.

9/4 20:23 here,

OP said same GS level, so it would help to know if they are peers or not. I agree that OP doesn't want to alienate or be secretive. But also have to walk a line to try to avoid (delicately) handing off enough that he political can usurp OP's portfolio and then try to burrow in. I saw any number of those mopes from both parties who were not particularly stellar but took up space & oxygen. But yes, OP does not want to alienate and risk a trip to Siberia, while remembering that (usually) no good deed goes unpunished.

The Obama administration isn't allowing burrowing in. That was rife in the bush administration but they have cracked down on it. Now everyone who has been a political in the last five years has to get Pom approval to be shifted to a career position, even a totally unrelated one applied to via usajobs.

Also, the administration is keeping politicals' salaries low - there is a salary freeze- so the gs level may not be reflective of the level of position.

Op, the political is probably just struggling to find a role for himself. There is maybe a thirty percent chance he is a jerk, but otherwise he probably just wants to make sure he has something decent to do and is earning his paycheck. This is a common political/ career tension. The careers get turfy when they usually don't need to be because they feel threatened.

[Anonymous]

Opm, not Pom.

[Anonymous]

OP said same GS level, but also said that GE person was brought in above him. I am the same GS level as my boss, but he is still the boss. And honestly, names of federal employees at other agencies are not great secrets. OP has a relationship with these people that his new boss does not, just introducing the boss to the people does not mean the boss establishes an instant relationship.

Plus, how can withholding the information help OP? Boss: who should I call at Treasury to discuss x? OP: I'll take care of that for you. Boss: thanks, but I'd rather handle it myself. OP: I'd be happy to set up a meeting for the both of us with the right person at Treasury. Boss: I'd rather handle it myself, are you refusing to give me a contact name. OP: ?

I'm sure that will work out well for OP during review time in one month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in a federal agency, and a political was just brought in above me. Their job description overlaps with what I do. I just introduced myself, and was asked for all of my high-level interagency contacts.

My initial reaction is that I don’t want to give them my high level contacts so that I get shunted to the side.

So how can I handle this? I’ve worked hard to get to the position where I am and get the contacts. I think I do a good job, and feedback from all around is that I do a good job. I don’t need yet another layer of supervision. All I can think of is that they will receive communication on my issues and not share them with me.

Help!

Knowing your level would help. If you are a GS-15, I don't think you have anything to worry about. The political person will be there just long enough to get some experience to help them get a position with a better title, which get easier and easier as the President's second term runs. If this is a GS-13 or GS-14 level position, there is not much you can do except continue to do good work. You will be in a better position to be promoted at your agency in the future. I want to also add that people who move up and up in the Federal government are the people who look for new opportunities and do not try to burrow into a set portfolio of work. Subject matter experts stay put, people who can manage project and are willing to move to new teams or agencies get promoted.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I've thought about things that the political can do that I can't do - high level issues that I have not been able to resolve. Hopefully these issues will keep political busy and they won't see the need to take my portfolio, or tale over glamour work and leave me with crap.

We are the same GS level, but the political is in the office that oversees my office, so while not my boss or supervisor, they would rank above me because of their office.

Based on a quick assessment of their skills and experience, I do a much better job on my portfolio than they would. They have no idea what we do, and why it's important, and how it fits with what others do, and what overall objectives are.

Meanwhile I'm also thinking of other things I can take over that would be interesting and substantive for me - in case political takes over my things. Of course, I'm thinking of taking over portfolios of folks set to retire in the next year instead of taking something away from high-performing employee.

I've always worked well with politicals from both sides of the aisle in the past. I've never seen tangible benefit, aside from nice notes and pictures and good experience and good reputation. Sometimes what's best for the United States isn't incompetence, it's experience and knowledge. I just wish all politicals would see that, and put U.S. interests ahead of their own.

[Anonymous]

It's very possible the political doesn't want to do the day to day stuff that you do. He may see that as something the career should do and he may want to do the higher level stuff. I may also just want to fill his calendar with meet n greet coffees in order to schmooze.

Most politicals who have been around the block realize that the career people know the subject matter better than they do and if they are wise try to draw on their expertise in order to carry out their duties.

