Right to be concerned or am I overthinking this?

[Nanodust]

I will try to summarise the situation:
I was completing a secondment in a dept, with a permanent role to return to. Dept liked my work, a permanent role became available in secondment dept. which I interviewed for and was appointed to.
I was told early on that the new role was to develop further and my line manager said that they wanted me to progress into developed role and would be working that into my current role over the next 6 months.
Fast forward 3 months and there has been a department restructure where I am no longer part of the senior management group, am associated with a temporary project and have no other activities or tasks being given to me (some actually have been taken away).
I approached LM to ask whether the development of my role was to continue and was told that it would be a competitive process that I am welcome to apply for.
In the new structure I stick out like an anomaly. It’s raised some comments from staff and because it is isolated I spend days on end not seeing or speaking with anyone.
The work I have tried to progress is being questioned a lot, I have had to discontinue work that had previously been signed off and when I ask for other tasks or direction I am told to hold tight or not panic.
I really want to approach this with my LM and clarify:
Does the development originally discussed still apply
What are the implications to my role in the new structure, as I am in a stand alone position (not what was suggested at interview) what are my future opportunities, particularly after current project is delivered
How can I assume new responsibilities
How can I be integrated more with the rest of the dept.

My LM can be quite snappy and doesn’t like me to ask direct questions. However all of this is beginning to affect my mood and general wellbeing.

Any tips advice or confirmation on above approach welcome. Thanks in advance.

[ImNotWhoYouThinkIAmOhNo]

Did you agree short/long term objectives with your LM when you started the role?

3 months in seems a reasonable time to want to review your progress with your LM anyway - a good reason for asking for a meeting. As there have been other changes, definitely raise your questions (in your OP) at that meeting.

Do you have a trusted colleague you can confide in / sound out, or a mentor? It might be worth making a point of asking other people (anybody!) how they will be affected by the changes, or what they think about them, to see if that provides any useful information about the future direction.

[Nanodust]

Thank you. A couple of other staff I spoke with seem to think I would be applying for one of the new Senior posts. However I may already be someone else in mind. Lots of the teams not sure what is going to happen overall and it isn’t a great time.

[ImNotWhoYouThinkIAmOhNo]

Sounds really unsettling. Hope you get some answers.

[CotswoldStrife]

That's awkward OP, it does sound as if you are in the new role with no way back to your substantive post that you were seconded out of (have they filled that one?)

The restructure is making it a lot harder for you to make headway with the progress aspect, and if the restructure is not yet complete (and let's face it these things can take ages ...) they are probably not able to give you a definitive answer just now.

Are there any other projects in the department that you could help out on, which would get you back into the main 'fold' of the department IYSWIM?

[Nanodust]

Thanks Cotswoldstrife. I have been trying that but others are not letting ‘me in’ so to speak. Due to restructure everyone being protective etc. and not letting others on projects, in fact some of my work was given to others to make them feel better!

My substantive post is no longer available as someone else is now in it.

[CotswoldStrife]

Ugh, I can understand everyone feeling a bit territorial because they don't know what's happening but what a pain! I hope the restructure takes place ASAP and you can get an idea of the roles available in the department then.

[Nanodust]

I hope so too, just a bit anxious that may not include me, not by design but by oversight........

[OlennasWimple]

You must be coming up for your quarterly review around now, surely?

[Nanodust]

They don’t do anything formal around reviews, just a once a year appraisal

[HoppingPavlova]

I would look carefully at this situation. It looks like you have been put on “special projects” aka a fairly redundant position edging someone closer to the door. Hope I’m wrong. Probably a good time to take stock, look at what is out there and go on your own terms/timeframe.

[Nanodust]

That’s what I’m m worried about Hopping. However can they just do that? Promise me opportunities, encourage me to leave a permanent job. Then appoint, change what was promised and restructure me into a vulnerable position after less than 3 months in the post and long term service (with a officially confirmed strong track record).

[HoppingPavlova]

Yes, companies can and do. Well, all that I have worked for over many years. All large companies though. Any ‘special projects’ lone ranger position never lasts in my experience. Can be a positive or negative for people though depending on length of service that will affect a redundancy payout, job market etc. Some people welcome it if they know they can easily get another job afterwards and it means they will end up with a substantial leaving package. For others it’s better to look for a job and leave on their own terms.

[Nanodust]

Wouldn’t this situation be constructive dismissal though?