Hi,
If you figure out who I am please don't out me - need this to stay unsearchable.
Also, apologies if I 'reveal' stuff later on, keep thinking of relevant things but probably won't get them all down in the OP.
Right, sorry, this is complicated
I work for a directorate in a huge organisation. The deprartment head is called Big Cheese.
Under Big Cheese are the Senior Managers, Tom, Dick and Harry (and about 4 others).
Tom's department has 3 teams (A, B, C), managed by Anna, Billy and Chris. I am Anna.
Billy has handed in his notice and will be leaving in May.
There has always been a huge overlap between the jobs, and for one reason and another, my skills and interests are now more relevant to Billy's job than my own, although I do still enjoy my job. I am on Mat Leave, due to go back in Sept/Oct time.
So obviously Billy's job is available and I want to go for it, even though it's a sideways step. I did this last time, and lost out to Billy, as he had more experience, fair enough.
There is a senior member of Team B (SeniorMember) who I am fairly certain will go for the job too. He may have more technical skills but I have the staff management experience.
Tom, my boss, arranged an informal meeting with me to explain he had a problem. If I get the job, then he feels SeniorMember will leave as soon as possible. As I am on Mat Leave until September that will leave the team without anyone senior until then. So he pretty much said he wanted SeniorMember to get it. He suggested a solution to me, which was to create a new role within that team for me to be seconded to. (The team needs more senior members anyway, this would solve a problem in itself). In principle, what did I think. In principle, I said good idea, but I'd need to know more. Now to my mind the unspoken agreement was that I would wait to hear from him about this.
Today I have discovered Billy's job is being advertised, closing date about 2 weeks. I feel very annoyed, as I feel he was stringing me along with the secondment idea until after the closing date, when he'd say no (I personally don't think it can work, but he says it can!).
Anyway, so I'm going to go for the job.
Firstly, I'd just like some insight into the situation from people who aren't involved, maybe I'm overreacting.
Also, assuming (which I think I can) the secondment idea will come to nothing, how can I allay their fears about what's going to happen to the team? How can I make something positive out of all of this.
Thirdly, although Tom says he is doing this with BigCheese, I have only ever spoken to Tom. I know for a fact that Tom is considered a little odd and to have mad ideas. Is it worth trying to talk to BigCheese? I just have a nagging feeling that Tom is building this 'problem' into something bigger than it is, and BigCheese might just think, so we'll be short staffed for a month or two, we'll cope! After all, they should be looking long term (which I am going to highlight in my app and interview).
Fourthly, I know Dick a bit better than the other senior managers, and we are both part of a confidential work support group. As part of that I have discussed issues with Tom, and he has discussed issues with BigCheese. Would it be wrong to ask to talk this through with him to see what he thinks?
(BTW there is no issue around leaving my team short staffed, I'll explain if I need to)
I'm really sorry for all the mad names, was the only way I could think to keep it straight Thanks, if you've got this far.