Is this a harmless comment?

[foreverhidden]

I was promoted earlier in the year and hired my backfill. Recently I've met separately with two execs who are stakeholders for the role to ask them how things are going and both of them gave positive feedback.

I'm happy they are happy, however, when both of them were telling me the positive feedback they both said 'she's much better than her predecessor' or 'she's better than the last person who had the role'. They said it in jest but I was surprised one of them had said it, let alone both of them.

Deep down I know I didn't do as much as she is doing now, so maybe I'm paranoid but it seems like too much of a coincidence for them both to joke about it.

I would only make a joke like that if I didn't mean it and had a good relationship with the person I was saying it to.

So take it as a compliment that you must have had a good relationship with both!

It's so old a "joke" OP that I'm only surprised you have never heard it before.

I swear it was said to me on every promotion I ever got in all 4 of my employers.

I think it's a really standard, run of the mill joke. It's like British people talking about the weather.

Completely standard ‘joke’ of the type told by the kind of people who think they’re being terribly witty when they ask a tall person if there’s snow on top. Haven’t you ever come across it before?

If you know you didn’t do as much as she is doing, why are you surprised that two other peoples can see the same?

It was said lightheartedly and you already got your promotion so try and forget it.

as the others have said, it's one of those bog standard office jokes.
but tbf you seem to be admitting there could be at least some truth in it yourself! don't take it to heart but perhaps use it as an impetus to give 100% to the new job so your new manager says the same thing about you!

Definitely don't take it to heart - it's the sort of joke you wouldn't say if you meant it. You did a good job in hiring your replacement - be proud of yourself!

You wouldn't have got the promotion if you weren't good. It's just a stupid joke, don't let it get to you.

This.

It sounds like bog standard office / workplace banter, not worth a minute’s thought.

It's a harmless, normal joke!

Along the lines of anytime someone goes home slightly early “ooh bye then part timer”