political appointee with my portfolio - how to handle?

[Anonymous]

Political appointees just suck all around. They are arrogant and mostly in over their heads. OP, I would lie and tell this person that you don't have a list of contacts. You can offer up that should this person need to contact someone about a project or issue and he/she doesn't know with whom to speak that you would be happy to provide guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Wrong! It is about OP. It is her job that she must go to every day of the week. She is allowed to have ambition just like every other human being on the planet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

The other thing to consider, is that at the end of the day, these political appointees are temporary. It is the career service employees OP needs to be more concerned about because they are whoOP must deal with year in and year out.