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Back @ Work, my assistant promoted above me while I was gone


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So I started back to work today after being out for 9 weeks after having the brain surgery. OMG!! So much has changed.

 

My assistant is no longer my assistant, the temp to help her while I was gone was hired in her place.

 

My assistant is igetting a promotion and is going to be groomed for a position in the company by my boss (a position they created for her) because they saw "a lot of potential".

 

I guess I should look at this as a reflection of how well I trained her (and her work of course). But I can't help but feel a little resentful that for over two years I have been the Exec. Assistant here and have done more work then her, even when she subbed for me. She told me she was stressed filling in for me, and didn't do everything because she couldn't (and that my bosses took it easy on her). So for doing 75% of the job I do for just two months she is now getting a promotion.

 

According to her they didn't think I would be back, even thought I kept in touch with her weekly on my progress and assured them I would be back yesterday.

 

I don't now how to feel, but I know I should just be thankful that I made it back and that I have a job period. But it's hard having to adjust so much.

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According to her they didn't think I would be back, even thought I kept in touch with her weekly on my progress and assured them I would be back yesterday.

 

Is it possible that although you kept her up to speed regarding your status - SHE did not forward this information to the higher ups?

Did SHE lead them to believe your return was vague or precarious, or that you had not been in touch?

 

Even if...your time off, your surgery & recovery has no doubt given you a new lease on life...one that lets you see your priorities clearly and let a lot of stuff go! Go ahead, what the hell, be happy!

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TwinkletOes26

This just gives me even more reason to not make friends at work...wow just wow...i wouldnt blame you for being more than a little resentful but after readin all youve been through i also dont blame you for just being happy to be alive and healthy. People who do shady things(which is exactly what this sounds like) wnd up getting it back in the end.

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2sure, I asked her if she was letting them know that I was staying in touch with her and she said, "well, I only got that one call from you the day your leave was extended". And I replied letting her know that I kept in touch with her weekly either by phone or e-mail.

 

She even told me that she asked our HR person to call and confirm I was going to be in last Friday, which he didn't. I ended up calling my bosses and accepting meeting invites so they would know...

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laRubiaBonita

i would at the least forward all your emails to her, to your boss.... saying something about the obviously dropped ball on her part......

 

this crap happens all the time in my office- one reason i hate my job

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Yeah, bit of a mistake only corresponding with your underling about your progress.

 

At the least you should have CC'd your boss. Lesson learned, you only get so many golden opportunities in this life and it sounds like she just took hers!

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Trialbyfire

When you get back, take your time so you don't overdo it. When an opportunity comes your way, make the most out of it. If you've got what it takes, you'll leapfrog her.

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Well, her job is to manage our move (it't her test) we will have two months to move 130 new employees to a new office space and she has to coordinate everything. I was told to not do anything and pretend like it's not happening.

 

I talked to a co-worker about it and asked him why they thought I wasn't coming back and he said they never said anything bad about me, but that in a meeting when asked if she had heard from me, she said no.

 

I just told my boss that I kept in touch with her weekly, sent e-mails, called, and even offered to help her with travel for people while I was out. He said he did expect me to come back, he just didn't know when. He also said he didn't know I was coming back so soon.

 

But my boss said with the move everything needs to run the same (regular stuff) and that's what my job is.

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laRubiaBonita

i think her test is fair..... and at least you have had your say to him.

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Trialbyfire
Well, her job is to manage our move (it't her test) we will have two months to move 130 new employees to a new office space and she has to coordinate everything. I was told to not do anything and pretend like it's not happening.

I'm kind of laughing at this because it's a no lose situation for your bosses. They weren't certain when you were coming back and needed a job done. She's got to prove she's got the right stuff and you've been given carte blanche to not help her.

 

She'll come to you for help. Ever moved an office before, seamlessly? It's not easy to coordinate, particularly since you have so many external vendors.

 

If she comes to you, explain that you're busy and told to take it easy by your boss, due to health concerns. Wax eloquent about your bosses and how they were so understanding and how glad you're back into the fold. Wish her well in her enterprise, particularly if she's got no experience!! :laugh:

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laRubiaBonita

... and if she sucks... not a huge loss either- i am sure she is somewhat cognoscente and somewhat competent- and will get something done... after that, they can put her back in the "mailroom" (so to speak).

