NC - I'm a long-standing poster, but this is rather outing. I'll try and keep it reasonably brief (and am willing to elaborate if needed):
Due to a recent restructuring initiative at my place of work, I accepted a transfer to a different department that came with a promotion - but of the five teams that used to work for me, I only took two along with me when I moved - which is nothing but sensible in terms of our post-reorganisation org chart.
There's just one small problem: several of the people in the teams no longer managed by myself have approached me in private and have complained about how much they dislike and (worse IMO, I've done good work for bosses I didn't love) disrespect their new manager, have directly asked me if I have jobs for them in my new department or have said that they're job hunting outside. So far as I'm aware, they've done this independently of one another (though if they've covertly organised in order to give that impression and are actually in cahoots with one another, I'd be one proud former boss at having chosen and trained them).
I personally know their new manager and actually quite like him on a personal level - but having had interactions with him regarding projects delivered jointly by my former and my current department, I can see why my former employees might not enjoy working for him. I know I certainly wouldn't (and have the privilege of not having to, so who am I to talk about personal likes?). There is nothing inherently wrong with how he approaches things, IMO - it's just that the way he manages is not particularly compatible with the type of team I have built. Colleague seems to be a 'standardise and industrialise' type of guy - I've always been a 'boutique type delivery of mind-blowingly excellent but correspondingly involved (and expensive) projects' kind of woman and have shaped my teams accordingly. The type of people I have put on these teams don't tend to gel well with the type of manager colleague is.
Here's my dilemma: I could speak up to my (and colleague's - we have the same C-level bosses) higher-ups about my concerns and I'm practically positive I'd 'win' if I did. My unhappy ex-subordinates would love me, as would my bosses (my style of management is much more in line with what the firm aims for these days - that's a purely generational thing). But if I do, colleague may be sanctioned. Colleague is also in his late 50s and his style (the one my former team members complin about) is not en vogue - so he may not have many options elsewhere. I don't think he deserves this. This is not a case of him being wrong - his style and background are just a poor match for the position.
Or I could keep schtum. This may lead to my ex-subordinates leaving one by one and the company I work for getting into dire straits in a critical business area. Much more importantly to me personally, it would mean washing my hands of people I have personally selected, trained and developed, and whom I care about on a personal as much as on a professional level, and leaving them to fend for themselves in a situation they are clearly trying to address by speaking to me. I feel responsible for these people and I'd hate to let them down when they put their trust in me.
So WWYD?