Ever had a supervisor/boss who knew less than you? Did you respect him/her? For what? Shouldn't your supervisor know more so he/she can guide you? What good is a boss who knows less than you?

I had a supervisor who had recently been promoted to the position come to me several times throughout the span of a month's time to ask me how to do certain things or to ask my advice on handling situations that had cropped up. A couple of years prior to the promotion, we had been co-workers and I had shown him the ropes on work-related practices, so he considered me a trustworthy knowledge base. In the interim between our working together and his supervisory position, he transferred to another division with entirely different duties and responsibilities. Now that he became my supervisor, he still relied on me for expertise.

The whole thing is upside-down. Had I desired the position of supervisor, I would have applied for it. Neither of those are realities: I don't want to be a supervisor at the present moment and I have never applied for it. Having a supervisor come to me as if he were the employee and I the supervisor is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's extremely flattering to be counted on and called upon. On the other hand, however, it begs the questions, "How did you get promoted if you don't know what you're doing, and aren't you being paid to supervise?"

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not that i know of

Thank you for your reply pearl. You're lucky. You would have known it.   :)