Allowing co-worker to fill my position during a detail
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Anonymous
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I work in a federal government office. I'm a team leader for my section and I lead about 9 people who are all considered to be at the same GS level. My official duties on paper are not the same so it is essentially an increase of duties compared to the other specialists on my team. I've had issue with 2 co-workers as they felt passed over when I took the position. It was a new position so we all applied through USAJOBS and interviewed as any new federal position.
Well I'm leaving soon for a 6 month detail to another office within our agency. I recommended to the supervisor that my position stay vacant because we are not fully manned and have a few new employees. My duties should be spread out amongst the team to give each person increased responsibilities and still get their job done without any added pressure at her level. Well one of the team members who has been particularly critical of my position has now asked to be detailed to my team lead position while I'm out of the office. The supervisor is pretty much a lump of skin and doesn't care to manage the section properly (not just opinion, it's fact). Said supervisor asked me my opinion (after I had already made my recommendation) yesterday. There's been an unwritten rule to limit the number of details to 1 per section, which is why I'm finally now leaving for a detail. The team member who asked is known to be someone who only likes to do the high-visibility work and leaves the day-to-day tasks to fall by the wayside. It puzzles me that a manager would consider placing additional duties on someone who isn't a stellar performer. Anyone have a thought on this? My concern now is coming back to my job that's been half-a**ed. I believe my supervisor's supervisor may overrule handing my position over to 1 person. If so, it would then be offered to our entire office for interviews and divided amongst the qualified ones. Wow, that made my skin crawl to even type that...not so much an 'it's mine' issue, moreso that I don't care to get my job back after everyone's had a finger in it. |
Anonymous
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Honestly, it's not your call to make. It's your manager's call.
If you are that concerned, ask not to be detailed for 6 months. Otherwise, it actually comes off as if you are the one who has a personal issue with your coworker. I would also caution you about speaking so negatively about your team. When anyone in any kind of leadership position (even if not management but as a team leader) expresses such little confidence in their team, it reflects on them more than the team. It also sounds like you are not a team player. I'm not usually one to use that term, but when you refer to the work that you do AS A TEAM LEAD as something that everyone will have their "finger" in, it kind of shows that you don't see it as the team's work but your own. In one post, you speak badly of both your team members AND your supervisor. That doesn't bode well for you. It sounds like you think that only you can get the job done. Maybe what you are really afraid of is that the person who was passed over will do just as well as you did and it will only give credence to their claims that they were overlooked. Make your recommendation but try not to be negative. And then let it go. |
Anonymous
| OP here. I appreciate your feedback. There were details I left out for the sake of anonymity that would address a few of your points. I see now that my post does have a negative slant and I'm normally the happy-go-lucky one in the bunch. Your points were valid so thanks again. |
Anonymous
| I would be worried that if you return, you won't get your lead position back. Is that a possibility? |
Anonymous
| Not your call. You already made your recommendation that your team go leaderless for six months, with your portfolio being divvied up amongst 9 people. If your boss doesn't find that workable (and most would not), then she's going to pick some one. If she comes to you for input on who's best, tell her who you'd pick if it were your choice to make (so not the guy who asked, but who then?), and just accept that your boss isn't going to go half a year without a lead for one of his teams. |
Anonymous
| If you're that concerned why are you going on a detail? |
Anonymous
| OP, what is the term for a female douche? |
Anonymous
| You do come off in your post like a jerk. Just as one example, you really think that your job duties will be done better by not filling your position than filling it? |
Anonymous
I don't think you know what a fact is. Also, the message I get from your post is that you are overly-concerned with your own status and whether or not the position will be yours when you come back. It will. In fact, your position is much more secure if it cannot remain vacant and needs someone filling that leadership role while you are gone. If the responsibilities can just be absorbed by everyone else, that makes your position unnecessary. |
Anonymous
| It sounds like you are afraid of being replaced. |
Anonymous
That's what I was going to say! I would be much more concerned about this than someone doing my role. And forgive me, but I'm assuming the detail is a career building item too? So embrace all the changes. Maybe you will come back having learned something and everyone can have grown. |
Anonymous
This. OP - you can't have both ways. Either stay where you are or take the change and make the jump realizing the potential consequences. i can't imagine not having a team lead person for six months. |
Anonymous
New poster. I don't think it's so strange in general to be worried about "being replaced." However, if that's a concern, then the detail assignment should have been considered carefully (I guess it would be too late right now to cancel that, even OP wanted?). My situation was a little different in that my "detail" was maternity leave, but I was in a job that required a unique set of skills that my other peers did not have; however, they could not leave the position vacant during my leave so they had another peer "fill in" for me. Well, that person did a good enough job that they decided to keep her in "my" job once I came back, and I got re-assigned to something else which ended up not being a good fit and eventually caused me to leave the company, which I was not pleased about. |
Anonymous
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This really isn't your call. It would be really unusual, at least where I am in the government, to leave a supervisory position unfilled while someone was on detail. We always backfill with a detailee to the open position. It gives other people a chance to get supervisory experience.
They can't give your position away permanently if that's what you are worried about. They wouldn't have permission to hire into it since you haven't vacated the job. We've had someone in my group away on detail for almost 9 months now. We can't even give away his cube because it's still his assigned space even though it is very unlikely he is coming back. |
Anonymous
OP here again-- yes this is where I was going. No the co-worker would not be able to take my position (and not what concerns me). If I were dealing with a group of mature professionals, I'd have no issue and probably have recommended the opposite. I've come to learn this person is very unhappy in their personal life and career and it's pretty evident in their actions over the last year. Their current intent is not simply "I want more experience". This person has been manipulative in the past regarding another position within the office. Sad, but true. However, I will not hinder my career and not go on detail. I was looking to see how others would handle the situation. The responses have given me points to ponder and I do appreciate them. My main goal is to work on getting as much experience in the current position, then get up and out  It's a toxic situation that upper management doesn't care to handle.
Actually I do. The manager said as much. She's not planning to stay very long and simply waiting to hear about another opportunity. |