Facing Office Politics After Promotion: How Should I Handle Being Replaced Without Notice?

I worked as the Head of Logistics for six months in my company. I was promoted from an import executive position to this role, but I had no prior experience. Some of the team members were against me, so they pretended to be nice, but behind my back, they were portraying a negative image of me to other managers and my boss.

HR's Transporter Decision

HR wanted to use their own transporter, which I refused due to the price difference. Now, HR has announced in the official group that I am no longer involved, and the assistant manager hired will replace me, to which my boss said he did not permit this. This promotion was without an increment, and now was the time for me to get rewarded, but this politics has spoiled it.

What do I do? I gave my best efforts, which probably this new person cannot match.

Dear Monika,

From the post you have uploaded, it can be deduced that:

a) You were awarded a promotion, but your colleagues were not taken into confidence. Your management should have anticipated the backlash from your peers, but they did not. A jump from the Executive level to the managerial position leapfrogs the role of Assistant Manager.

b) Notwithstanding the leapfrogging, the technical competence of a manager is *sine qua non*. It appears you have a shortcoming in this area.

c) You took a principled stand by not approving the use of a personal vehicle for the HR Manager. However, in doing so, you forgot the golden rule of not keeping a gun on your shoulder. I wish you had taken action by placing the responsibility on your senior.

d) The HR Manager used his authority to divest you of your power and replace you with your junior. This is quite significant. Without consulting top leadership, how can he do that?

Final Comments: Your company is not well-organized. The lines of authority are not clearly defined, and the top boss appears to be weak. Typically, most bosses rule with an iron hand and have a firm grip on administration. However, in this case, the grip seems to be loose. Therefore, there is no immediate solution. Your challenges will likely continue in this company. As much as possible, perform your duties sincerely but start looking for a change. The sooner you find a better opportunity, take it.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

First of all, on what grounds was the promotion given to you without an increment by the boss/management? Was it due to a lack of proper hands, or were you too deserving to assume an HOD position straight from an Import Executive?

Regarding the clash with the HR person

Using his own or known transporter (for his material gain, obviously), please document the same with comparative quotes, quality of fleet, etc., to counter him at any point in time when required.

As commented by the senior professional, Mr. Dinesh Divekar, your organization looks highly unprofessional. I don't see any logic in the HR person making decisions in inter-departmental matters without keeping the boss in the reckoning. Try to look for better opportunities, as such bandicoots always dig deeper into the organization and never allow other entrants in key positions, which hampers their well-being. It's common in most of the ill-organized setups, though they do good business with a reasonable turnover.

Hi, Workplace politics are very common across all offices.

Defining KRAs for a Logistics HOD

When you get promoted as a Logistics HOD, are any KRAs defined for you? First of all, be clear about your roles and responsibilities and document them duly authorized by the Location Head. According to your office hierarchy, I believe you are not reporting to HR, so the HR's involvement may be invalid. Take up the matter further with the Location Head/Immediate Superior. I think the operational processes of your office need to be properly defined, including the roles and responsibilities of each department and individual.

I would echo Dinesh Sir here! I can see faults in top management, and even the HR person seems unprofessional in their approach. The communication channel appears weak in your current organization, according to your narration. HR always syncs up with top management for hiring or replacement requirements. I would suggest you look for other opportunities and switch as soon as possible to get out of this unhealthy culture.