Should I hold back my experience with a less experienced manager?

[Hamilson]

I am semi retired but enjoying working in a junior(ish) role in my old field.

I have done several jobs very similar to that of my current boss. She's good, a nice person and easy to work with. Competent, but not as experienced as me, only a few months into this role which was a big promotion for her.

In team meetings she can be a bit "I'm not sure" or "I think", which can be frustrating for other staff, who just want a definitive answer.

I often have a view, or know the answer, which I sometimes share with the aim of being helpful to her and to others, but I have a feeling I get on her nerves!

Would you speak up or keep you knowledge and experience to yourself?

I am no threat to her, I am genuinely enjoying having stepped back and not having the responsibility, but I understand it might not feel comfortable for her.

Wwyd?

Maybe speak to her and offer to be a mentor to her? Speaking up in front of others will get her back up as it shows she has lack of experience, but being someone she could go to with questions would be beneficial for her. You just have to frame it right.

Don’t do this… this will go down like a lead balloon!
And yes, sadly (and from experience) you do have to be a bit guarded. My approach is to say “oh X I think I read somewhere this, shall I dig it out and send it over to you”… then you are still allowing them to feel in control and not undermined.
Being cleverer/ more experienced than your boss is a bit of a mine field and you do have to actively manage their feelings/ego!

You could speak to or counsel her privately - in a meeting setting, it could feel (and look) pretty undermining if you speak for or contradict her as you are suggesting, and although your knowledge might be sound, in a more junior role, your behaviour wouldn’t be all that appropriate

Women saying things like ‘I’m not sure’ or ‘i think’ often indicates a lack of confidence rather than a lack of knowledge - lots of women have been conditioned to be ‘nice’, which can look like less definitive statements like this. I do agree that this can also be frustrating or unclear for team members

you definitely have an opportunity to help and share your experience, but not by by speaking for her

I’d speak to her in private and support and mentor her. Make your self a sounding board. Somebody she trusts for advice and support. And if she listens to you then does something else, keep quiet.

I kind of have this situation in my workplace where I have a colleague in a more junior position that used to do my role, which I'm pretty new to.

I really wouldn't have appreciated him asking to mentor me. At all.

What we do have is a really good working relationship where he will give me pointers when he thinks I many need it and thank him for that. I think that dynamic works probably because of our personality types, the way he approaches it and me telling him I'm appreciative of that.

Thats what works for us, but I realise it won't work for everyone.

I am in a similar situation. I wouldn’t offer to mentor her - very inappropriate considering she is actually your manager, and I would be very circumspect about what I said in team gatherings- for your own sake as well as hers, you don’t want to be considered a know it all.
In private 121s ( of which there appear to be very few in NHS admin ) I would drop a seed in of something that I would consider to be basic management 101 i.e. wouldn’t it have been nice when I started if there was a procedural guide for the job we do, and she generally picks it up.

You are not the manager and it’s important not to absorb the stress of how you would have done the job as you’re not getting paid for it. Although I do find the lack of 121s or any actual management hugely frustrating- I mean 15 minutes proactively on e a month with each of us would pay such dividends, but ho hum not my problem.

Offer the ideas in the right way and a good manager will love it.

It may be her insecurity right now, but if it is clear you are not looking to challenge her she can really make the most of you.

I worked with a man who had been really senior in an international bank, he was in a junior role and management loved having him around to bounce ideas off. As he was no threat as was just bored at home and worked to fill his days.

In team meetings she can be a bit "I'm not sure" or "I think", which can be frustrating for other staff, who just want a definitive answer. You need to let this dynamic work itself out to some extent.

In the meeting are ideas requested?
If yes, how do you present your ideas? In can be helpful to say 'what about if...' 'could we try...' to avoid undermining.

If no, that says something important about the manager that won't be resolved by you trying to stick your oar in.

What a difficult position to be in - it was always my fear about hiring someone who was over-qualified for a job that they couldn't stay in their lane and they'd undermine their manager. I think you need to allow her to learn the ropes herself - she will make mistakes that's how she will learn. Ask questions rather than give advice. I think it's ok to press for a decision when she gives a I think maybe answer but do it gently.

In a 1:1 with her, ask her what she's prefer you to do in that situation. Emphasise that you also would have been unsure when you first started out as a manager, but it's simply the case that you were in the role for quite a while and know some of these answers.

Is it about facts or opinions?

I have broader technical knowledge than my boss. It is absolutely normal in my field, he is much better in the business aspect.
He knows, I know, everyone in the team know.
For internal meetings I just step in and provide the information/explanation. For client meetings, I quietly signalise I'm ready - and he chooses between me answering now and keeping the flow of the conversation.

I feel like the manager has already expressed her position on this through her obvious annoyance when OP does pipe up.

Even the most confident of managers is going to feel somewhat undermined with someone constantly pointing out that they could do the job better.

In my experience it’s better to keep schtum in group settings and phrase advice as leading questions in 121s.

Not this exact situation but I have someone like this who is undermining and thinks she knows the job better.

Are you sure you’re aware of everything? There is bigger picture stuff the more junior person wouldn’t be aware of which affects answers in team meetings.

Ultimately it was your choice to take a lower level role rather than be at that level again. So let her get on with it.

Its never a good idea to allow a less experienced boss know that you know better. That knowledge is always there to leverage when/if it becomes necessary. Its part of workplace politics and known as keeping your powder dry.

I spent years working for people who were less intelligent than myself.

That does vary, if you have a smart boss who is just new to something they can appreciate it. If it is someone over promoted then they often respond badly to it.

Minefield! In my experience most bosses don't like to feel that someone they manage knows more than they do. Its why you get the 'overqualified' reason for job rejection.

And then you risk being called ageist so you come up with another reason.