[Anonymous]

OP - your GS levels really have nothing to do with it. You are a career employee. The politicals land the plum jobs (hence the "Plum book" if that is still around) for helping the President or the Secretary of the Agency get into office. The White House places the political above the career people. I was an SES 4 but served with career SES 4 people but I was the senior political officer. i cannot imagine a career employee withholding anything that I need to do my job - and you ought to know that. Your job is to provide everything the politicals need to do their jobs. The average stint is only 18 months and then they are elevated or go back into private industry. But a PP makes a good point that you may want to have this GS as a friend in the future. And you certainly do not want to alienate him or her now. The recommendation that you set up meetings with equivalent level political appointees is a good one, although I did that myself. And I usually took career people with me. Also, you did not mention who is doing your review? You don't want a black mark on your record because you didn't want to help a political. It looks very childish. I can't imagine my staff hiding names and phone numbers from me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - your GS levels really have nothing to do with it. You are a career employee. The politicals land the plum jobs (hence the "Plum book" if that is still around) for helping the President or the Secretary of the Agency get into office. The White House places the political above the career people. I was an SES 4 but served with career SES 4 people but I was the senior political officer. i cannot imagine a career employee withholding anything that I need to do my job - and you ought to know that. Your job is to provide everything the politicals need to do their jobs. The average stint is only 18 months and then they are elevated or go back into private industry. But a PP makes a good point that you may want to have this GS as a friend in the future. And you certainly do not want to alienate him or her now. The recommendation that you set up meetings with equivalent level political appointees is a good one, although I did that myself. And I usually took career people with me. Also, you did not mention who is doing your review? You don't want a black mark on your record because you didn't want to help a political. It looks very childish. I can't imagine my staff hiding names and phone numbers from me.

agree 100%.

[Anonymous]

OP here. The political won't do my review. I see that I wrote that I don't want to share contacts - that was an initial reaction to someone who was brash about wanting my portfolio. It was a childish request, and my internal reaction was also childish - akin to "Give me your toys! - No way!" I was reacting to poor managerial skills on their part. I appreciate your advice not to hold things back. However the bigger issue is how to keep my job interesting, and how to deal with possibly sharing a portfolio with someone who has poor managerial skills, who will take credit for what I've done, and who will likely do a poor job. As I said, I'm tired of this nonsense, and at this point I think it's best for me to move to another portfolio. As you all have pointed out, it won't help to have a poor relationship with the political.

I here see that former politicals still have big egos and think themselves better than career folks. There's a reason for career folks to be in place, and a reason for poiticals to come in. I appreciate the difference, and would hope that politicals would also appreciate the reason careers are in place, and why they stay in place through all of the changes. It's incorrect to state that all politicals rule the day all day. Careers also want to serve the United States. Many of the plum jobs are low-level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The political won't do my review. I see that I wrote that I don't want to share contacts - that was an initial reaction to someone who was brash about wanting my portfolio. It was a childish request, and my internal reaction was also childish - akin to "Give me your toys! - No way!" I was reacting to poor managerial skills on their part. I appreciate your advice not to hold things back. However the bigger issue is how to keep my job interesting, and how to deal with possibly sharing a portfolio with someone who has poor managerial skills, who will take credit for what I've done, and who will likely do a poor job. As I said, I'm tired of this nonsense, and at this point I think it's best for me to move to another portfolio. As you all have pointed out, it won't help to have a poor relationship with the political.

I here see that former politicals still have big egos and think themselves better than career folks. There's a reason for career folks to be in place, and a reason for poiticals to come in. I appreciate the difference, and would hope that politicals would also appreciate the reason careers are in place, and why they stay in place through all of the changes. It's incorrect to state that all politicals rule the day all day. Careers also want to serve the United States. Many of the plum jobs are low-level.

For chrissakes, it really seems like you are borrowing trouble. Stop throwing tantrums, and go back to work.

[Anonymous]

How about you do the work that needs to be done and stop trying to do just the work that is interesting. People like you give federal employees a bad reputation.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like this political works for a front office, like for a principal like an Assistant Secretary, etc, and you are the career person further down in the organization who works on the portfolio about which he asked questions.
If that is the case, he probably will wind up being too busy supporting the principal to do most of your day to day duties. He may very well be asking for these contacts in order to facilitate relationships for the principal. You need to cooperate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. The political won't do my review. I see that I wrote that I don't want to share contacts - that was an initial reaction to someone who was brash about wanting my portfolio. It was a childish request, and my internal reaction was also childish - akin to "Give me your toys! - No way!" I was reacting to poor managerial skills on their part. I appreciate your advice not to hold things back. However the bigger issue is how to keep my job interesting, and how to deal with possibly sharing a portfolio with someone who has poor managerial skills, who will take credit for what I've done, and who will likely do a poor job. As I said, I'm tired of this nonsense, and at this point I think it's best for me to move to another portfolio. As you all have pointed out, it won't help to have a poor relationship with the political.

I here see that former politicals still have big egos and think themselves better than career folks. There's a reason for career folks to be in place, and a reason for poiticals to come in. I appreciate the difference, and would hope that politicals would also appreciate the reason careers are in place, and why they stay in place through all of the changes. It's incorrect to state that all politicals rule the day all day. Careers also want to serve the United States. Many of the plum jobs are low-level.

For chrissakes, it really seems like you are borrowing trouble. Stop throwing tantrums, and go back to work.

+1 What a horrible image of a fed worker you paint, OP. Just do your job and follow your supervisor's orders. I can't believe you'd just sit on your list of contacts and prevnt him/ her from doing the job appointed for.