Reply to Dinged for being "too smart" - how do I transition out of government?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm sad and depressed, and writing this after a sleepless night filled with tears.  So, if you want to be snarky, could you please go somewhere else to post?

I've worked most of my career in government, with the exception of a few years at McKinsey right out of graduate school.  I joined government because I wanted to be in the public service, and I've worked for only one agency.  The agency that I work for does, despite itself, promote the public good.

Throughout my career at this agency, however, I've been periodically dinged for being "too smart."  As a younger person, it seemed to matter less.  I found people who knew how to use me well, who were themselves smart, goal-oriented, high-achievers.  I was promoted at a relatively young age (for this agency, anyway, where management is heavily tilted towards older people) to deputy director of a division.  I had a great boss, great colleagues, life seemed good. My boss then left and the new boss was of a different type - someone who had gotten where he was by marking time and not offending anyone.  He was older, and he was very threatened by me.  He told me on our first meeting (i.e. before we even started working together) that I was too young for the job.  By the time he came along, I'd been in the job for 3 years and had more than proved my competence.  I realized that he wasn't going to change and found another job within the agency.  Again, the new job worked well for a few years, until a different boss came in.  Rinse and repeat.  When another cycle started after I'd been at the agency for over 15 years, I decided to stay at home for a few years with my children.

After my last child entered kindergarten, I decided to go back to work.  Maybe because of my specialized experience, the only offers I got were from my old agency.  I accepted a position that was below my former grade, but at a comparable salary because of inflation.  I wanted to be able to spend a decent amount of time with my children, and management at my agency can be a 60+ hour a week proposition.  My boss offered me flexible hours and promised to be family-friendly.  He is himself a parent, and he's generally a very nice guy.  He also promised me some high-profile assignments that drew on specific areas where I have expertise.  I felt that the job would provide a nice work-life balance.

When I received the assignments he promised, I felt I had to prove that my years away had not rusted my brain.  I gave the assignments my very best effort.  Initially, everyone seemed happy.  I got feedback that I knocked it out of the park.  My division got lots of kudos and praise (as did I personally).

Yesterday afternoon, my boss (whom I'll call Henry) called me into his office and told me that he has a near-revolt on his hands from his other staff.  My co-workers seemed initially friendly, but I noticed some cooling off in recent weeks.  I tried not to take it personally, but wondered if there was some envy about the assignments I'd been given.  Henry confirmed that it went beyond envy.  A number of the staff are deeply resentful and feel that he's playing favorites, giving me assignments that rightfully should have gone to one of them.  He said he pointed out my experience and expertise, which made no impression on the complainants.

He acknowledges that this is pure professional insecurity and jealousy, but Henry told me that he felt he made mistake in giving a new staff member such high profile assignments.  He said that until the rest of the staff calm down, he'll be giving me only routine tasks, so that I'll have a lower profile.  Then he asked me to focus on "building relationships."  From what Henry told me, there are three people who have been organizing and fomenting the sentiment against me.   He feels that there's nothing he can do as a manager except try to smooth the ruffled feathers.

I have pretty good interpersonal skills, but I'm not sure there's much I can do to reduce my co-worker's sense of threat, other than by not performing.  Henry's taken away any real choice in the matter, anyway.  I'll automatically be less of a threat if I'm working on routine (read shit work no one else wants to do) tasks.  I'm feeling rather punished for having done a good job.  This is not a new experience, as at times in the past, I've also experienced backlash at this agency for doing something well.  Usually, I had a critical mass of supportive people who outweighed the naysayers.  Unfortunately, now many of my former colleagues have retired, and I don't have the kind of network and support I used to.

I remember when I first ran into the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" in government, I missed the more performance-oriented nature of the private sector.  Granted, McKinsey may not be every private sector organization, but I did feel that performance was rewarded and (almost uniformly) viewed in a positive way.  I was also in a unit where the culture encouraged us to celebrating each others' achievements.

I'm really, really sad to be where I'm at right now.  I worked hard and went to top schools.  I've always tried to deliver the best work that I can.  I don't think I can reap many rewards within government.  Henry's promised me that he'll give me more high profile assignments when things "calm down," but it seems unrealistic to think that he'll ever feel comfortable managing a team with divergent abilities.  I do feel somewhat betrayed and left hanging.

I may be looking at my experience in consulting with too nostalgic a lens, but I think I might be better off in the private sector.  It seems to me there's more accountability and a focus on the performance that is, unfortunately, lacking in governmetn because of the inability to fire non-performing employees.  The problem is, having worked in government for so long, I have no idea how to transition to the private sector.  I did do some networking when I was job searching, and most people seemed to think that even though I'm bright, highly trained, experienced, and have a track record of success, it would be difficult to transition to the private sector given that most of my experience is within government.

Has anyone made the transition successfully?  Is it possible to have a family-friendly job in the private sector?

I'm also wondering about AD-ship (political appointee), as it seems to me that while the jobs are term limited, they don't face the same limitations as being career civil servants.   I know very little about how to become a political appointee.  It seems to involve connecting with the right people, but if you don't move in political circles, how do you do that?

I'd welcome any constructive, kind advice.   [/quote]

I hear you...but are you difficult to work with? Are you a team player? Are you in public service for individual recognition or to improve things?[/quote]

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