Episode 460: Losing autonomy and I got skipped for a promotion even though I'm awesome

<p>In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions:</p>

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<p>I have managed a product for some months now. My previous manager split their team in to mini-teams of 2-3 people. They gave me a small team and plenty of autonomy to own the product and go crazy on it. I had the time of my life as the team lead. I learned a ton and was really developing management skills.
My new manager is more hands-on. They want to do things my old manager left space for me to do, like project planning and quarterly planning. Now I feel micro managed when they get involved. I become territorial. It feels like he doesn’t recognize the independence of the mini team. I feel like I’m going backwards and and undoing all the management growth I’ve had, becoming just a software eng who should just keep their head down and work on a task.
I don’t know what to do. How do I keep my independence and keep growing, but also get along with the new lead and learn from them in the process?</p>
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<p>I work as a senior engineer in a large team alongside a few other senior technical leaders. I’ve consistently received positive feedback from my manager about my impact — improving engineering quality, operational excellence, and team communication patterns.</p>

<p>At the same time, there have been challenges in collaboration and teamwork between other senior leaders and the teams they work closely with.</p>

<p>My manager has been highly supportive of the projects and changes I propose, and many improvements have been implemented based on my suggestions. However, during the recent promotion cycle, despite this positive feedback, I was not promoted, while another senior engineer — who is known to have collaboration challenges — was promoted instead.</p>

<p>When I asked for feedback, I was told that while my contributions are appreciated and my time will come, they couldn’t explain the specific factors behind the promotion decision.</p>

<p>I now feel a bit demotivated, as it seems engineering excellence and team impact may not be the primary factors considered for growth here.</p>

<p>My question is: How should I think about my next steps? Should I keep investing in this team or start considering other opportunities?</p>
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