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[patio_chair]

I've got a senior colleague who seems to be acting out.

My situation: new dept chair at R1 school, medium sized dept (@16 people).  I have a full professor colleague, productive member of the department, senior scholar, who is despairing the condition of his subfield this year.  Several people are on leave, etc., and so it's not unreasonable that this person is unhappy with the extra workload.  However, he seems to be acting out.  In faculty meetings, in social events (our dept has a variety of ceremonial events each fall), over email, he is constantly trying to negotiate this or that, objecting to small petty things, and so forth.  He is not personally hostile to me, and yet there have been a couple occasions where others have suggested he was "trying to upstage me."  He is not normally the kind of person who "tests" authority figures, though the behavior seems almost like a textbook case.

My concerns are as follows:

--I am basically being asked to do a lot of emotional labor for him (he's upset, calls me into his office, I listen), which is a waste of my time and energy
--He is behaving somewhat badly but in a discreet fashion so no particular behavior could be seen as out of line
--I need his contribution to the dept since we're not that big and he represents an important subfield and I have nothing personal against him.
--I am not the kind of person who normally worries about being "upstaged" and I didn't even consider it in this case until it was brought to my attention.  Now I wonder if I'm supposed to do something because other people see some kind of drama brewing.

I'm not sure a "put my foot down" response will help much, since it may contribute to something of a brewing persecution complex.  So I'm looking for other creative options.  I could simply try putting it to this person "straight" and asking if there are issues with me (this is my normal MO but I guess I'm trying to be a little more careful now that I'm chair), but that may or may not work either.

Suggestions would be appreciated.

[anthroid]

PC:

I'd shut down the negotiations in public events.  Insist that if he has issues you and he meet but that you can't take everyone else's time to deal with his concerns.  "Let's talk right after this" would be my response.  Make that the mantra. 

It sounds like you agree he has some legitimate concerns about having to represent the subdiscipline everywhere.  Does he really have to do that?  If not, tell him that he doesn't have to show up for everything!

If not, can you sweeten the pot by throwing some resources his way while his subdisciplinary colleagues are away, or by promising (and delivering) some resources when they return (eg a reduced course load so he can catch up on research next year)?  Can you encourage his team spirit and point out how others covered for him at other times (during times while he was on sabbatical or at conferences or otherwise engaged in RL)?  (PS  I bet you can)

He sounds like a basically good guy who is feeling overwhelmed at representing the subdiscipline everywhere.  Can you take over some of the academic advisees, if that's an issue, and cover for the missing colleagues instead of him having to do it?  Is there a way for you to ease some of his burden, assuming it's a real one, while his subdiscipline is so underrepresented?  That IS part of the chair's job, after all!  It's a thankless part but that's why we're paid the extra dough....

And, if you're not experiencing the behavior as "acting out," don't start to do that.  That's someone else's construction; ignore it.  It isn't relevant to your sense of the guy. 

What do you think?

[zharkov]

--I am basically being asked to do a lot of emotional labor for him (he's upset, calls me into his office, I listen), which is a waste of my time and energy

I'm not sure I get your point....

Colleague is angry.  (Right?  Not "upset.")

Colleague wants/needs to talk to chair about the issue(s) leading to the anger.

Chair figures that this is a waste of time.

Have you ever tried acknowledging this persons feelings?  "Prof. Colleague, it sounds like you're really angry."

[patio_chair]

Thanks for the responses.  Last, first.  I guess the stuff about emotional labor didn't come off right.  I know the chair's job is to a great extent listening, but there's listening and listening.  In the case of this person's subfield, he (and his colleagues) know that I am, for instance, advocating with the dean for a tenure track new position in their area, and have diverted time and resources to their needs.  What I object to is the loss of perspective, where every little thing is a big issue that needs to be discussed at great length. 

As to lightening the load.  I'm not qualified to advise in his area, so the offer of help with graduate teaching is probably not worth it, and he already has a good deal of course relief.  However, i could perhaps bend some rules around committees and the like, though it would set a precedent regarding representation (for instance, on hiring committees) that I'm not totally comfortable with.  I will look for some other places to lighten the load, though.  Perhaps that will help.

PC