Feeling Undervalued: How Should I Handle Reporting to a Peer at Work?

I have joined an organization as a sales manager. At the time of joining, the sales were just 90,000 INR with 7 people. From the initial 90,000 INR, I brought in sales of almost 6 lakhs in eighteen months. Meanwhile, 2 areas were removed from my responsibility, and 5 more people were added, making a total of 10 salespeople. It's natural for people to come and go in sales jobs, and due to low salary, some employees are leaving to join other companies. I have also relaunched the company in many areas to bridge a representation gap of over 20 years.

Now, the management has instructed me to report to my counterpart, who holds an equal designation to mine. I feel this is an insult, so I am applying for leave. What should I do next? Please suggest.

A lot of assumptions from your side, it seems. So my suggestion is to engage in a discussion with your current manager or management and primarily try to understand:

- Management's view or perception of your performance
- What you have done over the last many years and how best you can contribute now
- Is there any specific reason for the reporting change
- If the management is not satisfied with your performance, request one more chance to perform
- Ask for specific areas of dissatisfaction, if any, and try to arrive at resolutions.

If you are not in a position to convince management or they have already made up their mind to ignore you, then plan for a job change.

Better to look for another job and change. However, reporting to the same designated person is very common and happens in many good companies.

I have corrected the spelling and grammar errors in your text. I have also adjusted the paragraph formatting for clarity and coherence. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to ask.

Dear Friend, there are certain things you need to study before arriving at any serious conclusion. Is the person you have been instructed to report to more experienced in terms of years? Did he work in the company before you joined? What is his performance record here and in the previous company from where he came? Is he related to any of the directors of the company? Based on this information, you can decide whether to continue or not.

One word of caution: since the job market is very bad, do not leave a job without having another one in hand.

Warm Regards, Bharat Gera HR Consultant