To want to punch my maternity cover in his egotistical face?!

[McFox]

I come off work in 11 weeks - yipee! However the boss has thrown me a massive project before I go off, so I've had very little time to go through the whole advertising and interview process to find a replacement. We were offered someone from a sister organisation with the same background to me, albeit from a completely different industry (I work in a very specialised part of the healthcare industry) and so we hired him and brought him in early to take over the more routine bits of my job while I concentrate on directing the major project.

So far so sensible, but he is really ambitious, a total climber. When I've asked him to do something over the past 2 weeks (that's how long he's been here) comments I've had back include "I don't understand the context so I can't give you an opinion on whether that's the right thing to do or not" and "I'm not sure that you're coming at this from the right angle, I would suggest..." - I want to scream. I wasn’t asking for opinions, I was asking for it to be done!

He has also: kept ideas to himself until we're in external meetings with clients where he makes the suggestion, putting me in an awkward position; been telling my staff to make changes to things without discussing it with me first; telling me that I should be considering doing x/y/z. This is all driving me mad – partly because I’m a control freak and have built and been successfully running this department for 3 ½ years, and partly because I have a horrible feeling that the minute I leave he is going to dismantle lots of my hard work to show what he’s achieved while he’s been in the post.

He’s on a fixed term contract, I’ll only be off for 9 months, and will be working a couple of days a month from December onwards, so he knows that I’m not walking away entirely (and I don’t think that he’s happy with that, but tough, my CEO is very happy with that plan).

So, what do I do – he has an awful lot to learn about this industry and is going to cause problems if he carries on being so opinionated. Several colleagues have commented that he rubs people up the wrong way/thinks a lot of himself, so should I keep schtum and let him hang himself so to speak, or speak to my boss and raise these concerns? I am so nervous about leaving at a critical time in the growth of the business anyway, and my boss knows this, that I don’t want to come across paranoid, but neither do I want him messing things up!

Sorry mad day! Just leaving work now...

So, the update is that my boss was absolutely supportive and agreed to my suggestion that I speak to him and point out the responsibilities and limitations of his role, and if he doesn't comply, then we get rid if him.

He says that has not intention of babysitting him in case he fucks up, so agrees that I need to point out that he is a caretaker and that I can keep an eye on things while I'm away. In the meantime he's going to have a think about who is in the wider network that we might be able to approach just in case he doesn't fall into line.

So, good result but I also have the joyous task of pointing all of this out to him tomorrow. Fun!!

It's great you've got a good boss.

Hope it goes well, for you at least, when you speak with this chap.

Please come back and re-update! Loving this thread, he sounds delightful

Really good that your Boss is onside but trust me when I say 'having a word' will make no difference at all. This guy is on his own planet and you and your requirements don't even register.

Good luck, please keep us updated and stay firm!

Excellent that your boss seems to realise that this guy really could be a problem.

I would ensure that the responsibilities and limitations of this guy in the role are put in writing. Run through the list (in hard copy, with another hard copy for Mr Entitled) when you talk to him, then email him an electronic copy and copy in your boss - I would put a note at the bottom of the email directed to your boss saying words to the effect of "as discussed and agreed with you, I've copied you in on Mr E's Role and responsibilities definition" Of course that wouldn't be for your boss's benefit, but so Mr Entitled can see that this HAS all been agreed and he can't deny having ever been told.

Me, manipulative? Just an ex-civil servant

Thanks for all the advice, I'm definite going to use it. I'm now just trying to work out how the conversation should go, you know other than kicking it off with "right listen to me you sneaky little fucker..."

Using weasel words McFox, using weasel words.

So xxx, you've been here long enough to have settled in & Mr Big Boss & I are doing the usual 1 month performance review - makes it look really formal & serious, but without you picking on him.

I think there may have been a little confusion as to exactly what your role was intended to be - basically telling him he has got it all very wrong, but the poor dear has obviously made a big mistake because he's confused (maybe because his comprehension isn't great) so you aren't telling him off, you're just clarifying.

So WE'VE got it all down in writing so it's clear to everyone - the "we" rubbing his nose into the fact that this isn't just you, it's your boss too saying this. You're also implying by using the word "everyone" that others may well have sight of this role definition, reducing the chance that he can bullshit them into believing he has authority he doesn't.

