Dear Evil HR Lady,
I am a systems engineer at a prominent Sales and Engineering company. I was asked by management to assume a managerial role in addition to my technical responsibilities. I performed the management duties for little over a year during which I have learnt much about managing and mobilizing people and the importance of quick decision-making. The on-the-job training was not only for my development but it was to prepare me to assume the management position upon the promotion of the existing manager.
Finally, my manager was promoted but the company opted to advertise the position internally. Of course I applied, even after learning that my manager was not thinking of promoting me anymore when I asked him about the post. The reasoning was that I am more valuable in my current official technical role than I would be in a management role. I did not make decisions quickly and I was not assertive. In short, I work better with numbers than people — at least this is how I interpreted the feedback.
Eventually, one other person applied and that person was an engineer who reported to me. I say was because she eventually was promoted over me. I do not feel bitter or resentful to her, in fact, she has been doing quite well since she assumed the role. However, I am not sure how I can manage my relationships with her and my ex-immediate manager given the expectations that I had. I still like what I do, but the disappointment has not passed and I do not want it to impede my productivity as well as inhibit my career advancement. To add to my confusion, I did not get feedback that definitively expressed why I would not make a good manager at this time and why a growth and development strategy was employed seeing that I was already doing the work.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
To read the answer, click here: My former direct report is now my boss