 

cheaper at her rate for them, and easier on you.

 

if not... she has to deal with all the deadlines and hold ups one deals with when moving offices.... i would think it was a rented space- if so... renting stinks when you first start the lease... and when it ends. soo much crap and loose ends and details to bother with... and then having to deal with Prop. Managers and assistants.... bleh- not my idea of a job i would ever want... ever.

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I'm kind of laughing at this because it's a no lose situation for your bosses. They weren't certain when you were coming back and needed a job done. She's got to prove she's got the right stuff and you've been given carte blanche to not help her.

 

She'll come to you for help. Ever moved an office before, seamlessly? It's not easy to coordinate, particularly since you have so many external vendors.

 

If she comes to you, explain that you're busy and told to take it easy by your boss, due to health concerns. Wax eloquent about your bosses and how they were so understanding and how glad you're back into the fold. Wish her well in her enterprise, particularly if she's got no experience!! :laugh:

I am wishing her well, and will need to learn to leave well enough alone. I am always a "helper", but I won't put myself into a bad spot.

 

I think the move will be tough, we have 130 employees to move and 2.5 months. We actually don't even have a lease yet with anyone!:eek:

 

I don't think she is qualified, I had to micromanage her schedule and tasks. Some things would take forever, and I would have to explain that x task takes 5 min and y task takes 10 minutes so why they have been sitting on her "things to do" for two days was beyond me. I would have to crack the whip.

 

A few projects that were handed to her haven't been done and according to her, they got to be too much so she just didn't do them. A meeting requested by our boss (CEO) she gave to me today, but has been assigned for two weeks. And he doesn't even have to attend, she just had to coordinate five people to view an hour presentation at the same time for training.

 

At least for this all she has to do is really "manage" the project and make sure other people are doing their tasks and by the deadline. And of course organize the movers, cleaning, furniture, etc.

 

But my time will come and I wll be graceful with everything I have to deal with in the mean time.

 

Her very first question after being given the task - "where will my desk be " (in current office). I would have focused more on the project and less on my needs. She has access to PC's and phone to do what she can in the mean time.

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Sorry to hear that, there are stories like that for almost every company you work for. Examples from my job:

 

A) this guy from my company who was very loyal to my boss and the company and has been there for 4 years went back to France to renew his visa so he could cont' working here. 2 weeks after he was gone, my boss immediately hired a replacement. Upon returning and being excited to be back, my boss broke the news to him (not exactly telling him why he was out of a job unfortunately).

 

B) A manager from my company went on vacation to Europe...2 months had passed and she never returned. Who knows? Guess she decided to stay there. Finally they hired a replacement.

 

Everyone is expendable, no matter how important you think you are.

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2sure, I asked her if she was letting them know that I was staying in touch with her and she said, "well, I only got that one call from you the day your leave was extended". And I replied letting her know that I kept in touch with her weekly either by phone or e-mail.

 

She even told me that she asked our HR person to call and confirm I was going to be in last Friday, which he didn't. I ended up calling my bosses and accepting meeting invites so they would know...

 

Why were you communicating your intentions regarding return date to your subordinate, and not directly with HR and your superiors? :confused:

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BoredPerson

So she got promoted out of admin and you didn't ? Pretty rough.

 

The EA where I work got promoted and move departments a while ago.

 

Maybe she deserved to be promoted because they did see potential in her and they don't see potential in you. Sometimes the company just assumes one person wants to stay in admin. American corporate culture is disgraceful anyway.

 

I don't really know if people were less sexist about the whole thing it would be a lot easier to get promoted.

 

So now do you have to get your x assistants coffee ? This could be karma for you, did you treat your assistant well ?

 

I'm sure you will get promoted if you keep trying.

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I did communicate with HR, I tried to talk to my bosses, but they were busy or not in. Thing is our HR guy likes girls half his age which both of these girls are and tends to play favorites and buddy buddy with them (like going to bars).

