The Other Manager Wants Top Performer in My Team - What Can I Do?

• 

  AngoraFish on 15/04/2023 - 12:43

  +16

  A good manager celebrates the successes of their staff. You can't keep high performing staff around forever, all you can do is create an environment where good people thrive until they move onto the next opportunity.

  • 

    GuitarXXX on 15/04/2023 - 12:57

    Yes I agree. That’s why I am not so against as it may open up new opportunities to her. But they want everything happen so quickly that I have to suck up the extra work and stress.

    • 

      treekangagaroo on 15/04/2023 - 14:46

      +4

      Did some one ask what that high performer like ?

• 

  wordplay on 15/04/2023 - 12:45

  +4

  do the best for your employee, can you make sure they go with a payrise to the new role.

• 

  lostgoat on 15/04/2023 - 12:45

  it seems upper levels are more inclined to agree on this approach `^ me they pay your wages and you do what they say !

• 

  fredz0r on 15/04/2023 - 12:56

  +2

  If all your staff are top performers why would moving one leave a hole?

  • 

    dcep on 15/04/2023 - 13:06

    +1

    She wants this to happen now or in a very short notice period.
    I have to suck it up and find next performer and work with limited capacity for quite a few months.
    I have been under-staffed and stressed for last two years.

• 

  CrowReally on 15/04/2023 - 12:57

  +7

  Don't forget it's not just 'your' team, it's first and foremost the company's team, so it's an uphill battle to tell them not to do what they've decided to.

  In the very least prepare a report/talking points showing what person X brings to your team and what removing them means - they will hopefully be replacing that person and you also want a paper trail of "well my numbers/KPIs went to hell when I lost my dedicated Y-operator".

  It's not all doom and gloom, it's a confirmation of your ability to train up top tier staff. If you handle this professionally, who's to say you don't get a promotion to do this for more staff?

• 

  deme on 15/04/2023 - 12:57

  Are you losing head count?

  Consider the career growth of your team member: While it may be frustrating to lose a top performer, it's also important to consider the career growth of your team member. If the other manager's team is a better fit for their career goals, it may be in their best interest to move. It's important to have open and honest conversations with the team member about their career aspirations, and to support them in achieving their goals.

  • 

    GuitarXXX on 15/04/2023 - 13:00

    That’s the part I don’t know yet. Feels to me they just want this happen first and not much consideration given to my team and the challenges we are facing. And yes if my member is happy to move I will do whatever I can to support her too.

• 

  Shoocat on 15/04/2023 - 13:00

  +3

  I would begin by talking to the staff member who would be moved. Is that what they want? Has anyone involved them in the decision to now?

  If they want to move and are excited by the opportunity, you should let them go with your support. They might not like the other manager and want to come back, but if they do then that's ok.

  If they don't want to leave your team, you can use that as a discussion point with your manager and see if there's an alternative candidate in a different team.

• AustriaBargain on 15/04/2023 - 13:01 Comment score below threshold.
  • 

    deme on 15/04/2023 - 13:03

    +2

    This is so American

    • 

      AustriaBargain on 15/04/2023 - 13:06

      -2

      If splitting up the dream team helps the company perform better then that's what should happen, right? If OP is able to turn workers into top performers then he should probably angle for a raise and help train up the next top performer.

      • 

        deme on 15/04/2023 - 13:06

        +5

        No mate, this line:

        What's best for the owners of the company is all you should care about.

        Is so American.

        • 

          AustriaBargain on 15/04/2023 - 15:08

          -2

          @deme: We tax companies to benefit everyone else. We don't need communism or anything for a privately or publicly owned successful company to benefit society as a whole.

          • 

            deme on 15/04/2023 - 15:08

            @AustriaBargain: Define communism

            • 

              AustriaBargain on 15/04/2023 - 15:12

              -1

              @deme: A theory or system of social organisation in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.

              • 

                deme on 15/04/2023 - 15:13

                @AustriaBargain: And how does that relate to: What's best for the owners of the company is all you should care about.

                • 

                  AustriaBargain on 15/04/2023 - 15:18

                  @deme: Well we don't live under communism. I suppose we have something more like socialism if taxes from profits of companies is used to benefit everyone, but that's more of a side effect of helping a company succeed. I don't think many people are motivated to help a company make more profits just so the company will be taxed more and society as a whole will be improved, although that is an interesting idea.

                  • 

                    deme on 15/04/2023 - 15:19

                    @AustriaBargain: What do you think of America?

                    • 

                      AustriaBargain on 15/04/2023 - 15:24

                      @deme: Well America does spend a lot of money on social spending and is really more of a socialist state than Russia is today, and Russia is more of a pure capitalist system today than America is.

