My new promotion turned into a total mess last Monday

I got a big promotion last month overseeing accounts for three offices (about 40 people total), but my old boss still messages me daily asking for status updates on things I no longer handle. Do I set a firm boundary with her or just keep playing nice until she gets the hint?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_olivia23d ago

Have you tried just not answering her questions directly? A friend of mine went through something similar when she got promoted to regional manager. Her old boss kept calling her about her old accounts, so she started responding with "That's handled by Kelly now, you should reach out to her" and then would just stay quiet until her boss changed the subject. It took about two weeks of that before the calls finally stopped coming.

river_bailey223d ago

I actually read a study once about how it takes around 21 days to break a habit for most people. Your friend's situation is kind of a perfect example of that. If you redirect someone enough times, their brain eventually learns you're not the one to ask anymore. It's like training a puppy not to jump on you - you have to be boring and consistent until they give up. The staying quiet part is key too, because people hate awkward silence and will fill it themselves.