When Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Don't Count for Anything

[navane]

Ok, so I guess I'm kind of venting here. I'm feeling a bit agitated about a current situation and I figured that you all usually have some good insight...or at least commiserations. This is kind of long; but, I need to get this off of my chest before going in to work tomorrow.

I don't want to get into specifics; but, I'm feeling a bit jilted about a supervisor selecting a co-worker to be the lead on a particular project/initiative. I have no issue with the co-worker herself, I think she's a fine and likeable employee. I also don't hate my supervisor or anything, I just don't understand how management comes to their decisions sometimes.

The "issue" is that I have an expertise in a particular subject-area related to my job; a specialty if you will. My experience in this particular field extends several years back, to a time before I even started working for my present employer. Within my office, I am recognized as one of the "go to" people for this type of work, in fact, I am on the team for this subject area.

I am on a first-name basis with the faculty in this area and they frequently recommend the students directly to me for assistance. The faculty outright told me that they prefer dealing with me as they feel that I have a greater grasp of the topic. The students themselves also frequently request me by name and I recently found out that the students are recommending me to each other.

Because of my background in this area, I really took to this topic and have developed a deep understanding of the requirements, documentation, and procedures. Though they are "ok-ish" and do an earnest job, the other members of the team do not have the same depth of knowledge.


Not too long ago, my supervisor and I chatted about some of the issues we were having regarding this population of students. Towards the end of the conversation, she commended me saying that I was very good at what I do, acknowledged that I seem to have a significant amount of knowledge and experience with this area, noted that the students really seem to take to me and identified that I clearly have a passion for this particular area.

What she said next surprised me a little bit. She mentioned that she was a little concerned about having one person in the office who knows so much more than the others on a particular topic. My boss specifically cited a concern that, if I were to leave the department, I would, in effect, leave a "void". I acknowledged her concern and suggested that perhaps we should have a training session so that all of this project's team members could be on the same page.

We never did that. Instead, she appointed a co-worker to be the lead on the project (instead of me). That co-worker, as cool as she is, isn't fully up-to-speed. She and the one other employee on the project will ask *me* for help when they get stuck on a part they don't understand. It's a bit frustrating to know that I am more than qualified and yet my lead is asking me for help. At any rate, even though I was a bit confused with my supervisor's decision, I decided to be a team-player and have been taking direction from my co-worker without complaint.

A few missteps have happened with the project due to the other two co-workers inexperience or lack of knowledge on the topic. I feel bad because I want to stay humble; but, I feel frustrated. After all, my supervisor outright indicated that she felt I was very qualified, yet she chose someone else because she apparently doesn't want me to have too much power (knowledge=power). I get the concept of "spreading the knowledge in order to protect the office"; yet, logically, wouldn't an employer *want* to pick the most qualified person for a job? I could have been the lead and would have gladly trained the others to make things more equal; but I guess that wasn't an option either.

Why do managers do this?

.....Kelly

PS - Thanks for letting me vent.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by navane

A few missteps have happened with the project due to the other two co-workers inexperience or lack of knowledge on the topic. I feel bad because I want to stay humble; but, I feel frustrated. After all, my supervisor outright indicated that she felt I was very qualified, yet she chose someone else because she apparently doesn't want me to have too much power (knowledge=power). I get the concept of "spreading the knowledge in order to protect the office"; yet, logically, wouldn't an employer *want* to pick the most qualified person for a job? I could have been the lead and would have gladly trained the others to make things more equal; but I guess that wasn't an option either.

Why do managers do this?

.....Kelly

PS - Thanks for letting me vent.

First: It seems like you are making this personal and most decisions that bosses make are not personal.

Second: I think you are misperceiving the bosses fear that you will have too much power. It really is a problem when there is someone in the office who is the only one who really knows a certain process/task/job. Should you decide to change jobs, go on a medical leave or "get hit by a bus" (the example we use at my job all the time), they would flounder.

Third: You could train them, but the reality is, if you're the one with all the real hands on experience, they won't learn it well. Most people learn by making mistakes and actual hands on. You've become the expert because you've been doing it for so long. They need that same kind of experience. You would always do more of it, if not all of it, if you were the lead because you know how and you can. They can't learn it as well as you know it unless they have to do it as often as you were doing it.

My department is growing and my division is growing so I've been training someone. I showed my co-worker new things over and over and then had her do it while I looked on. Not until we have turned over some duties to her exclusively has she ended up having to problem solve it on her own. She still comes to me with questions and now, instead of answering her question, I ask her questions back, showing her how I would problem solve it and teaching her to think it through. You are not really an expert at something until you can do all of that, and then no longer need to ask questions. That can require total immersion into it and I think that's what your boss is doing.

