I need an attitude adjustment

[Queen B]

So I am trying to deal with a situation.

I got a Director position dumped on me in December, fine, I pick up all the mess and proceed on.

I applied for the position, they have interviewed.

This morning, a week later I get told that they got alot of qualified applicants and that I am not out of the running but they are going to test a couple of people. And that my hard work has not gone unnoticed.

So from minute to minute I am trying to decide what that means.

If I don't get the job any suggestions on how I should deal with that, I know I am not going to be very happy.
give me your thoughts.

 

[Repo Man]

I would wait and see what happens. Hopefully you would get the position but if you didn't I would wait and see what kind of a person they hire. They may hire someone with more experience who could turn out to be a great boss. If you don't get it and feel slighted (and you very well should!) start looking for opportunities to be a director elsewhere. I would think it would be very hard to continue to put your heart into your work at a place that didn't think you were good enough to be the director, even after you have held the position for a while.

I guess it also depends on how you feel about the position. Do you think you can handle the position's demands? Do you think you would excel at it? If the answer is no, I wouldn't be super upset it I didn't get it. Chances are that you feel that you could handle the position (since you are already doing it), so you have a right to be upset if you don’t get it. I know if the director position where I work opened up and I didn't get it, I would look elsewhere because I know that I would be able to handle the job and do great at it.

 

[Michele Zone]

Sometimes, you find that you were better off not getting it. I always try to make my peace with things like that and use it as "grist for the mill" and see what I feel/think/want to do now, after the fact. I really don't like telling people how to "feel" about something or giving them pithy sayings about "keep your chin up" or whatever. I just know that, to a certain extent, we have control over how we choose to view something or react to it. And we don't live in a Star Trek universe: you can't take an alternate time line and find out what would have been or could have been IF ONLY...

So, I do my level best to make peace with the past, plans for the future, and happiness for the moment. When all else fails, I turn to Morbid and Sarcastic Humor.

HTH. And good luck. It ain't over 'til it's over. Or until "the fat lady sings" -- whichever comes first.

 

[donk]

So I am trying to deal with a situation.

I got a Director position dumped on me in December, fine, I pick up all the mess and proceed on.

Bold added for emphasis-donk

I think this part of your post states most clearly how you feel and how you want to be treated by your employer. I'll elaborate and please correct me if I'm wrong. As a good employee, with the required skills, experience and concern for the office/employer you took on a position that someone else left. You were expecting that in return for this favour/extraordinary duty your employer would show you the same courtesy and return the respect you showed them by offering you the job of the person you replaced.

I've lived through this with my current employer, one more reason that I am leaving, and would suggest that if you are not offered the job sit down with the decision makers (CAO/chair, Mayor etc) and discuss the reasons why you were not provided the opportunity to be the Director. In discussing this item remember exactly what was offered (job title - Acting/Interim vs Director), what benefits were provided (did you get the Director's pay and benefit package) and other items that may have lead you to believe that the job was yours on a full time basis. If they did nothing to make you believe that you were the Director, then you may have misinterpreted what and why they offered you the job. I know that I was made Director, because we legally needed one, but for all intents and purposes I was not the Director and not treated as such.

 

[Habanero]

I agree with Donk on this one. I know a Director that got hired and the person acting as director had a very bad attitude. It was laid on the table to either suport the team or leave. If you don't think you'll be able to be happy working there if you don't get the job you may want to start looking elsewhere.
At the same time, "dumped" and "mess" sound like you maybe had negative feelings about the extra work when you took them over so maybe take a step back and see if the change is something you want.

 

[Cardinal]

I think donk makes a good point. If they do/did not plan to at least very seriously consider you for the position, they should be making it clear that you are only acting in an interim capacity. I am on the board of an organization that hired a director a couple years ago. When the old one left, the administrative assistant was called upon to take up some of the slack. She also put her application in for the job. While she was obviously not qualified to fill the role, some of the members of the hiring committee thought we should at least humor her and give her an interview, instead of being upfront in saying she would not be considered. When we did hire somebody else she got upset and left.

It is a little hard to read into your situation. They may just have some outstanding candidate that they feel they need to carefully review to see if s/he may be too good to pass up. They may also be stringing you along. I hope that isn't the case. Is there a person on the hiring committee who you can speak to in confidence? Maybe they will be willing to give you some insight.

 

[Plannerbabs]

Just to add to what the others have said, I was in a similar position several years ago: working in a temporary position that they were actively seeking to fill with a permanent employee. While I was working as a temp, I was not given much training or support to do the job, and because I was a temp, they made it fairly clear--even during the interview--that I was not and never had been a serious candidate although I was qualified. It's possible that they weren't looking at you as being the permanent Director, for whatever shortsighted reasons, and are keeping their options open. Frustrating, definately, but then if they aren't willing to support you now, (you mention messes and such), perhaps it won't change much if you do get the full position. And, as MZ mentioned, it may turn out better in the long run. My not getting hired at the temp position was a very good thing in disguise: two months afterwards, the independent company was bought out by a conglorporation and I'd found another job, which led to planning! and it has all worked out well. Whatever happens, I wouldn't take it too personally. If you're hired as an interim whatever, it's hard to overcome that "interim" in the minds of the people doing the hiring, no matter how perfect you may be for the job.
Whew. I really need to lay off the coffee 8-!

 

[Queen B]

Well a few clarifications.

Yes I have been doing the job and have met the demands over and above.

By dumped, I meant that the previous director is no longer employed here and so I was told that I was Interim with compensation. No one said, would you do this for us while we look for someone else. They encouraged me to make the decisions that needed to be made. As far as messes, there was the day to day issues to continue to deal with while I also had some huge projects that had been sitting on the shelf that I was told to get cleaned up along with a tax exemption project that the chamber decided had to be done right now.

I am not complaining about the amount of work, I have handled it. I don't really have other options as far as leaving. We just moved here. Which is probably to my detrimant because they know I don't really want to go anywhere, so they have nothing to lose by hiring someone else.

Oh the whole thing is just irritating! And I don't know when it is going to be over!

 

[Wulf9]

If you don't have the option of leaving, set yourself up mentally for either result. Be ready to enjoy whichever job you are ultimately assigned. Make sure your approach in the interview/hiring process allows you the option of gracefully taking either slot.

 

[Doitnow]

If you don't have the option of leaving, set yourself up mentally for either result. Be ready to enjoy whichever job you are ultimately assigned

I think that the best way is to keep working and doing your new job.

So from minute to minute I am trying to decide what that means.

Since you are Acting director( correct me if I am wrong) its better to leave the decision to the committee which is going to do the deciding.
Keep focus on the work and clearing up the mess. I would see it as an opportunity.
If you get selected then very nice and if not then you get to keep your old job.

The only thing you can pray for is that the new director takes kindly to your situation management and others dont pass remarks of how you did the job better.

So my catchwords to you.

" Be alert and keep working". Be ready to accept a new director anytime.