Transitioning from a project

[Gagan Indus]

Alright, i guess i can use some suggestions from the trenches so please present your views on the situation.

The situation is like this, my employer have a client for which i been working for more than three years. Now my manager have acquired another new project from a different client where she need to use me full time, so she wants to transition me out of the current project at a very short notice. But her manager (that is, my boss's boss) doesn't like the idea as it will impact current project and she isn't able to work it out with him or other senior folks.

Now i been told by my boss to say to her boss (and later to client) that i am going to resign if i am not transitioned to new project. Well, i don't know how to respond to her really. I would like the opportunity to work in new project but i am not so desperate for that. I just don't feel it would be justified to threaten folks like this. And also, the idea is that after threatening her boss will reluctantly agree to transition and then i could move to new project very quickly (and not really care about whatever happens to current project by abrupt movement!). I just don't like this.

I am inclined to say to my boss that i can't do this (and i have indicated that few times already), but she is pushing this idea on me repeatedly for two weeks now and it appears my reluctance is the only thing in her way. The appraisals are due soon and my denial now will make my boss really unhappy.

Any suggestions?

Appreciate your suggestions.

[william gates]

Sounds like a bad situation to be in. You don't want to get a bad review from your current boss, but at the same time threatening another manager with a "resignation" is never a good thing.

If it were me, I would try to explain to the current manager that it's not in your best interest to threaten a "resignation". It'll make you look bad in the long run. Who knows what will happen in the future but I know a few of the places I've worked at, the managers moved around, up or down, about every 2 years, if not sooner. So if you threaten another manager with a "resignation" ploy and suddenly your current boss is out the door or off somewhere else, You probalbly won't be in a very good situation.

[Rashmi Tambe]

Dont ever threaten to resign if you dont want to go that way! It's an extreme and desperate situation and do not exercise it because some one else is forcing you against your wish!

Ask your boss (who wants you on board) to play it politically instead of you playing it. If she really wants you, she'll play her own game to get you on board; but dont get played by her.If she cannot make it happen, its her loss and you are still safe in your current position and team working for existing client. And when people know that you are extremely important and most-wanted person, you get more respect and more choice of work without playing any games.

-Rashmi

[Gagan Indus]

Thanks for your suggestions.

I told in as firm words as possible that i am not going to do it. Now i'll wait and watch how things turn out over next few weeks :-)