A reader writes:
I’m in a quandary and actually second-guessing a call I made relating to a suggestion that was made to me a few weeks in the past.
I work for a corporation that makes, let’s say, teapots. I lately discovered that Cersei, the director of a special teapot-making firm, needs to fireside her complete design crew and rent me to move a model new one. I might not solely be liable for main the brand new crew, however for hiring everybody in it. The complication: the present head of the to-be-fired crew is my mentor of 20 years, Jaime.
I discovered about this when Cersei invited me to lunch and advised me she wish to rent me. My preliminary response was that whereas I used to be flattered, I used to be nervous in regards to the turmoil it might create if I swooped in and took my mentor’s function with out a lot as a phrase to him. Cersei then advised me that if it wasn’t me, it might be another person, as a result of she discovered Jaime tough to work with and was simply achieved. She additionally had issues with one other particular person on his crew, however appreciated a 3rd. However she was ready to wash home and begin recent with me.
Just a little useful background: Jaime mainly paved the way in which for my profession, and I owe him so much. Nevertheless, I’m not shocked that Cersei is annoyed. He (and his colleague) have a popularity of being tough and even poisonous. I’ve seen them blackball individuals for minor perceived slights, and it’s fairly terrible. Because of this I’ve considerably distanced myself from them. I retain a pleasant, if surface-level, relationship with Jaime, however his colleague and I’ve had no contact for years.
Simple? Perhaps, however Cersei additionally has a popularity — for precisely what she is making an attempt to do proper now. She is notorious for working with individuals after which dropping them with no phrase of discover, with new hires already in place. She even has a nickname in our trade: “Cersei Fires Everybody” or “CFE.” (It’s probably not this, but when I advised you the actual one I’d out myself.)
After some significantly agonized pondering I turned the function down, although I didn’t inform Cersei why. I gave a form of “sorry, I believed I may do that however it seems it’s not the proper time” half-truth, which perhaps is a cowardly manner out. The reality is there’s an excessive amount of potential drama for me to wish to go close to this example with a 10-foot pole. I additionally don’t want the work. I’m fortunately employed, and I like my present firm.
However now I’m second-guessing myself. Cersei is a Huge Boss in my trade, and it might profit my profession to work for her. I’m additionally asking myself if she actually is within the flawed. I imply, persons are inside their rights to fireside workers who’re tough to work with. She must rent somebody. Am I silly for turning down a probably big profession enhance? Do I would like a thicker pores and skin? Although I’m not near Jaime anymore and won’t make excuses for his poisonous conduct, I do nonetheless really feel like I owe him the respect of not taking his job out from below him. However, it’s nearly sure he wouldn’t give me the identical consideration. Am I overthinking all of this?
Lastly, I really feel actually upset in regards to the third colleague, who Cersei supposedly likes however is ready to axe with the remainder of the crew. I do know him personally and he is an excellent, pretty human being. I’ve thought of coming to him with this info. In truth, it’s crossed my thoughts that it might be honest to let your entire crew know what’s about to occur—however I hold stopping myself as a result of I’m nervous I’ll simply make issues worse, and I frankly don’t belief my mentor or his colleague to not create an enormous drawback and/or take it out on me. I perceive that it’s Cersei’s duty to warn them, not mine — but when she continues her traditional M.O., she received’t. I really feel horrible realizing about this and doing nothing.
What ought to I do?
Anybody who’s working for somebody who has the trade nickname “Cersei Fires Everybody” already is aware of their job isn’t steady. So please relieve your self of the stress to one way or the other inform Jaime or his colleague that Cersei needs to fireside their crew. That might be true in any case, however it’s very true whenever you don’t belief them to not take it out on you.
This isn’t yours to repair for them.
As for second-guessing whether or not it’s best to have accepted Cersei’s supply … cease second-guessing! Perhaps it might have benefited your profession to have labored for her, however there are all kinds of issues you are able to do to learn your profession that don’t include a aspect order of “and you would lose your job with out warning at any minute, and also you received’t even get the courtesy of suggestions so you may see it coming.”
Cersei doesn’t sound like somebody it’s best to wish to work for.
Given all that, the query of whether or not it might be flawed to simply accept Jaime’s job after he’s fired is moot, because you made the proper name regardless.
If this had been a special set of info the place Cersei was a terrific boss and also you weren’t positive if you happen to ought to settle for the job {that a} mentor of 20 years who paved the way in which in your profession simply bought fired from … properly, I’d be asking what you knew about Jaime and the way he was doubtless to reply to that information. Some mentors can be completely nice with a mentee stepping within the job they had been simply fired from (particularly in the event that they had been properly conscious of their boss’s behavior of biking by way of workers and figured their very own time there was restricted anyway) and can be horrified to be the rationale you turned it down, and others would take it as a major betrayal. So that you’d must know the way Jaime was prone to see it. His reacting badly wouldn’t essentially imply you shouldn’t take the job, however you’d wish to be sensible about the way it was prone to have an effect on that relationship and issue it into your pondering.
Nevertheless, you’ve got severe moral points with how Jaime operates and also you’ve distanced your self from him, which modifications the calculus of how accepting the job would possibly influence your relationship.
However once more, that’s a special set of info. Within the precise set of info, none of this issues since you shouldn’t work for Cersei anyway.
