If I dodged a bullet...

[sergebroom]

My boss was fired yesterday. Today my team lead announced that he's leaving in two weeks. That leaves yours truly as the only person who thoroughly knows the system. I asked my boss's boss if they'd consider me as a replacement. That was probably an insane thing to do. I most likely would't enjoy being a 'manager' altough I'd have been better than most. It's a non-issue because the boss's boss has no plan yet to replace my team lead. I'm not sure I should be relieved. Still, if I dodged a bullet, why am I so upset about it? Maybe because I'm afraid the situation will revert to what it was one year ago, with me being the resource person for everything, but without any power to control who does what and getting my life wrecked in the process. Or they'll decide that a team lead is needed after all, but they'll give it to someone who has neither my technical knowledge nor my management skills. I think I'll have a drink when I get home.

Comments

That last

[dragonet2.livejournal.com]

sounds like a plan... just saying.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

I recommend a stiff shot of rum.

[mac-stone.livejournal.com]

In my experience, the best managers are those who aren't all that interested in being "the boss" but who ARE interested in getting stuff done and finding ways for people to work together and get along. I think you'd be fantastic to work for, or work with.

[miltonthales.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

The upside of being the boss, Serge, would be that your colleagues would feel it necessary to laugh or groan at your puns.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

As the old saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. I would have constantly reminded myself not to abuse such power.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Mac. Hopefully my boss's boss will see the light when he realizes that I am indeed the only person who knows the system from beginning to end.

[kathryn-ironic.livejournal.com]

your grandboss is thinking in terms of a job opening and risk mitigation, so you just need a strategy for his type of mindset that gets him away from his default assumptions.

i.e. Build a management-skills heavy resume that summarizes why you should be the manager, rather than the default of again being managed; show you've been managing all along = when your recommendations got carried out things were more successful.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

I'll need to bring this up with my boss's boss next week when I finally get my yearly review. My team lead said things to me about that this morning that were quite upsetting. The gist of it is: it's my fault that 2010 was such a miserable year. I thought he was supportive of me, but, come to think of it, I'm glad the smug little guy is leaving.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Well, get your resume shined up. You've complained about this job all the time, so be ready to move when you feel you should.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Well, not all the time.
:-)