I missed out on the team lead job. How much should I help the person who got it?
Career / Work“You know the operation better than anyone. Can you get her up to speed?” That was my manager’s request two days after telling me I hadn’t been chosen as our support team lead.
I’ve been the senior coordinator for three years. I applied because I already handle the awkward escalations and help plan the rota. The feedback was that the team needed someone with more experience managing people. The new lead has that experience, and she seems considerate. She didn’t choose the hiring process.
My manager now wants me to spend the first month showing her our reporting, customer history and handover routines. My own queue will stay with me. I want her to succeed, but I’m worried about becoming the person who quietly does the operational half of her job while she gets the management experience I was told I lacked.
I haven’t said this aloud yet. I also don’t want every ordinary question from her to become a referendum on my disappointment.
Would you agree to the onboarding and ask for something specific in return, or keep it strictly within your current workload? What would a fair conversation with my manager sound like before she starts?