      • 

        lostgoat on 15/04/2023 - 14:35

        I think based on the title its more likely that poor OP will have a nervous breakdown.
        The hard yards has to be done by somebody that is at least resilient .

  • 

    GuitarXXX on 15/04/2023 - 15:18

    +1

    This is like a 50 years ago management mentality. It’s now been well recognised that a company can’t succeed without their people feel successful, like you need to balance between the company, it’s people and clients / customers and other factors too.

    • 

      AustriaBargain on 15/04/2023 - 15:22

      Well yeah you make your people feel successful so the company can do better in the long run. But if OP is some kind of wonder kid who can turn workers into super workers, makes no sense to keep all those super workers in one tiny team at the cost of the whole organisation. Reminds me of what you hear about Japanese and some American companies, where different departments are in competition with each other at the cost of the organisation as whole. Arguably it is why companies like Sony and Xerox missed the boat when they should have been dominant companies today in areas where they are not. By all rights Sony should be what Apple is today, and Xerox should be Microsoft.

  • 

    larndis on 16/04/2023 - 22:01

    I am very glad you are not my manager

    • 

      AustriaBargain on 16/04/2023 - 23:23

      I'd let you work from home, give you a company car, a raise, and provide daycare for your kids because keeping you happy keeps you productive and loyal to the company which serves the interests of the owners.

• 

  iforgotmysocks on 15/04/2023 - 13:26

  +2

  The sexy instrument game is a cutthroat one

• 

  cashless on 15/04/2023 - 14:04

  +1

  I have been under stuffed and stressed for last two years.

  Sounds like OP ought to be looking for another job

• 

  outlander on 15/04/2023 - 15:22

  Talk to the team member she wants. Maybe she'd be willing to sabotage the new manager from the inside, in exchange for something else.

• 

  freefall101 on 15/04/2023 - 15:40

  +3

  If your team member wants it, then there's little you can do but wish them the best. If you push back on them getting a better role, they'll quit soon anyway (and it'll make your team pissed off).

  I have been under stuffed and stressed for last two years.

  Don't get emotional, do it by the numbers. If you're lacking staff yet still delivering then in their eyes you're not understaffed. You should start looking at what is reasonably deliverable, particularly if you don't have the headcount to do so.

  Then look at what this person does and say that you're already understaffed, so if you have to give them up straight away you won't be able to deliver x, y and z until you get a replacement. Sometimes you need to stand your ground and not just do the extra work and burn everyone out. Because if you're delivering without the headcount then it'll be seen that you don't need the headcount.

• 

  bobbified on 15/04/2023 - 17:25

  +2

  If it's good for your team member's career and she wants it, it'd be good to encourage her to go. Then whatever happens in your team afterwards, it's your job to sort it out.

  I've been in similar situations before where the team member isn't sure if they want to go because they're loyal (and I don't want them to go either), but I knew it was better for their career, etc, in the long run…. so I have a very open conversation with them about opportunities and encourage them to do what's best for them.

• 

  2esc on 16/04/2023 - 20:10

  If you've been under stuffed and stressed for last two years i would be weighing up all the pros and cons of your particular circumstance may be other opportunities out depending on your role and location.

• 

  larndis on 16/04/2023 - 22:04

  +1

  Regardless of the outcome for this staff member, I think it's important to be really clear about the capacity of your team, set boundaries and stick to them. When those above you want you to just 'do more with less', say no.

  Be clear that taking on an extra task or letting that staff member go will impact other work. Tell them what resources you need to deliver everything they want. Keep reiterating.

  Yes, it's reasonable to ask staff (and managers) to occasionally go above and beyond to meet temporary critical workload peaks, but if it's not occasional and it's a consistent expectation then it's not a healthy workplace.

• 

  bluesky on 17/04/2023 - 17:20

  If this is good for the company, and the upper levels want it, I would see this in a positive light. So long as you have already mentioned to your direct report, that in the short-term you and your team may be impacted and things could be a bit sub-optimal.

  If you intend to move into top management one day, you need to start thinking broadly – in terms of the company and not just your team only. Such an attitude or trait, of being able to think for the good of the company overall - is recognised by good management when scouting for top managerial material. Those who think narrowly may not advance very far.

  If the team member whom you are giving up has become a top performer under your guidance, I could think of no better selling point for you personally, than another manager actually wanting your staff. This may not have escaped the top management's notice either. And it could also promote a good relationship between you and this manager going forward (having done them a favour).

  Hence, I would view this as an opportunity, and also a challenge. Of course, in the short term, it may impact your team – but your direct manager already knows this, so there should not be any serious blowback from this. You can train another person, and show consistently that you know how to pick good personnel and train top performers. That is a rare and valuable skill in itself. It goes beyond domain-specific expertise into good leadership.