Have I been demoted, and does it matter?

[GeorgeEliot]

I work for a medium-sized company or around 100 employees. We had a restructuring 6 months ago. I was previously head of a (small) department, reporting directly to the CEO, which was split up. A new role was created, to head a new division in which I would be working - I had to interview for the new role along with 2 others of same seniority as myself. I did not get the job (which went to someone with 1/2 my level of experience) - he is now apparently my line manager (this was not explained clearly at the time); although 'officially' I continue to report directly to the Executive team (CEO). According to the CEO, as I am getting paid the same money as before I have not been demoted - but it certainly does not feel like that as I no longer get invited to senior meetings etc and all info and all decisions I am responsible for have to be channelled through the new head of the new department in which I now work.

I don't have a good relationship with the new person, and I'm finding it increasingly frustrating.

Any advice gratefully received!!

I think team or organisation restructuring can be hard because it tends to mean people feel pushed down the chain and thus are unclear about where they fit in now - the feeling of demotion that you're having. A guy who worked for me used to report to my director but that was because they hadn't found the right team to put him into - I don't think he really understood it (and in fairness I'm not sure how well it was explained to him) but he took being 'demoted' into my team pretty hard. Same pay and indeed work, but he had attached significance - as we all do - to the fact he was reporting directly in to senior management.

I think if broadly your level of responsibility is the same then it's not a demotion. You say that nominally you still report to the CEO but that seems like an ill-thought-out fudge when actually your new reporting line is this other guy. Presumably there is an org chart? (I work for a government department and we go years between anyone remembering to update ours, people find it unbelievably frustrating - this is mainly because managers have made a series of extremely poor management decisions and basically hide behind a lack of defined structure as a way to avoid blame). What about other people who do work at the same level as you - I don't mean have the same reporting line but roughly the same level of responsibility?

Have you had any feedback about why you weren't successful at interview? I think you are probably finding it difficult to adapt under the circumstances - understandable - and I think just saying you're paid the same money means you haven't been demoted is ridiculous. But it sounds like you haven't had decision-making powers taken off you, it's just that the reporting has to go via this new person to the senior team, is that correct?

Thank you tribpot for your thoughtful and helpful comments.

We were given two organisational charts after the restructuring! One showing me directly reporting into the Execs, the other showing a hierarchy with the new Team leader sitting above me and my other colleague. So yes, it was a fudge, and was never properly explained to me that he was going to effectively be my boss, and that is what has led to our very difficult working relationship 6 months on.

Post-interview feedback was that we all performed very strongly, but the guy who got the job demonstrated better evidence of strategic thinking. But actually it is widely regarded as a stitch up - we all knew he was getting the job at the outset, they just set up the interviews to appear to give more legitimacy to the process. He was new to the company and the apple of the CEO's eye. But vastly less-experienced than the two other people who are now below him.

I had a feeling it might be something like that, GeorgeEliot :( Unfortunately, rewarding the face-that-fits is very common, isn't it? I recently had cause to point out the (many and major) deficiencies about someone in a similar role within my directorate (to the director) and he was genuinely surprised. He said the person had very strong 'stakeholder management' skills - I think like the 'strategic thinking' excuse what this really means is 'good at sucking up'.

So, assuming that you are reporting to this guy despite the 'battle of the org charts', the question about whether you've been demoted comes down to whether your overall level of responsibility remains the same. What's your feeling on that?

My job was cut in half with half my responsibilities being transferred to another team, and me retaining the other half. The half I've retained, the level of responsibility is broadly the same, although new guy now acts as intermediary between me and CEO if I need to get stuff signed off. Have also been given new, different responsibilities to cover for 2nd half of job which have to be agreed by new guy.

Main difference is that I am no longer involved in strategy meetings when I was before, and don't have the opportunity to contribute at the strategic level. I really don't like that.

But in terms of implementation, my job is broadly the same level of responsibility, I think I am concluding that I haven't really been demoted per se.

Your comments and analysis have really helped me to see things more clearly - thank you.

No probs - I think it's always helpful to be able to 'talk' it through to get stuff clear in your head. This is better than the conversation I'm having at my actual work with one of my colleagues who's got the hump because one of the members of the team made a leaving card for someone else, who my colleague had fallen out with. Said colleague felt team member displayed disloyalty in the making of the card. I felt said colleague was being childish in the extreme!

Hopefully, however, it gives you a basis for a chat with the new bloke, namely:

• what is the plan for you taking on and developing the new area?
• what is the plan for him engaging with his team to ensure they can contribute to the strategy? This broadly means him getting to nick all the best ideas, but if your input is no longer required directly, the only other thing you can probably do is build up a presentation in your own time and ask for a one-to-one with the CEO just to 'run through some ideas' - you could probably (mis)use your dotted line relationship into the CEO to do this if he questions why you went around him.

I think being able to manage upwards is a useful skill to have, but your situation sounds like it could lurch from tolerable to unworkably frustrating if the guy is actually stupid rather than just under-experienced. I'd keep that dotted line relationship in your back pocket for later.

I should say, the other part of your convo with the new chap is to say that you enjoyed having input into the strategic work and you'd like to come up with a plan with him about how you can develop the necessary skills and experience to be able to take on a role with that focus in the future. And keep - gently - reminding him about this. If he is like some of the overly ambitious people at my work, he will have zero line management skills or interest in developing in his staff. But that means the suggestion that he ought to be doing some will probably scare the bejeezus out of him. And fear is a useful weapon when applied with a light touch