It has clicked
When Amy kept recruiting me to come work for her employer, I kept resisiting. I told her to contact me when the sister company was hiring-since I had a much better knowledge of the products they sell. Not that I didn't like where she was, just wasn't as familiar.
The past four months have really been a learning experience. I love the products, but there are so many to learn about. The management style is like no other specialty retailer-we have five floor managers and a staff that's nearly triple what I've ever had before. It's been an uphill experience. I'm used to being the best, knowing anything and everything. At Disney, I'd been nicknamed "Miss SOP", because I could recite the SOP's backwards and forwards. To not know it all is HARD.
I'm finally getting it. I've always been a frustrated artist-what I see in my head never translated to whatever medium I'd try to use. This is different-my ideas are good ones and what I get to do with the design is well recieved. The down side is that this is making me extremely antsy to get all the damn walls in the house painted. I want color NOW! We have the paint to do every room except the "Mary Poppins room" and to repaint older son's room red.
Back to the work thing. A couple of days, I'd cry-I felt like I was letting them down when I made a mistake. My boss is awesome,very direct, and she'll tell me when I'm screwing up. On the other hand, she's free with the praise when it's deserved. She made a comment a couple of months ago that she knows if she addresses something with me, it won't happen again.
Finally, I feel like I've turned a corner. It's sinking in-and I'm getting used to being a very different manager. In most specialty retailers, the payroll given requires managers to be very hands on and to do it all. Sometimes it'd drive you to insanity, because there weren't enough hours in a day to complete the task lists (without staying off the clock, that is). Now, I really MANAGE and direct others in their tasks. In slow times, I'll do those tasks as well, but there's now enough staff to really be able to see the big picture and delegate assignments.
The regional visit must have been the catalyst. I knew that I brought up some valid points and she loved them. As a result, I feel better about what I do and I'm not beating myself up on the mistakes I make. They are happening far less frequently. The regional wanted to know how long my boss had known me before I worked there, probably thinking that I was a former colleague.
I was told she was rather surprised that no one (other than Amy at the other store) knew me prior to me interviewing. The rapport and support we give each other as a team was praised-and it came off that we knew each other very well. The best I can explain it is that the GM and I are cut from the same cloth. We joke about it often-the type A perfectionists.
I still have a lot to learn, but now I feel like I've got a handle on the job. I've done several complicated special orders and they've been perfect. I'm calmer when I'm the manager in charge, because I finally have accepted that I don't have to do it all.
It must show-the boss keeps talking about it and praising my work.
How long before I DO know it all? :P
The past four months have really been a learning experience. I love the products, but there are so many to learn about. The management style is like no other specialty retailer-we have five floor managers and a staff that's nearly triple what I've ever had before. It's been an uphill experience. I'm used to being the best, knowing anything and everything. At Disney, I'd been nicknamed "Miss SOP", because I could recite the SOP's backwards and forwards. To not know it all is HARD.
I'm finally getting it. I've always been a frustrated artist-what I see in my head never translated to whatever medium I'd try to use. This is different-my ideas are good ones and what I get to do with the design is well recieved. The down side is that this is making me extremely antsy to get all the damn walls in the house painted. I want color NOW! We have the paint to do every room except the "Mary Poppins room" and to repaint older son's room red.
Back to the work thing. A couple of days, I'd cry-I felt like I was letting them down when I made a mistake. My boss is awesome,very direct, and she'll tell me when I'm screwing up. On the other hand, she's free with the praise when it's deserved. She made a comment a couple of months ago that she knows if she addresses something with me, it won't happen again.
Finally, I feel like I've turned a corner. It's sinking in-and I'm getting used to being a very different manager. In most specialty retailers, the payroll given requires managers to be very hands on and to do it all. Sometimes it'd drive you to insanity, because there weren't enough hours in a day to complete the task lists (without staying off the clock, that is). Now, I really MANAGE and direct others in their tasks. In slow times, I'll do those tasks as well, but there's now enough staff to really be able to see the big picture and delegate assignments.
The regional visit must have been the catalyst. I knew that I brought up some valid points and she loved them. As a result, I feel better about what I do and I'm not beating myself up on the mistakes I make. They are happening far less frequently. The regional wanted to know how long my boss had known me before I worked there, probably thinking that I was a former colleague.
I was told she was rather surprised that no one (other than Amy at the other store) knew me prior to me interviewing. The rapport and support we give each other as a team was praised-and it came off that we knew each other very well. The best I can explain it is that the GM and I are cut from the same cloth. We joke about it often-the type A perfectionists.
I still have a lot to learn, but now I feel like I've got a handle on the job. I've done several complicated special orders and they've been perfect. I'm calmer when I'm the manager in charge, because I finally have accepted that I don't have to do it all.
It must show-the boss keeps talking about it and praising my work.
How long before I DO know it all? :P
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