The manager and supervisor are best friends and I’m the assistant manager playing third wheel!

Anonymous

September 17,2022 at 12:59PM UTC

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The manager and supervisor are best friends and I’m the assistant manager playing third wheel! How do I navigate this??? It started off okay, the training was lacking and the team is very young. I’ve worked hard to be self sustaining due to their relationship and I’ve ended up being the disciplinarian out of the management team. due to the lack of enthusiasm by the team who really need

whipping into shape, I’ve been the person to initiate performance reviews and a few firings to improve the foundations of the team to grow from. However, after letting go a problematic employee who everyone loved. The other supervisor who was an advocate for the firing has now changed his tune and is shifting all the responsibility to me but not the manager who is his best friend. Work is now super uncomfortable for me.

is it worth pushing forward or should I find myself another position elsewhere???

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Gretchen SkalkaSeptember 17,2022 at 2:17PM UTC
I feel like I may need more information to provide the best response, but off the bat I would say to get both of them engaged with you as a team.
It doesn't matter at this point what the hierarchy is (manager, assistant) because it sounds like you are doing much of what they are as well and, in some situations, doing what they don't want to do.
I would invite them to discuss these things but in a wholly collaborative way where you are presenting some challenges you're seeing and facing BUT you are also prepared to propose solutions for them to consider and the three of you to work through.
This gets them included and invested in the solution, and this kind of mediation and negotiation will serve you forever in this and future leadership roles.
AnonymousSeptember 19,2022 at 1:31PM UTC
This is great advice, thank you for sharing!
Gretchen SkalkaSeptember 19,2022 at 4:32PM UTC
My pleasure!