Some of you already know I work in the retail industry, quite specifically office supplies/print center work. Well yesterday my assistant manager pulled me aside and mentioned to me that he and my store manager were considering me for a new position that is opening up that would place me into a management position. Needless to say I was completely honored that they even considered me but also a bit terrified. When I first got into retail I never even remotely imagined myself as someone who would dole out tasks to associates (you know, literally boss other people around), train associates and deal with opening and closing duties along with cash management. It's a bit frightening to me because being how I am I get very comfortable in the positions I am in and I tend to struggle with change as it gives me anxiety. On the one hand I am struggling with the idea of this position because I would actually be doing a lot less daily. I would probably be bored and what I am doing right now, which is working in a print center, keeps me busy all day long and makes my day go by quickly. On the other hand it would be a pay raise and more experience for me. I am in some crippling debt right now, mostly my student loan, I have a 12 year old car and struggle with money all the time. So this would help me financially a lot. I'm 26 years old and not going anywhere else career wise with my life, so I can accept that working my way up into management would be the best option here. My assistant manager is only 24 years old and he's been doing his job as an ASM fantastically for over a year now and he's been with the company for 6 years. He's become a close friend to me as well and I think that is why he trusts that I could handle this. He's very mature and responsible for his age and has good judgement when it comes to people. I am just surprised that he thinks I could do this I guess. I have never really had a high opinion of myself when it comes to major responsibility. However this position deals directly with customer service and ensuring fantastic customer experiences and involves building excellent relationships with the customers. I think they consider me for this because I have a habit of ensuring the customers in my department are all highly satisfied and I regularly get great customer reviews. Plus I am really bubbly and happy all the time (because I LOVE my team and I am at a great store now, my last store I was severely depressed at and worked with horrible and nasty people which affected my work a lot). I think I am going to do it, or at least show them I am interested in it. I think I just need to suck it up, get over the anxiety this is giving me and take the leap and try something new no matter how much this new unknown terrifies me!
Perhaps ask them, seeing it is your first trip into a management position, is it okay if it does not work out, or you dont feel it is for you, to have the opportunity to revert to your previous role.
My pleasure, and be aware, having doubts is natural. Part of a good manager is the ability to self assess yourself. You should question every decision you make, ask yourself was there a better way. Could I have handled this differently. After a while many issues wont need that attention simply because your experience has increased and in many decisions you know what the correct is....and make it almost on instinct. One super tip - Never be afraid to admit you made a mistake when one of your workers is involved. For example you ask your team to stack product a certain way in a certain place, and it turns out was not a great idea. Say so, especially if you have to ask the same team to correct it. I promise you, you will get more respect that way than anything else you can do as a manager.
I do, and have in the past, and two of those three times I got dragged into the job against my better judgment, and in all three instances (In my opinion) I far exceeded what I thought I was capable of That is why I always try to encourage people with doubt. Because I know exactly how you feel lol. If others, especially superiors are seeing something special in you - run with it
I was manager in a printed circuit board company in Silicon Valley for 15 years. I was responsible for about 50 employees. As a manger I was expected to ensure my dept kept up on production as well as quality as well as the actions of my employees regarding tardiness, work attitude etc. Employees were always grousing about getting a raise and the boss was always grousing about certain of my employees he didn't like. I had several nationalities working for me and a couple of them hated each other for nothing other than their origin. Some employees would just take advantage every chance they got and I had one claim she hurt her knee just so she could get a disability claim. (she wasn't hurt at all) Had a girl claim she had been sexually molested by another employee outside of work and she wanted me to fire him. All the while my boss would hammer me for more production and if my dept. slipped I got hour long lectures about 'hammering' my 'people.' I don't work like that. I believe that the work environment should be as enjoyable as possible and employees should be given respect but at the same time, I needed to watch my back. The pay was good but, I got an ulcer and finally I just quit. My advice....Treat your employees with respect but watch your back. If you have a good boss it will be a good experience. Don't mean to be a downer but that was my experience.
