Employee Remembered Being Told Nobody On Staff Was Qualified To Take Charge, So They Later Used The Manager’s Own Claim Against Her
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Managers cannot remove authority while keeping every inconvenient responsibility.
One state employee was told her position carried no real fiscal responsibility.
She happily accepted the smaller role.
Months later, management wanted the old duties back.
Check out how it all went down.
Fiscal responsibility – all right then
About 20 years ago I worked for a small state agency where supervisors, quality review and trainers were all the same payscale and you could transfer from one area to the other.
One of the sups was promoted to area manager (4 areas in the state) and our office dynamics changed.
Normally, these 3 classifications were back ups for the security system (manager was fully responsible) and if the manager and all the sups were out of the office, one of us (slightly lesser) reviewer/trainer was ‘in charge’.
He made the mistake of asking who was in charge.
Fast forward 6 months, Upper Management scheduled a 2 day training for the manager and the sups.
I make the mistake of asking who’s in charge while they are gone.
New manager looks at me and says … “None of you are in charge since you don’t have the fiscal responsibility that I and the sups have”.
It was said in a put you in your place voice.
Me, nearing retirement, thinks – Cool, one less headache for me .. what I said was “Glad to know that.”
Time to use the manager’s words against her.
Fast forward 4 months and it’s time to rotate the security system backup (team). Manager looks at me and my partner and says that it’s QRs turn.
I look at the manager and said “It would seem that if QR doesn’t have fiscal responsibility and can’t be ‘in charge’ when management is out, then QR can’t be responsible for security backup.
My manager opened her mouth, shut her mouth and turned a interesting hue of red.
We get out of the meeting and my partner and the trainers are all happy as am I. The 4 sups, not so much.
You really can’t have it both ways.
Either the employees are responsible or not. This was perfect!
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Another person needed some more explanation.
This person has a question.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who decided to stop being so helpful when aiding coworkers cost him a promotion.
But this person isn’t 100% on their side.
This employee used her manager’s own words to refuse responsibility for the office security system.
Her coworkers escaped the unwanted duty, while supervisors inherited the extra work their authority supposedly required.
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