Regret being sup GS-15 and just want non-sup GS-14

[Anonymous]

I’m a capped out Gs-15 supervisor and hating it. I’ve applied to a few other supervisor jobs thinking it will be better somewhere else, but it occurred to me today that I’m kidding myself and wherever I go the issues will remain. I don’t like managing employees so looking for another supervisory 15 position just means I’ll be unhappy again in a few months. It’s the definition of insanity. So it’s the pay cut and non supervisory 14 for me. Live and learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State Department here. I’m a non-supervisory 14 and generally like the work because I have a lot of freedom and independence without the micromanaging. That will soon change because the chief is retiring. Management has been mentioning my name and I generally seem to want the supervisory 15 gig. Seems like a lot of front line managers regret signing on for their gigs. What am I missing? What sort of daily bullshit do frontline supervisors deal with?

All sorts of things. It's like being a father/mother to 10 misbehaving kids except 1) they are not kids; 2) they don't do or listen to you; 3) you can't get rid of (or replace) them; and 4) your boss STILL expects you to get the job done (and more)... You are f-ed no matter what

Honestly it feels no different underneath though either. My coworkers won’t work, I’m stuck with all the work and there are no rewards for good work. I think usajobs has messed everything up. It didn’t used to be this way

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about a nonspervisory 15? I love it.

Op here, that would be my dream job, but I'm in mgmt analysis/HR and that's likely non-existent. I think you mainly see those non sup 15s in attorney type positions.

The best job in Govt - a nonsupervisory 15!! I love it too (801 series).

I'm about to move back into Gov't as a non supervisory GS-15 pending interim security clearance. No direct reports but have to manage a cross agency program so will also have the challenge of trying to influence people who have no reason to do anything I suggest. I'm down to earth and gregarious so I'm hoping that will help.

I’m a GS-15 and do exactly this. I’m also down to earth and gregarious. I think it helps a bit but still hard to influence people who have no real incentive to do anything beyond sharing information from their agency. I’m trying to lead by example by initiating projects from within my agency that align with the goals of the interagency program but I don’t have much in the way of internal resources so need to work the internal angle too. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State Department here. I’m a non-supervisory 14 and generally like the work because I have a lot of freedom and independence without the micromanaging. That will soon change because the chief is retiring. Management has been mentioning my name and I generally seem to want the supervisory 15 gig. Seems like a lot of front line managers regret signing on for their gigs. What am I missing? What sort of daily bullshit do frontline supervisors deal with?

All sorts of things. It's like being a father/mother to 10 misbehaving kids except 1) they are not kids; 2) they don't do or listen to you; 3) you can't get rid of (or replace) them; and 4) your boss STILL expects you to get the job done (and more)... You are f-ed no matter what

I'm a supervisory 15. I have 8 employees, mainly GS-13s and 14s. Here is a sample of what I've dealt with this week.
1.) System my team manages crashes due to IT driven upgrade. This was Monday, still not functional as of COB Thursday.
2.) Employee A shows up late and missed meeting with another agency he was supposed to lead. I lead meeting with zero preparation. When asked why employee was late, response was "I couldn't find car keys and my wife needed to drive home and drop off hers" Turns out keys were just in different pocket.
3.) Employee B has not managed to work an 8 hour day all week, even with telework.
4.) Employees C and D both called in sick.
5.) Drama with a detailee (technically who is employee number 9) and my boss has made it clear he's not a fan.

Even with this BS, I still think my job is easy. I'm not stressed in any way by it. I actually enjoy being a supervisory 15.

[Anonymous]

That all sounds horrible.

[Anonymous]

Been at my agency maybe 20 years, spent ~5 years as a GS15 before dropping back down to a GS14. I actually make more $ as the 14 between overtime and better bonuses, and I have more flexibility and independence. GS15 was fine under good managers but they like to shuffle them and turned into a nightmare under bad managers. I dropped back down because although I liked the ideal of making a greater contribution to my agency, I just don’t do well with networking, politicking, etc. and being at my managers whim essentially. I just want to get work done. No regrets at all and very happy I dropped down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Been at my agency maybe 20 years, spent ~5 years as a GS15 before dropping back down to a GS14. I actually make more $ as the 14 between overtime and better bonuses, and I have more flexibility and independence. GS15 was fine under good managers but they like to shuffle them and turned into a nightmare under bad managers. I dropped back down because although I liked the ideal of making a greater contribution to my agency, I just don’t do well with networking, politicking, etc. and being at my managers whim essentially. I just want to get work done. No regrets at all and very happy I dropped down.

Interesting that you'd get better bonuses as a 14 than a 15...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Been at my agency maybe 20 years, spent ~5 years as a GS15 before dropping back down to a GS14. I actually make more $ as the 14 between overtime and better bonuses, and I have more flexibility and independence. GS15 was fine under good managers but they like to shuffle them and turned into a nightmare under bad managers. I dropped back down because although I liked the ideal of making a greater contribution to my agency, I just don’t do well with networking, politicking, etc. and being at my managers whim essentially. I just want to get work done. No regrets at all and very happy I dropped down.

What’s overtime?

[Anonymous]

I have an opportunity to become a supervisory 15, but this thread has made me think twice although I had reservations. I’m currently a supervisory 14 with a staff of 2 which I easily manage, but going to the 15 I’ll have a staff of 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Supervisory gs 15. Its worth it. If you can be direct, honest, authentic, empathetic, listen, you will engage your staff. Set expectations and communicate those regularly. Update your senior leader as to overall goals, and see if they have any others. Be a sounding board for those you supervise, share knowledge and be even keeled and don't micromanage. They'll be happ be loyal to you and your boss will appreciate your management of people and programs. Stay away from gossip and complaint.

Yea that’s my general approach and I like my gig. I supervise 60 feds and 50 contractors. The only problem with being warm and friendly is that people think you are the go to for everything. I have to redirect a lot “please ask your supervisor” “please ask our timekeeper”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That all sounds horrible.

+1. I know it's a lot of work, but please get the deadwood fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That all sounds horrible.

+1. I know it's a lot of work, but please get the deadwood fired.

Easy to say when you’re not the one being named in the inevitable lawsuit for “unfair dismissal”....

[Anonymous]

What you find is as a supervisor is that it’s usually 10 percent of your employees take 80+ percent of your time. I had been a supervisor years ago of two high functioning teams. I didn’t think it was that difficult. Then I went off for a few years and returned to substantive work. After that, I was offered a job as a second level supervisor, and those teams were not as functional. It was awful. It was like being a kindergarten teacher to a bunch of obstinate toddlers who,could follow not directions and took every breath by a colleague as a slight. This was combined with a boss who insisted on the entire “leadership team”sit in on every meeting, whether it was relevant to your division or not, as well as the weekly status briefings which required everyone to create convoluted status powerpoints that we then had to sit there and listen to for an entire afternoon. I once had the audacity to say “you know, we might get to push these markers forward more quickly if we didn’t have to take people offline one day a week to make these status reports....”. When I was offered a non-sup 15, I jumped at it and never looked back.

[Anonymous]

Only suckers take GS-15 positions. I have been GS-14 for 12 years, and there is no way I would ever take a 15. It is an awful job and you lose all of your freedom. I loved managing in private practice, but no way in my agency.

[Anonymous]

Ha, I was the original poster - all I can say is that I did take a non-sup 14 position last summer, and it was the right decision for me, even though it's been really hard with COVID. I grew to hate being a supervisor, and I had mostly good staff.