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Career advice anyone?

6 replies

Bromley4ever · 27/01/2021 15:09

I got made redundant last summer and I'm very lucky to have got another role. I decided to take a role with a less senior job title than where I was because the organisation was great, it seemed very democratic and equal and I didn't think it was an issue, but recently I've been put in my place quite a few times when I make what I feel are helpful suggestions, drawing on my past experience. Any advice? Should I shut up and get on with the basic stuff?

OP posts:
maxelly · 27/01/2021 16:13

Hmm, tricky one, is it just the job title that's different or is the new job structurally/hierarchically lower down than the old one, i.e. were you previously 'head of marketing' and the most senior marketing person in the organisation, and now you are 'deputy head of marketing' but there's also a 'head of marketing', an 'assistant director of marketing' and a 'director of marketing' as well? I can def see the latter would take some getting used to if you were used to having full accountability and autonomy to do whatever you thought best in your area of expertise and now you are swathed in layers of governance and hierarchy and different people having to be consulted and got on side before you can do anything? Not that one or the other is the 'right' way to do things, obviously in big organisations and with large budgets there will be more bureaucracy and 'layers' than smaller ones, some people do just prefer working in one way over the other, sometimes it's just an adjustment period, sometimes it may be that actually you need to move back towards the way you naturally prefer, take from this job what you can and look at when/how you make your next steps?

Either way though, people should not be being rude and putting down your suggestions. I work in what's usually thought of as quite an old fashioned and hierarchical type of organisation (public sector) and we would never ever 'put anyone in their place' for making suggestions, whether that person was the most junior admin person or the director. Obviously the helpfulness of the suggestions can vary (although frankly those from the admin people are usually a hell of a lot more useful than those from the director Grin ), but there's no excuse for incivility and making someone feel small. If that happens on a regular basis I would be either talking to the individuals concerned or my manager about it because it's not acceptable.

I do have to say though (as a veteran of hierarchical organisations, including ones that don't seem so on the outside) that people can be a bit funny and defensive about 'new people' and their 'suggestions'/ideas/advice, particularly if said new person is seen to be a bit 'above their station' for whatever reason, because they've got more/less experience/qualifications than others, or are younger/older than others or 'face doesn't fit' type situations. I'm not saying it's right or pleasant, at all, but what's behind it is usually more to do with the recipient than the suggestion, if you see what I mean. People are often a bit scared of change and/or fearful for their own jobs and reputation if the new person could be seen as a threat to them and it makes them go very defensive and odd. You can be a bit 'damned if you do damned if you don't' because if you don't mention anything about your past experience and qualifications it's 'who's she to tell us what to do' whereas if you start a meeting or conversation with a potted history of your CV, academic qualifications and job achievements you naturally seem boastful and weird because who does that Grin.

To reassure you though, usually it goes away after a while if you gently persist and don't get discouraged. Once they get to know you and see that everything is still OK, the world hasn't fallen in etc and once you get to know the right way to work around particular individuals and how/when to present things to them, frankly play the game a bit, frustrating as that is, it goes away and ta-da, you are accepted - it's the next new person that then gets looked on with suspicion and in fact you may find you become flavour of the month in comparison which is a whole other weird thing to deal with!

Bromley4ever · 27/01/2021 18:21

Thank you @maxelly what an amazingly thoughtful answer full of insights! I guess in past roles I've sensed that I've been a bit of a know it all and not felt like it went down well. There are a fair amount of new people so there is quite a bit of establishing who does what going on/jostling and I guess I may have touched a few sensitivities. I do genuinely like the job and organisation so we'll see how it goes and perhaps I might have to try something different from my usual straightforward approach and embrace a bit of playing of the game.

OP posts:
JustWatchMe · 28/01/2021 08:26

Who put you in your place - was it your new manager? Was it only you? There might be a perception that you might be hard to manage as you had to take a step down, it may not be part of the culture but individual managers will have their own ideas (and insecurities) - If it's everyone being put in there place it might be a teacher's approach - don't smile until Christmas?

I think you will need to be cleverer in the way you interact, call it game playing if you like - but there's always a bit of this to be done in any role if you are attuned emotionally to the people around you, making your manager look good - allowing the dust to settle a bit.

Bromley4ever · 28/01/2021 09:24

It was someone else in a role equivalent to my manager, and she is new also. And it wasn't as direct as that, it was a case of selectively replying to the points in an email and ignoring some ideas I put forward/dismissing others in a few words. I get that people might feel I'm hard to manage from seeing that I had to take a step down and I'm really well qualified. It's a bit galling as that was to do with caring responsibilities. I'm delighted to find that most don't see me in this way, just I don't know how to react when some do, but I'm going to try and play the long game thanks both for advice.

OP posts:
JustWatchMe · 28/01/2021 12:34

I had to take a step down and I'm really well qualified. It's a bit galling as that was to do with caring responsibilities. I wonder if that's the way you are coming across?

madnessitellyou · 28/01/2021 21:31

I've gone from being a senior manager to, well, nowhere near management Grin. I've been really careful not to try to manage some of my colleagues; it's not my role. I do draw on some previous experience but only even it's related to the job I'm doing now. I'm career changing and this is just the way it is.

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