Advice Line | Bob Lewis | InfoWorld | Rehabilitating a career | October 16, 2006 09:50 AM

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Rehabilitating a career

October 16, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Rehabilitating a career

Dear Bob ...

Nine months ago my employer offered me a terrific opportunity. Actually, two of them - the chance to build a department that had received too little attention up until then, and a major project that had only a slight relationship to the department.

The short version: I agreed to both. The CEO is the sort who could sell ice to Eskimos; he was very persuasive that I'd be able to succeed at both and I succumbed to the flattery ... and the assurances that I'd have all the support I'd need.

Here's what happened:

I really did get the support I needed, if "support" doesn't include the ability to hire key management positions to take on a lot of the day-to-day work. Maybe someone else could have juggled both responsibilities successfully, but I couldn't. The project limped along at about a quarter speed compared to the company's expectations, and I wasn't able to give the department anywhere near the attention it deserved.

Three months ago the company hired someone else to take on the project and took it away from me. I was relieved - I figured I'd be able to devote all of my attention to building my department. I would have, too, except that I heard through the grapevine that the CEO was making disparaging remarks about my abilities, and I stopped getting the cooperation I needed from other departments. I don't really blame them - if what I heard was accurate, I'd have avoided me too.

Last week I was demoted, although they had the good manners to hide it through a reorganization. The net effect is that someone else is now responsible for building the department I'd been in charge of, and I'm in a staff role.

What do you think I should do to salvage my career here?

- Took too big a bite

Dear Chewer ...

That's easy: Leave. Your reputation in the company is shot, and whether or not it's your fault doesn't matter a bit.

In theory, you could stay and salvage your career. The way to do it is to keep your head down, stick to your knitting, succeed at every assignment they throw at you, and politely but firmly turn down any assignment that looks like a losing proposition ... or redefine it so it can be a winning proposition.

In three years, more or less, you'll have been rehabilitated.

But why put yourself through this? If you move to a different company you'd be rehabilitated the day you start.

- Bob

Posted by Bob Lewis on October 16, 2006 09:50 AM

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COMMENTS

You're absolutely right on this one, Bob. I know, because I could have written nearly the same thing as Chewer.

I was put in charge of a department, including both day-to-day operations and growing the headcount. Except that, like Chewer, I wasn't given hiring authority, and the person who had given me the position kept shooting down everyone I brought in for interviews.

After nearly a year of this there was a "reorganization" that ended with me having the day-to-day operational responsibility, and someone else having my former title ... plus hiring authority. It was clear to everyone that it represented a demotion for me.

I immediately updated my resume, and within a couple of months had found a new job. Looking back, my wife assures me that I was miserable for several years at the old job. I didn't see it while I was there, but leaving was the best thing I ever did.

The one thing you didn't mention is the lack of hiring authority. Chewer was right to question the level of support if he wasn't able to bring people in to make it happen. If you're not trusted to do that, then you're really not trusted. Which means you're set up for eventual failure.

Posted by: Could be twins at October 16, 2006 10:40 AM

There is another lesson to be learned here - get the authority to do the job before you accept it. Sometimes it takes time to figure out what you need to do the job, take the time.

Posted by: Jon at October 19, 2006 09:42 AM

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