Feeling Overwhelmed in New HOD Role Without Support – Should I Stay or Move On?

I have been promoted as HOD of Logistics and Customer Service without a pay raise, and I have no prior experience in these departments. I accepted the promotion along with my previous role in import-export because I wanted to support the company.

Challenges in Role Transition

However, the profiles are not clear here. The marketing department's account manager keeps adding additional work to these two teams. When I raised the issue to the GM, I was told they have been handling this since joining, so it cannot be changed. The team members mentioned that they had highlighted this previously, but the previous manager didn't want to spoil their rapport with management.

Lack of Handover and Support

I received no handover from the last manager. Based on the help I could find from online resources, I asked my team to stop assisting the marketing manager with their reports and account team, and instead focus on the accuracy of their work. However, my boss intervened and mentioned that the team was hired to assist the marketing department, questioning how customer care is being handled and why the logistics person is doing invoicing and GR entry.

Seeking Advice

The situation is confusing, and I am not receiving proper support. HR mentioned things are going against me because I asked the team members to communicate with others more effectively in emails or conversations.

What should I do? Should I continue with this promotion or leave it?

Regards,
Monika

Hi, Not sure how you got promoted as HOD for Logistics and Customer Service without any prior experience. Though you accepted the responsibility to support the company, you should have discussed with your Reporting Officer about your scope of work, KRA, etc., prior to taking charge as HOD for Logistics and Customer Service.

As per your statement, it looks like you don't have any control over your department/team, with other Department Managers assigning work for your members. So, when you have no authority over your own team/on their daily work schedule, it's better to discuss with your Reporting Officer about your role and responsibility and what your plan of action is for the Logistics and Customer Service Department as an HOD.

Even after discussions, if the Reporting Authority wants you to continue as a puppet HOD without any control over the department, then it's better for you to look for a better offer matching your experience and skill set.

Sit in a quiet place without any kind of disturbance. It's time to introspect. If you have the new Job Description of the role given to you, keep it in front of you. Do a small SWOT analysis of your strengths and weaknesses in respect to the Job Description. Conduct an unbiased introspection to find out the areas you are familiar with or good at, the areas you can manage, and the areas where you are totally blank. Check whether you can learn through books, a mentor, or external training. Give yourself three months to learn the new skills and resolve to bridge the knowledge gap. Experience will come through your successes and failures. If you are still not confident, consider quitting the organization and pursuing what you are good at. Best wishes.

Thank you for your quick response and time. I was hired as a Senior Import Executive 8 years ago. During this period, I have helped the company save on freight, clearance, etc., whereas old colleagues who spent 15-18 years couldn't do well. Considering all these efforts, my boss once asked me to help the logistics manager negotiate logistics contracts. At that time, I didn't want to assist in logistics, but after he left, I found out that the whole team was corrupt and was taking commissions from other vendors. I then asked my boss to consider me for his position.

Sir, I am 35 years old, working since I was 17. I needed a position, and honestly, I am doing my best and trying not to quit. I have addressed all those issues with vendors; no team member is receiving any benefits from outsiders, and my boss has also acknowledged the same. However, the real issues are internal, and my boss won't support me by going against what has been happening for ages.

I don't want to fail.

I've been promoted as HOD of Logistics and Customer Service without a pay raise, and I have no prior experience in these departments. I accepted it along with my previous import-export role because I wanted to support the company. However, the profiles are unclear here. The marketing department account manager keeps assigning additional work to these two teams. When I raised the issue to the GM, they said that they have been handling this since joining, so it cannot change. The team members mentioned that they had highlighted this before, but the previous manager didn't want to spoil their rapport with management.

I received no handover from the last manager, so based on the help I could find from online resources, I asked my team to stop assisting the marketing manager with their reports and accounts team and instead focus on the accuracy of their work. However, my boss intervened and said that the team was hired to assist the marketing department, so how is it customer care when the logistics person is handling invoicing and GR entry?

The situation is confusing, and I am not receiving proper support. HR mentioned that things are going against me because I asked the team members to communicate with others in a different manner. What should I do? Should I continue with this promotion or leave it?

I was hired as a Senior Import Executive eight years ago. During this period, I have helped the company save on freight and clearance. My colleagues who have been with the company for 15-18 years have not performed as well. Recognizing my efforts, my boss once asked me to help negotiate logistics contracts. Initially, I hesitated to assist in logistics, but after learning that the team was corrupt and taking commissions from vendors, I asked for the manager's position after he left.

I am 35 years old and have been working since I was 17. I have always aspired to have a reputable profile in my 18 years of journey. I seized this opportunity, and I am genuinely doing my best to avoid quitting. I have resolved all issues with vendors, ensuring that no team member benefits from outsiders, and my boss has recognized this. However, the real issues lie internally, and my boss is not supporting me by challenging the status quo.

Please advise; I do not want to fail.

I would suggest that without the cooperation of the general manager and the lack of training and mentoring to fulfill the requirements of this job, it could end up being a poisoned chalice. I fail to understand the motives of the GM putting you into a critical job without the necessary training. This is an important position in the company, and he should be well aware of the financial disaster he could face if you are unable to turn things around.

In your shoes, I would be considering all my options and investigating other more suitable positions that match the skills, abilities, and experience you already have, rather than starting all over again and having to learn a completely different profile.

Will they terminate me if I refuse this profile after 4 months? Hi, I'm an HR professional, and I'll be happy to address your concern. In general, the decision to terminate an employee for refusing a particular job profile after a certain period, such as 4 months, depends on various factors, including company policies, employment contracts, and local laws. It's essential to review your employment agreement and consult with HR or a legal professional to understand the potential consequences of refusing a job assignment. If you have any specific concerns or need further advice, feel free to share more details for personalized assistance.

Good Morning, As your boss is not very keen on the happenings as an individual, what can you do? The deciding authority itself is keeping quiet, so it's better not to focus too much on the issue. You have three options:

1) Continue your work and live with the issues.

2) Inform your boss that you are not in a position to handle the new assignment and will only be able to manage your important executive work. If your boss agrees with your decision, then that's fine.

3) If your boss does not agree, look for a better offer with clarity on role and responsibility.

Whether they will terminate you for refusing the new profile or not cannot be predicted. It depends on the employer. They may ask you to resign, terminate you for insubordination, or accept your decision.

I have never given written acceptance to HR or my boss. It was verbal, and then they sent an email in the company group announcing my new role. I did not acknowledge that email either.

Monika, I see that you have written that you don't want to fail.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you like the new profile?
2. Do you have the skills and knowledge to do it?
3. What support do you need from others?
4. How can you communicate the support to the right people?
5. Are you getting support from the new team members?
6. Do you have someone who can help you to upskill?
7. Are you willing to get coached via an external coach?
8. Did you have a discussion with your senior about what if you do not take this position?
9. Do you want to go through a challenge where you are not clear about what is expected from you and no support is being provided to you?
10. What stops you from talking to your supervisor?
11. What if you fail?
12. How about looking for a new job?

Only you can find answers to these questions. All the best.