AIBU to not feel a bit possessive about my work?

[JCPenny]

I've been responsible for a particular department/product within my team for over 9 months now.
In this time I've really learnt the role and understood the business. I love what I do because it keeps me on my toes and it's a constant challenge.

I've also built some fabulous relationships in this time and some of them are very senior members of the department.

I've written procedures, I've amended processes to make them more efficient and for lack of a better phrase the work became "my thing".

I'd just reached the stage where clients and senior members of the management would call and ask specifically for me.

And then my direct boss (who hates me) dropped an ultimatum- I was being moved to another department within the same team and I am no longer "allowed" to touch any of my previous work and instead train someone new and hand it over them to them

This is killing me. I don't want to be moved, especially because the new product I am being given doesn't interest me at all.

I am feeling frustrated and cheated. I don't want to let go of my work and hand over the stuff I've worked so hard on these past few months. More than anything else, I don't want to lose the relationships and contacts that I have made and the idea of someone else taking my place is unbearable atm.

Any advice on how to handle this?

See the new role as a challenge? Maybe they see that they need your skills in a new role.

also want to add that I feel like I have nothing to contribute to this new role. This product already has experts on it who have been working there for over 6 years. They are not short-staffed either and it's obvious they don't need me.

I don't even know what I'm doing here

I don't see it as a challenge because

1. the product is boring (to me)
2. There are enough people working on it and they are all very experienced

so I don't know how I am needed and what exactly I am supposed to do for them.

It doesn't help that my initial training phase in this office was utterly miserable. Just when I was glad it was over, I've been thrown back into the same position again

Have you asked why you are being moved?

My boss doesn't react well to being questioned.

Nevertheless, I did ask and got told that it was not really up to me to decide or question this.

So are those senior members of the department no use at a time like this? Have you spoken to them about it?

Would the move mean that the boss would no longer be your boss? Silver lining, and all that.

Bosses who say 'it's not really up to you to question' things are not generally good bosses so my sympathies. Will s/he still be your boss?

Is there someone above your boss you can speak to?

I'm not sure there is a lot you can do if it is standard to move people around.

Could you ask about it from a "personal development" perspective? So ask if you could chat with your manager about how the new role will benefit you and how you will add value when you move. It would (hopefully!) come across as you being ready and flexible to move, rather than wanting to stay, and you can use the responses to try to work out why they've decided this as it does sound odd...

Surely any company wants to get the best from its staff and also keep them happy, motivated, etc?

Only other thing I can think of, and tbh you don't sound like you're are like this, but are you stagnant in your role?

I was blocked from promotion and progression by a colleague at work who refused to stretch themselves and progress, which would have enabled me to progress into her role. Eventually they moved her sideways and I could move up. Her AIBU might have sounded very like yours! You sound very on the ball though, so it's probably not that.

you need to look for another job

although perhaps you did such a sterling job they wish you to inject new life into this department?

I would chat to one of those senior members of the department if you can. How about you ask them if you could chat something through with them and go and chat about your thoughts.

I think you will need to try to put a positive spin on it (not - I hate the thought of doing X, but more I really think there is much more I could do on Y in terms of adding value to the company etc. Try and avoid making it feel that you're going over your bosses head - more that you would really value a few minutes with someone more experienced and whose opinion you value to help work out how you plan out your career development etc.

Ah if it meant I could have a different boss, I wouldn't have been complaining as much. Unfortunately it's the same boss.

Our team deals with 5 different products and 1-2 people manage each one. I was on product A which I loved and was winning accolades for, but I have now been moved to product B which basically has no scope.

Doesn't like you looking good and getting accolades. Maybe you have Captain's old boss.

What does your contract say about your role and moving you. If your current role is not redundant they may not lawfully be able to require you to change roles