I Saw A Job Ad - For My Own Job

And we wonder what's happened to employee commitment...JL

Liz Ryan comments in Forbes:

The ad was placed by a recruiting agency so it didn’t list the employer name, but my job is extremely specialized, and I am certain my job is the one my boss is trying to fill. Everything I do, including recent conversations I’ve had with my boss, are included in the job ad. Do I ask my boss about it?
Dear Liz,
I saw a job ad for my own job. I’ve been in my job for seven months. It’s never been great here but I thought my boss and I had reached an equilibrium. He wanted to hire an internal candidate for my job, I found out later, but the internal candidate left the company and my boss was stuck.
He hired me. It’s not a perfect job for me in many ways but I do the job and I have a lot to show for my seven months of work. At the same time I have felt a definite chill. It’s very hard to get in and see my boss one-on-one.
I see him at a weekly staff meeting which is short and curt. He is never very interested in what I have to say. I was browsing LinkedIn and I saw a job posting that stopped me in my tracks. There is no doubt
at all that it is my job.

The ad was placed by a recruiting agency so it didn’t list the employer name, but my job is extremely specialized, and I am certain my job is the one my boss is trying to fill.
Everything I do, including recent conversations I’ve had with my boss, are included in the job ad. Do I ask my boss about it? Should I say nothing and wait to see what happens?
Thanks Liz -
Yours,
Ron

Dear Ron,
You are in the perfect spot to take the Third Path option and suggest to your boss that you make his life easier by slipping out the back exit with a financial cushion — as long as you are absolutely certain that the advertised job is your job! If it’s not, you would only confuse and frustrate your boss.
It is very satisfying to be the person who names the elephant in the room. If you know for sure that your boss is advertising for your replacement, then stay a minute behind at a staff meeting and say “Paul, can we talk about something for a moment?”
Follow Paul (or whatever your boss is called) into his office or close the conference room door and say “Paul, I saw a job that looks identical to my job, and I wanted to say that I understand if you feel it’s just not a great fit. If that’s the case, let’s talk about it.”
Wait to have that conversation until you can be composed and calm. That’s critical! Your goal is to make Paul happy by taking a burden off his shoulders — the burden of having to go through a performance-management process with you or deal with Shocked, Dismayed and Angry Ron later on when he delivers the bad news.
Since you will be completely composed and businesslike when you chat with Paul after the staff meeting, he will know that a big problem has been moved off his plate already.
You will suggest to Paul that in order to make the transition process as smooth as possible, he can give you a severance package and let you go right away or, alternatively, keep you on to train your replacement and give you a package to take with you.
This is the way civilized managers handle situations like this one. Paul can also give you an excellent LinkedIn recommendation.
You are gaining altitude on your career, and that’s a wonderful thing! This situation is daunting, but no more daunting than the seven months surviving a dark-energy workplace has already been for you. You will negotiate an exit package and ease your transition into your next adventure. Paul will be out of your life soon. You are a super star!
Best,
Liz