 

I know I am expendable, but that doesn't make me any less upset. It's not like I had any choice, I NEEDED to have BRAIN SURGERY and I took 9 weeks to recover...not a vacation. My brain was being squished and I had to have part of my skull removed because my intercranial pressure was very high and causing me pain and could down the road cause permanent nerve damage, including paralysis...and I am only 26.

 

I won't be getting her coffee, she is moving to another department (in a few months) and will have little interaction with her actually. I was very nice to her, I am to all of my assistants, I usually try to sheild them from trouble and cover their butts when they need someone to. I don't think it's karma.

 

I guess she was just really upfront with her wants and they are trying to accomodate her, I am sure if I was they would do the same for me.

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Trialbyfire

redfathom, this was probably a combination of your bosses needing a job done (the move) and her eagerness to display her abilities. I would stop worrying about it and let it play out. Your primary focus is to get back into the fold, continue to get better and show what you're capable of, after that. Since your assistant is moving to a different department, it will be easier to stomach.

 

It's true you didn't ask for your brain surgery. It's not as if it's cosmetic surgery requiring a 9 week recovery period. On the otherhand, business has to go on, especially since your bosses had no idea if you were coming back.

 

I'm really curious how this plays out and how well she handles it. I'm honestly surprised that the office manager wasn't made responsible for the job. This falls within her realm of responsibilities v. your area, as EA.

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Yeah, I am not as upset as I was, it will most likley turn out to be a blessing. I do have to say that I did stay in touch and I communicated my return date with them, so why they thought I wouldn't be back is beyond me...but it is what it is.

 

Thanks all for your replies.

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The thing I find interesting is that an Executive Assistant needs an assistant plus her assistant needs an assistant. Essentially there are three people doing the role of typically one. So clearly the workload is too much for just one person. I don't see how you can see this as out of left field that they would "create" a position for your assistant when she is there to begin with because the workload you have is too much? :confused:

 

I do think that it's strange that as a senior member of support you didn't realize to communicate with your boss directly while you were away rather than via someone who is brought in under you. Why in the world would you be in touch with your assistant who technically reports in to you?

 

If she got promoted it's because they saw potential in her. I hate seeing this level of pettiness in the workplace, and seeing some of the earlier responses here on how you should go out of your way to wait and see how this other girl will fail seems very wrong to me! Everyone is there to do a job and if she had worked you out of your role that's disheartening and would be downright professionally unethical of a company to use a sick leave to filter you out with a new person, but since that was not the case it boils down to plain old jealousy. In which case that's fine, it happens.

 

But please keep your feelings under control, there is no justifiable need to act on them here, none that I see at least...She cant be trusted to look out for you, that's reality. So do take that into account when dealing with her in future.

 

Now your feelings are for you to have, and no one can tell you how something should make you feel but the fact that you would rather focus on the negative is only going to bring more uneasiness for you in the long run. Not worth the energy really if you think about it...

 

Glad your operation went well!! Brain surgery amazes me, it gives me great faith in our medical system!! :)

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Her role is the receptionist and she reports to me, I work for the CEO and COO. There are only two people doing office management, me and the receptionist, which she is no longer doing. Now she is going to do "project management" in a different department after our move.

 

I tried to talk to my bosses, and she was instructed to call me. My bosses are very busy, travel to the East Coast and only work 4 days a week. It was arranged between them that I would contact her.

 

While I see the need for her to be in the position she is in now, I would have liked to be considered for it. Yes, I am a little jealous, it's a good opprotunity and I know I am more qualified for it...other people have even told me this.

 

But it's over with and I am not as upset as I was initially, I don't always handle change well and was surprised and a little hurt.

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I tried to talk to my bosses, and she was instructed to call me.

 

 

What's your take on that? You are EA to the COO and CEO, and you have access to the exec's emails, home information, private phones, PINs etc. summer home contact etc.

What is your take on why they would choose a receptionist to be your key contact person while you would be off?

 

My bosses are very busy, travel to the East Coast and only work 4 days a week. It was arranged between them that I would contact her.

 

yeah but email is 24/7 and it can be accessed from anywhere in the world at any time. ;)

But fine what's done is done you live you learn. My take is maybe your bosses wanted you to coordinate with the receptionist in terms of getting your worke done while you were away but in terms of what was important to you, I would have bypassed her and made it a point to always reach out to your boss directly.