What you might want to do at this point is go to your boss and ask what else in the office you can now learn. It's time for you to become at an expert at something else too so that you grow your skill area. This will help you in the long run and show a team spirit. In leaving some things to my co-worker, I now have time to learn some of the things that only my boss knew before. This is broadening my experience and making me much more marketable should I decide to leave.

I know it stings right now, but it's up to you to make it an opportunity that will work in your favor.

[iastategal]

Originally Posted by navane

The "issue" is that I have an expertise in a particular subject-area related to my job; a specialty if you will. My experience in this particular field extends several years back, to a time before I even started working for my present employer. Within my office, I am recognized as one of the "go to" people for this type of work, in fact, I am on the team for this subject area.


Not too long ago, my supervisor and I chatted about some of the issues we were having regarding this population of students. Towards the end of the conversation, she commended me saying that I was very good at what I do, acknowledged that I seem to have a significant amount of knowledge and experience with this area, noted that the students really seem to take to me and identified that I clearly have a passion for this particular area.

What she said next surprised me a little bit. She mentioned that she was a little concerned about having one person in the office who knows so much more than the others on a particular topic. My boss specifically cited a concern that, if I were to leave the department, I would, in effect, leave a "void". I acknowledged her concern and suggested that perhaps we should have a training session so that all of this project's team members could be on the same page.

We never did that. Instead, she appointed a co-worker to be the lead on the project (instead of me). That co-worker, as cool as she is, isn't fully up-to-speed. She and the one other employee on the project will ask *me* for help when they get stuck on a part they don't understand. It's a bit frustrating to know that I am more than qualified and yet my lead is asking me for help. At any rate, even though I was a bit confused with my supervisor's decision, I decided to be a team-player and have been taking direction from my co-worker without complaint.

A few missteps have happened with the project due to the other two co-workers inexperience or lack of knowledge on the topic. I feel bad because I want to stay humble; but, I feel frustrated. After all, my supervisor outright indicated that she felt I was very qualified, yet she chose someone else because she apparently doesn't want me to have too much power (knowledge=power). I get the concept of "spreading the knowledge in order to protect the office"; yet, logically, wouldn't an employer *want* to pick the most qualified person for a job? I could have been the lead and would have gladly trained the others to make things more equal; but I guess that wasn't an option either.

Why do managers do this?

.....Kelly

PS - Thanks for letting me vent.

as a manager, I understand exactly why your supervisor did this - it clearly isn't to punish you, or make you feel any less valuable or needed - it is actually a validation of your conversation with her earlier about more people with experience in your area of expertise, and recognition of your ability/desire to train/mentor your coworkers, and is a huge vote of confidence in your ability to train. By assigning a less experienced person to lead an assignment in this area with you as a resource trains and grows both of you - the other person learns more about this area, and you grow in your training and mentoring skills - invaluable as you move up in your organization. You need experience performing and you need experience mentoring/training your coworkers when looking to becoming a manager.

all that being said, yes some mis-steps are going to occur as the less experienced person learns, some more painful than others, and yes it would just be easier to assign you, but look for ways you can help the more junior staff member to minimize some of these mis-steps in the future. Offer to be a sounding board for her, or a go to, or just a quick hey how's it going, do you need any help can go a long way to letting them know you are there to help if they need it.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

First: It seems like you are making this personal and most decisions that bosses make are not personal.

You might want to qualify this statement: Most decisions that good bosses make are not personal. I know too many not-so-good bosses who let personal feelings infect their decisions all the time.

Sorry you're feeling jilted, Kelly, but I think AGDee and iastategal are right -- a little bit of time and maybe this will seem to be a good decision all around. I can understand your disappointment and frustration, though.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

You might want to qualify this statement: Most decisions that good bosses make are not personal. I know too many not-so-good bosses who let personal feelings infect their decisions all the time.

I agree.

[navane]

Thanks everyone for your comments. As I identified at the start, this was more a vent than anything else.

I thought about it for a couple of days and I realized that my reaction wasn't really about being mad about someone else getting to be the lead instead of me. Like I said, the lady who is the lead is a cool co-worker; she's competent and friendly.

It's just that I have such a deep compassion for this group of students and I want to make sure they get taken care of. I guess I was more worried than anything else. I'm often rather task-oriented and that's how I sometimes approach getting things done. I realize now that it doesn't really matter how we get "there" as long as we get there.

Thanks again for listening.

.....Kelly