Dear Coleen,
I am a woman in my 20s who started a new job about a year ago. I love the role and things are generally great. However, I manage a couple of people who are obstructive and difficult. I constantly need to chase them for work and answers, which drives me mad and affects my confidence. I feel they deliberately drag their heels on every little task I assign.
Both are older than me and have been at the company for several years, so I suspect they did not take well to being managed by someone new. I have a responsibility to the rest of the team and want to show my bosses I am doing a good job, but I am struggling. I am not hugely experienced as a manager, so their behavior plays into my insecurities.
I do not want to involve senior management at this stage because I want to prove I can handle challenges and get the best from my team. Any advice would be welcome.
Coleen says
You deserve to be where you are. Your bosses have confidence in you, so you must own it and start acting like a boss. That does not mean being scary or horrible; it means showing people you are in charge.
It helps to give definitive deadlines that you can follow up on if not met. Be very clear about expectations when delegating tasks. Team-building exercises could help people feel positive and included. But the fundamental thing is to start believing in yourself as your bosses believe in you. You are the best person for the job. If some people do not like it, that is their issue. It should not make you question your ability.
You could ask to attend management courses to build skills and confidence. That shows willingness to learn and improve, and that you take your role seriously.
It takes time to settle into a role and find your feet. You learn from being challenged and will become more comfortable the more you do it. You will make mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from them. Managing people is a skill, but whoever gave you the job believes you have the potential to do it well.