Then run through the definition in very simple terms, taking each point slowly & asking if he's clear as to the meaning before going on to the next. This has the double effect of a) meaning he has absolutely no excuse whatsoever to act against it and b) implying he's a bit thick which is why you have to go over every point in basic terms.

This should leave him without a leg to stand on, and put very thoroughly in his place, without any reasonable excuse to take offence

What Allergic said.

Make an appointment with Slimy, tomorrow, hopefully.

Hi, Slimy. Have a seat. Slimy, it's becoming clear that there is some misunderstanding on your part as to what your role here is. This is becoming of concern, so you and I are going to go over your responsibilities as maternity cover for me. Here is your copy, and I've gone over this with Boss as well.

Let's start at the beginning and save questions for after we have gone through the list (this saves him interrupting and derailing/hijacking to his own agenda).

If he tries, tell him politely, 'Slimy, remember, we are saving questions and concerns until the end. It is vital to clearly understand your job duties. '

X-post with Allergic. All about we and the team.

Nice Allergic, I like it, thank you

And on behalf of part timers everywhere, please read him the riot act about his stupid plans to change people's hours...

McFox as I said I spent a fair amount of time in the civil service (central government too) plus time working for a consultancy. Experiences like that do tend to teach you how to slap someone down or even mortally insult them without giving them anything they can use against you or fairly complain about

Only thing I would change -- I would not say this "I think there may have been a little confusion as to exactly what your role was intended to be."

That leaves it open to interpretation that this "confusion" could be your fault for not having communicated to him his role. And you really don't want anything in writing that he can then twist, now or later, to say that any of his misbehavior is/was your fault.

I know it may not seem crucial b/c you are going on in the document to communicate to him his role. But people like this will exploit any loophole in ways you could not imagine. So I would rephrase to say

"We're committed to supporting you so that you may succeed in your temporary role. It's become apparent to us that you have misunderstood what your areas of responsibility are, so we have outlined them below. Going forward, we will expect you to rely on this document as the complete outline of your responsibilities. It will not be necessary for these responsibilities to be expanded. We are confident that you will excel in your temporary role as outlined."

Good luck! Really happy for you that your boss is so firmly on your side.

Am just about to recruit my cover and have to say this thread has given me a lot to think about. Had kind of ID someone I thought might be suitable internally but am realising we have a very different take on things. Good luck with talk tomorrow - i feel your pain as I have to tell someone they haven't got a senior manager role that their (very inflated) ego told them they should get but at least I don't have to work with them.

Allergictoironing has made the kind of suggestion I was thinking of.

Me? I'm just another ex civil servant

Good point KeatsiePie, and lovely phrasing. Even more condescending than I may have dared, but again nothing he could really take offence at. Have a , definitely earned it (and shown I'm a bit out of practice).

Ha! Thanks, I love cake

I have vivid recollections of office-politics phrasing ... if it feels too condescending, you can always add a sop like "We appreciate the enthusiasm you have brought to your temporary role BUT." I used to find with difficult people it was easier to start out condescending and then be kind after you have made them knuckle under.

I meant to say I thought Allergic had the approach spot on though, especially the emphasis on "we." Also liked expat's point of having him hold questions. I hope you'll tell us how it went!

Just wondering - pricks like him often have a big, big problem with women being in positions of power. Do you think that might be part of his attitude?

SGB, you may have a point, especially as the part timer he had a go at is female, so he may have felt the need to exert his supposed authority.

If it were me, I would not be happy with someone saying "Going forward".

But I think that's maybe just me

Good luck for the chat OP. Really good suggestions of how to deal with this idiot. Hopefully he will be successfully put in his place!

SuburbanRhonda that's almost part of the point. We don't WANT him to be happy with any part of what's said, he needs to be put very firmly in his place in a way so he can't complain he's been treated badly enough to try it on at a tribunal. Not that he'd have any chance of that, after being in the job less than a month & only on a short-ish fixed term contract.

The intention is to leash him in so he either does the job he's supposed to be doing & no more, or walks out.

"Going forward" is endemic at the place I work. I'm fighting a subversive action with it, and try to avoid using it.

Place marking for tomorrow's update!