How to push for job - when somebody else is already in the role

[excited99]

I have been working for my employer for 12 years and have been in my current department for 5 years. There is a management role in another department that I feel I could do much better than the current manager. I feel that customer service could be improved and I could incorporate my skill set to change the role but make it more productive. I have spoken to my manager, he has said that he agrees I would be a good person for the job and I need to "make some noise" to push for the job. How do I do this? I dont want to go down the route of pointing out every mistake that the manager makes, however, I need to show that I could do it better. Am I completely out of order for even thinking about this?

You are completely out of order. It just isnt done. You need to look elsewhere for promotion. You would come over as a bit of an idiot to even suggest it tbh. It's like the plot of one of those silly modern thrillers.

Sorry, agree with the others. The other colleague should be supported to be better at their job if management don't think they are good enough, not have someone else snapping at their heels. Why would you want to work somewhere so unsupportive ?

My advice is to update you CV and apply for similar roles in other companies. Your current employer are not good people to work for. Its currently potentially going in your favour, but that doesn't make this any less unprofessional.

You support and train a struggling employee, not set up a replacement before you've tackled their performance.

Are you very young OP? This is such an entitled attitude that you only really see in the very young people that are coming through the ranks at the moment. DH hired someone a few months ago who decided to tell him how to do his job within 3 weeks of starting. That isn’t the only reason by far but she’s no longer with the company...

Totally out of order. And to be honest if you “made some noise” about it I don’t think it would actually go down well with management. They need team workers, people who know how to act in a work place to be managers. This person may be making mistakes but that’s up their managers to deal with. I’d think very poorly of someone in a team who constantly pointed out another person’s mistakes if I knew this was an ulterior motive. Even without that motive it’s not what you do....if I see someone has made a mistake I tell them so they can rectify it.

You do your own job well, you help out where you can above and beyond your role. Take all the opportunities, training, etc you can. You apply for stuff as it comes up, either inside or outside your organisation.

The advice your manager gave you is an excellent way of you being encouraged to leave! I wouldn't trust that advice at all.

I can't believe you approached your manager about a position which isn't available. How mortifying for you!

A lot of people think they could do a better job than a lot of people currently doing these roles. Thing is, you actually have no idea until you are in the role as to what it entails. There is normally a lot more to most jobs than you can tell or understand from the outside. Maybe you could do a better job but maybe her boss is happy with her performance and maybe she excels in some ways that you mightn't but not in others. If you want a similar position apply to other organisations or vacancies as they arise. You will look like a dick otherwise and it may harm your future attempts in the long run.

You shouldn’t push to take someone else’s job, but you could ask to lead a project that demonstrates your skills, ask for some relevant training etc.

Then if a suitable role becomes vacant in the future, you have a good shot at it.

Is there someone already in the job? If so, how exactly are you planning to take it?

You are very arrogant

Does your manager perhaps not like you? Could they be looking to sabotage you so that they have a reason to sack you?

Don't worry OP you could go for your current manager's role when they get disciplined in the constructive dismissal of the under performing (in your opinion) person. You know, the person you're being encouraged to undermine rather than your manager going through a proper process.

I would be very unhappy working in a place that encouraged such behaviour.

"Dear Mumsnet, I fancy a starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. Do you think if I make enough noise around Ryan Reynolds he will tell Disney he's stepping aside so I can use my broad skill set in Deadpool 3?"

There are plenty of ways to show off your skill set.
Trying to push someone else out of their job isn't one of them.

I think it's time you looked for a job elsewhere - one that's available. Be careful OP - one thing you are forgetting is that a good manager cannot manage effectively if no one respects them.
Ambition and ability is not enough.

Ah yes, I'll just pop in to see the CEO and tell him I, the cleaner of the building, could do his job much better despite having no experience. I'm sure he'll even dust off his desk after he clears it for me. He may even throw in a potted plant for me!

Your manager encouraged you to give this a go?
Do they secretly dislike you and want rid of you or are they simply shit at their job and have no brains?

I’ll get slammed for this but I have done this before.

Under performing colleague was also line managed by my manager, his job was “better” than mine although we were in parallel roles.

I pushed him out within a month, he was offered a compromise agreement he readily accepted and I was in post the next day. I have no regrets, he was floundering and I subsequently won an award for doing his role.

He’s doing well in a different role now and I’ve boosted my career and am now pretty successful.

It does sound to me like your manager might be setting you up for a fall for some reason??

Anyway - you can’t apply for a job that isn’t open, and yes if you go around criticising this person in an effort to get them sacked, that’s unlikely to work, also people won’t want to work for you.

Are there generally openings for managers in your company? Can you get given a project that would demonstrate your potential and build on that? If so I would go talk to your bosses boss or HR about how to get moving up (your boss sounds like a prat or a manipulator.)

If there are no ops in your company, you are clearly bored - how can you move elsewhere?

I can think of two kinds of organizations where this could and does work.
Firstly corporations where people routinely only stay a few years in role before they move onto another role as part of their development and a new person takes the role for theirs.
Or an organization where there are a number of different roles which a repeated throughout the organization, so there are multiple opportunities to work in the role and natural churn would give you an opportunity.

In a smaller organization with limited job roles it isn't going to be possible to move into someone else's job.

This is awful. Look for a job somewhere else. Horrible thing to do.

If you stab someone in the back, you'll have watch your own forever.

I once watched this done to someone by this pretentious arsehole. They did not last a mere few months in the role. And have since been moving from company to company clearly doing an amazing job everywhere they go...

On the second thought, is this Donald Trump?

Either this is a reverse, or your manager is desperately trying to get rid of you.