 

 

While I see the need for her to be in the position she is in now, I would have liked to be considered for it. Yes, I am a little jealous, it's a good opportunity and I know I am more qualified for it...other people have even told me this.

 

You are the right hand to the top performers in the company, you represent their success to a certain extent. Do you realize how hard it is to replace someone like you if the opportunity arises and they have to promote someone? In a position like that you have to be very proactive in terms of letting your bosses know your career goals, promotions to someone like you would only happen if you expressed interest in career growth. I really don't think they will take it upon themselves to promote you out of the blue, and lose you, especially if you are good. Not in this climate. Some employers are less selfish and want to see their staff progress, others not so much. They are looking out for their best interest in the end..

 

But it's over with and I am not as upset as I was initially, I don't always handle change well and was surprised and a little hurt.

 

 

Change IS hard, I do understand. I was in an awkward position quite a few years ago I took a freelance job covering for a maternity leave and when the woman came back from the leave it was awkward and I could tell she was very uncomfortable. I had done a really great job and adapted so well to the role very quickly and grew to make a lot of great connections, and I had a lot of thank you cards from clients on my desk and general positive feedback, including a relationship with the VP of the department whom I developed a good rapport with. Everyone expressed how sad they were to see me go, and so the person I replaced came back early and we were asked to overlap and she didn't even give me time to clear out my desk or anything so in coming back to see all this it instantly got her back up and I could see the discomfort in her knowing that people were really sad to see me go. It was uncomfortable for me since I did not want to do anything to make her feel like I was there to outshine her.

 

Having to learn from me all the changes she had missed, and a couple of changes I had initiated that were welcomed by my peers, when she had been there for more than 6 yrs and in one year that she was gone the role took on another dimension (and one of ultimate benefit to her), must not have been too fun for her. But I tried very hard to make her feel welcome and even told her little white lies like people really missed her while she was gone and would comment on that, but it didn't seem to matter she had her back up completely with me and it was just a very uncomfortable situation to be in for that last week.

 

Anyway the point is, my goal wasn't to outshine her because she was extremely good at the job possibly better than me in some respects, it was more to perform my best because I was doing freelance work and when you are a freelancer it is all about the impressions you leave on a project in order to be called back or referred. I landed the job before the one I have now because of that, since I was recommended by a client.

 

So long as people are not there to harm you, you kind of have to try to understand people's needs to further their own careers by doing the best they can. Hope my situation provides a different perspective, a non-threatening way to look at it. If you feel this woman took all your talented advice and ended up with all the rewards in the end, then don't devote so much of your time on her in future, let her be independent in her choices and you can avoid having to be the one coaching her.

 

You do this by instilling confidence in her and making her feel like she can figure it out on her own. You know, sort like "we've discussed this already now I know you will use your great leadership skills to perform the tasks in your own style" ;) See what you did? You washed you hands from having to coach her and you gave her the confidence to think she is SO good she actually already has the answer, which really benefits you in the end. She more than likely does have the answers but she just doesn't have the confidence to chance it on her own, which is why she relies on you.

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Oh, I told my "assistant" weeks before I left for the surgery that this was her time to shine and show them what she can do and to make sure she did her best. I also gave her all the tools she needed to do her best, I put reminders on her calendar for important meeting's, event's, etc. I pretty much planned out most of her time before I left and made it fool proof (because it's a reflection of me).

 

In her reviews I always put, "X does a great job and could do better if she had the confidence in herself that I have."

 

I really mentored her.

 

Also if you read my other posts you would see that my bosses told me not to help her anymore and I said I would have a hard time turning my back on anyone who needed help.

 

Live and learn.

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BoredPerson
The thing I find interesting is that an Executive Assistant needs an assistant plus her assistant needs an assistant.

 

Depends on the EA... sheesh you'd think anyone with some work experience would understand that ? I only read the first line of your post so forgive me if you clarify.

 

The complexity of the EA's work will depend on the level of the executive. Where I work there are EA's that basically are receptionists and there are EA's that work for important people, who end up also doing research and project management tasks to assist the executive.

 

I too find it interesting there are three assistants. Maybe it is a way to underpay people.

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