Dear Rolls
I am on a 4-way team and we recently lost a team member as he moved abroad. I was gob-smacked to find that he has been replaced without me being consulted. The new person is probably going to be fine, he is a good jumper with a nice attitude but I had someone else in mind and I feel at least we should have had a discussion. I don’t want to make a fuss now and create a bad vibe, or make the newcomer feel unwelcome. I thought I could just ‘suck it up’ but when we flew in the tunnel last week I found it really bothered me, so my head was busy with such thoughts and not concentrating on the flying. Should I speak up or hold my peace?
Yours insignificantly, Aubrey
Hello Aubrey
Changing a team member is a serious business. The choice of who to select for the open slot is very important and this will affect the whole team; therefore it must be discussed with everyone that is involved! It should be a TEAM decision. Of course, every member has the right to suggest the person they would like to have inside the team. I think that even when the choice is obvious, it must be given an okay by everyone.
When it happens that, for example, you have two or three new candidates, they all should get a fair chance to prove themselves, wither it is during an interview or by jumping, or both. In this way everyone can see how the new candidates fly and behave.
If in the meantime you still feel bothered with the situation, I suggest bringing it up during a team meeting. For sure you have all the right to discuss it. It is important that you feel good and happy inside the team. Maybe by talking about it, it can be solved quickly and the guys can explain why it happened in this way.
Good luck!
Roy
