I have to teach new boss because he's out of his league

[Anonymous]

So, my division hired a new supervisor. Let's call it a "friend favor hire," basically. He has the education and management experience but has no subject matter expertise. We really needed someone who could hit the ground running and guide our section based on his or her 10+ years of experience and proven success.

It's been about two months now and I'm finding myself having to give him tutorials on a variety of things. Honestly, I feel that it's really not my job. They should have hired the right person, not a buddy. How have others handled this? I know it can help me in the long run to get on his good side. Still, I'm uncomfortable when he starts questioning something because he just doesn't know what he's doing. He never learned the ropes from the ground up the way others in our section have (and I can think of at least one person who should have been promoted into this job and wasn't).

So yes, I know. I could be helpful. On the other hand, he earns $40k more than I do and I'm the one keeping him afloat.

[Anonymous]

Hit the ground running is a red flag for a bad organization because it promotes lack of training

[Anonymous]

Sounds like your options are to charitably help out and hope he’s a quick learner, not help and add to the dysfunction in which you work, or get another job. That’s it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hit the ground running is a red flag for a bad organization because it promotes lack of training

OP here. I agree with that. The situation my section is facing is that we needed, for example, a business major and instead, we have a theater major who doesn't know how to write an RFP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, my division hired a new supervisor. Let's call it a "friend favor hire," basically. He has the education and management experience but has no subject matter expertise. We really needed someone who could hit the ground running and guide our section based on his or her 10+ years of experience and proven success.

It's been about two months now and I'm finding myself having to give him tutorials on a variety of things. Honestly, I feel that it's really not my job. They should have hired the right person, not a buddy. How have others handled this? I know it can help me in the long run to get on his good side. Still, I'm uncomfortable when he starts questioning something because he just doesn't know what he's doing. He never learned the ropes from the ground up the way others in our section have (and I can think of at least one person who should have been promoted into this job and wasn't).

So yes, I know. I could be helpful. On the other hand, he earns $40k more than I do and I'm the one keeping him afloat.

Suck it up. Good lesson. It isn’t not who knows the most. It is who you know.

[Anonymous]

Find another job. Seriously, if you are training your boss, it is time to leave!

[pit2atl]

Help him when needed. Then once a promotion ect comes your name will come up first.

Also, if you need to do anything ex: family in town or leave early for a mental day. You know you wont get any grief from him.

Sounds like a win win.

[Anonymous]

Grow up. That is how it works. My CEO, CIO etc all other companies and brought in to run. Staff job is to teach them business

[Anonymous]

Get over yourself. Your boss does need to know how to do your job. Bosses job is to delegate and to lead.

[Anonymous]

What is his personality like? If it was someone who was humble and thanked me for my help, I would be more likely to suck it up and help get him up to speed. Better to maintain a polite work environment. If he was an ass who acted like he already knows everything, I would let him sink the whole department and start looking for a new job. A friend hire like that isn't going to get fired, so if you think the work environment will stay amiable, then it's worth biting your tongue and helping. Being a good manager is a skill. It would be better to have a good manager who needs help with the subject matter than a bad manager who is already a SME.

[Anonymous]

Nobody ever has 100% of the skills for their job when they start. It’s your job to educate new staff even when they are your boss.