That's good to know. I would be lower management and the only thing I would be responsible for when it comes to employees is assuring they know how to speak to the customer and build better relationships with them. I already do a little bit of employee training for a new girl we hired in my department so I get the gist of it, I have more experience and need to explain to this person how to do their job correctly and efficiently. I can't imagine too many employees coming to me about their problems though, but I am sure I will be trained on how to deal with it or what to do. Thankfully I will not be overseeing 50 people! Only about 10 or less. But thanks for telling me this. It didn't even occur to me until just now when you mentioned it that other associates might confide in me with their work related or other personal problems. Just another thing I will consider when it comes to this position. There's just so much to think about!
They really shouldn't have told you that IMO. If someone does not get a promotion they expected, then they sometimes can't deal with staying in the job they have. Happened to me once. I should have been the person promoted into a vacancy; my coworkers all thought I would be the person promoted and wanted me to be; on Friday afternoon the boss said he was in no hurry to fill the position yet and out of the blue Monday morning the boss just declares that he promoted somebody else who was the absolute worst worker we had by everybody's agreement. I gave my notice that Friday would be my last day without a job in hand--told them I would go back to minimum wage somewhere else that didn't screw people over. That Friday, they gave me a huge pay raise to stay--basically I got the money but not the title I lost out on, so I did stay, applied to grad school that same week and walked out the door that fall since there was no future in that job for me. I would have spent my whole career in that industry had my boss not dicked me over for a guy just because he was older and had a mortgage that his well-paid wife was covering anyway. Congrats though. Hope it works out well for you either way.
Well it's a new management position that is being created by the company so it's not really a position that's always been there and as far as I know they were only considering one other person for the position and she used to work for the company, then walked out and she's come back a year later asking to be hired again. And as of yet she has not been hired back. They are feeling more iffy with her because while she is capable of doing her job well she has a tendency to just up and leave if she stops liking it. She did the same thing with another company she left ours for. Lots of job hopping by her. I've met her before and she's really nice, I could see her being a great addition back to the team but I see why they are iffy about putting her in a management position if she'll just leave whenever. lol But thanks for the well wishes. I hope it works out too, but I hope if it doesn't work out I can take my old wage back and fall back into my old position...
Hope it works out for you and you like it. In my case, it was who they passed me over for that pissed me off the most--a non-working trouble starting pot head who spend most of his day stoned. Likewise, I wanted the title not the money for career purposes so I could bounce out of there into the same job my boss had somewhere else in a few years. They could have promoted the 16 year old part-time kid over me and I would have been less irritated because at least he worked really hard. Don't be wishy washy--tell them hell yes you want the job and play up you are loyal
Fear of the unknown is human. So is overcoming fear to make progress. Opportunity seldom knocks twice, so you might want to take the invitation while you can.
I definitely am going to. Just when he told me about it my nerves went into a frenzy. Luckily I have today off to get the hell over it and pump myself up for this new opportunity! Haha. =)
Congrats on your offer Pasithea! If I might be so bold as to lend you a bit of my 25+yrs of management and business experience. This is in no way meant to scare you, it just has to be said. The #1 reason most young first-time managers fail is incompetence. Usually, they over-sell themselves into a position and find it overwhelming, or simply were not meant to manage. You are at an advantage. It seems someone has evaluated your work and deemed you a viable resource. Good work! The #2 reason most young first-time managers fail is that they cannot separate their role from the roles of those they manage. You can be friendly, but always remember, you are not their chum. Dead weight and incompetent employees are a dime-a-dozen. Young managers tend to become too emotionally attached and find it difficult to make those necessary decisions that ensure the success- nay, the survival, of the very entity that pays their own salary. The more diligent you are at surrounding yourself with good people, the easier, and more enjoyable, your job will be. If you look at your role as one in which you have a been given an opportunity to help those that you supervise be better employees, you will indeed have better employees. And less of those hard choices to make. Best of luck! .
Trivia: Manager: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act V, Scene I “Where is our usual manager of mirth? What revels are in hand? Is there no play to ease the anguish of a torturing hour?” – King Theseus That is the first appearance of the word in any literature.
Just be consistent with what you say and do and own up to your mistakes and you will be fine. Good luck to you sir.
Go for it!!! Go for it! Don't let fear trample you. If you fail--you will learn and try again. If you succeed, how can you complain?
