I've been with my company as a Director for 2 years.

Anonymous

September 17,2021 at 5:26AM UTC

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I've been with my company as a Director for 2 years. My manager changed a few months after I was hired from the person who hired me to someone who doesn't really understand my job.

My team has been understaffed for some time. I have asked for additional support but it's been a slow process and my manager has not been an advocate for me. For example, earlier this year I had 12 direct reports and proposed for some additional layers of management between me and my direct reports so I could focus on higher level responsibilities. It took 5 months to implement these changes.

At the same time, we've been looking to hire a VP to help support me and two other directors on my team, but the two candidates we made offers to said no and now we're back to square run. My manager came to me today and proposed I speak with a candidate he interviewed for the VP position but thought was too junior. He framed it as he is worried about me breaking under the stress level going into our busy holiday season (very possible since I work 12-16 hours/day) but also said this person would come on in some sort of leadership capacity. Not someone underneath me, which is what I need, but additional leadership. He described it as someone to help "mentor and support" but this person has 15 years less experience than I do. I recognize she does has some different experience than me which would be helpful to the company, but I clearly have significantly more experience than her.

I'm scheduled to speak with her tomorrow and then provide feedback on "how she can help" but I'm at a loss at how to handle this conversation. I am desperate for additional help and eager to hire a VP who could actually provide insight and mentorship based on their experience but she clearly isn't it. The most important thing I need now is support under me to handle the day to day responsibilities that I spend too much time doing.

My partner thinks I should stand up for myself and basically tell my manager this isn't the type of help I need, but I fear losing a job I love. They would be foolish to let me go given the critical juncture of the company but the fear is still there as I don't trust my manager. At the same time I've had multiple inquiries from other companies regarding both Director and even VP level roles. How do I handle this situation?

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AnonymousSeptember 17,2021 at 5:59AM UTC
Explore your value outside your company. It's always good to truly know your worth.
You'll also need to have a hard talk with your manager about the resources you need. He obviously doesn't recognize your value since he is not grooming you for the VP position or any VP position for that matter. So you truly are not going to grow professionally under this person and might burn out and damage your health abd career since he's not supporting you in the ways you need.
As a director it is your responsibility to not only get the job done but care for your career at this company. You are at a critical stage and must advocate for yourself before things get out of hand and the damage is done.
Alice GravesSeptember 17,2021 at 9:51AM UTC
I'm sorry to hear you are finding yourself in this situation and also that you're working such long hours.
It seems there are multiple layers here, so I would suggest the following.
1. Go into the interview with open eyes and try not to be influenced by years of experience. Really try to have an open interview with this person. Going in already thinking what you do, it will be hard to form an opinion based on facts. So try to clear your mind and go in with curiosity to learn more about this person. If after the interview you really feel this person will not provide the support you need, be strong and tell your manager and base your feedback on facts gathered in the interview, not opinions you have.
2. Schedule a time for a meeting with your manager and have an open and honest conversation. In these situations it is all about wording. You can word your concerns and still show that you support the company and your managers vision. Let your manager know what you really need and you can even say you are a bit confused that they want to hire another leader rather than someone to report to you as that is where you really need the help. It's always good to go with suggestions, so maybe reach out to some people in your network and see if they know anyone who could support even on an interim basis. You could then let your manager know you've done some work yourself to find a solution. It can take ages to hire and onboard someone senior, so could an interim option be a possibility? Think about what you need and build the interim role yourself.
3. Assess if you want to stay at this company. I would question what sort of work environment it is that you fear loosing your job for sharing your concerns. To me that is not a 'safe' environment that encourages growth. If you have been approached by other companies, there is nothing wrong with having conversations. It also helps you benchmark your skills and pay in your discipline.
I hope this helps, and good luck! Feel free to reach out to me if you want more advice or help.