You got that promotion, congratulations! However, is the pressure now starting to creep in? Pressure is a very heavy and intense feeling to carry around. Pressure to reach career goals whilst managing personal life and trying to achieve and maintain everyone’s expectations of you can easily lead to a breaking point. Reaching a breaking point isn’t necessarily a bad thing or something to be ashamed of, because that can help you realise that you need to slow down and take a step back to see that it is impossible to keep up that intense pace you’ve been going at. Climbing up the career ladder is a great achievement no matter how big or small the promotion is. However, at times the version of what moving up in our careers will look like in our head can, in some instances, not match up with reality and that feeling can be disappointing and difficult to talk about. Especially, when you don’t want to seem like you are failing. When reality hits, it can feel very isolating as you don’t want to admit that even though this is something you want, you need some support.
It really is okay to ask for help
It is okay to ask for help, whether that be to delegate a task to an employee or to tell your employer you need more guidance. It doesn’t make you weak and there is no shame in it. Trying to do everything, especially if you are new to a management role, can feel like climbing a mountain whilst carrying a very heavy rock, it’s tiring both physically and mentally and eventually, you need to put that rock down. Saying “I need a little help” will mean that you can then delegate some work to another remember of staff, which means that they can give it more time and energy than you can, simply because you don’t have the time and surely that’s a good thing? It will also mean that you will then gain time to do something for yourself, like sleep or get a coffee or plan the week.
Being a manager is lonely, there will be a natural distance between you and your employees. Although in most workplaces is the case, it’s always a good idea to build up a rapport with employees, ask about them, show you care. Building up mutual trust and respect between management and employees will go a long way!
Having a strong support system outside of work is vital for your well-being. Remember there is no shame in talking to a professional if things are really piling up on top of you.
You will always be watched, so let them watch
A management position now means that a spotlight is shining on you, staff will be looking to you for answers and direction. They will also be looking at you to see how you conduct yourself in the workplace. Keeping a level of professionalism at all times is key. This can also be very tiring. That’s another reason why having a support system and hobbies outside of work is critical. A management role can make you feel like an animal in the zoo, with everyone constantly watching you and you will be talked about. Never take anything personally, rise above it and focus on what you’re trying to achieve. People don’t always like their manager but they like someone who will make decisions.
Remember, always stand for your morals and don’t let anyone try to tell you otherwise and be very careful whose advice you take, only listen to people you trust. You know your goals and your intentions and keep going, even when it gets hard.
Making time, saves time
Feeling like there is not enough time in the day? The best advice I was given is making time saves time. Making time to have the team meetings to discuss any issues or pass on information, is actually going to save time later on as you’ll hopefully have solutions to problems and information has been passed on to save questions being asked. Making time to list priorities will also help you to see what you need to focus on first.
You will never be able to keep everyone happy
Trying to keep everyone happy is a losing battle from the offset, it’s an impossible task! Remember just keep doing the best you can, keep things fair and at the end of the day you know you are doing the best you can and that’s all that matters! Look after yourself, you cannot keep on giving if you are running on empty! Practice self-care, go for a walk on your lunch break if you need to, try to eat and get some sleep. This will really help you. working with a clear head is always better than working when you are tired, hungry, or irritable. Take a break if you need to!
Management is hard, there’s no point pretending it’s not, you have got this though, Deep breaths.