Back when they were looking for team managers I applied for the job.... At the moment I can't apply for anything but that's besides the point. It still shows that I am looking to the future and want to move up in the company. Okay so that's not why I applied but it sounds good in hindsight. I applied because I wanted the position... and didn't know that I couldn't apply.
At the time Steve suggested that I was only applying for the position because of the money and the fact it meant that I could pay off my student loan. It has been a few months now since that posting and the comment has stayed with me. In fact, it still bothers me. I am really insulted by that thought.
Money is not the be-all and end-all. Sure it would be nice to make enough money to pay back my student loans and get out of debt. But at the moment I don't. Money is just a trap. You always want more. There is always something else that you want to buy. I would never want to take a job just for the money. If there is no passion in it then what's the point? I don't want to be a performance coach forever. Don't get me wrong... I love my job... but I don't want to do it forever. I do want to move up the ladder into a job that has more responsibility.
The only drawback is that I would rather promotions be merit based and not how well you can perform on an interview. That's just me though. I work hard day in and day out but a lot of it just blends in with the background and goes unnoticed. Christie is used to the extra work I do so now it's expected. But I also prefer to just come in and work... get the job done all the time... and not be about the glory and getting noticed. My agents respect me and Christie knows how hard I work. That's all I need. But it makes it more difficult when going for a promotion.
Showing posts with label team manager. Show all posts
Showing posts with label team manager. Show all posts
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Greatest Boss in the World
I'm going to start this with a preface. I don't owe Christie anything and am not kissing up to her. I don't kiss ass very well. I believe in honesty and integrity and am my own person. I am not her clone.
When I first found out I was going to Christie's team as the performance coach I was a little concerned. We had been friends for 3 years and suddenly she was going to be my boss. I was also just coming back from my LOA and was concerned about my job. I'm pretty sure she was wondering what to expect based on my file and likewise I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with her as a boss. I didn't want to lose a friend in the process.
Fortunately, it's been a great experience. First of all Christie doesn't micromanage. She gives me my space so that I can just do my job. She doesn't need to monitor me. If I am going to fail I am going to do it on my own. I appreciate that. I am not the kind of person that wants someone to be keeping tabs on them. And my stats speak for themselves. If I have missed a mandate it was because of uncontrollable circumstances.
My other concern had been whether or not she could stand up to me and say what needed to be said. I'm not perfect. I am going to make mistakes or do something without thinking. I have seen both sides of Christie. There is the outside of work side and then the inside of work side. She says what needs to be said and when you get pulled into a room it's not going to be fun and games. But I respect that ability to separate her personal life from work. It's tough when you are friends with the people under you. But I would not be able to respect her if she did play favourites or not deal with something because of a friendship.
I know where I stand. It's not a question of mixed messages. Not only that but Christie also gives a lot more in the way of respect and appreciation then other managers I have had. Respect is huge. It is what keeps employees. She gives me a hard time about developing an ego but it's nice to be appreciated.
Lastly, Christie makes it fun. Not to say it's always fun and games. We are no longer allowed to play with the Nerf guns but that wasn't because she wanted to be mean. That was because the stats are not up to snuff. She gets out there with the agents... jokes around with us. She's also good at taking a joke since we give her a hard time a LOT. Christie always brightens my day.
When you work for someone you respect you want to try harder... not just meet expectations but exceed them. I find I work harder and do more now then I did before. Now some of that stems from changes in the role. But it's also because I want to prove to her what I am capable of. I just completed a huge make-work project and it wasn't because I had to but was because I wanted to. Took a lot of time and energy but in the end I believe that it will save time and help me identify more trends. Now if only Christie could read Excel spreadsheets.
For all of these reasons I nominate Christie for the greatest boss. Now if she would just make use of the van and drive me to soccer practice... *lol*
When I first found out I was going to Christie's team as the performance coach I was a little concerned. We had been friends for 3 years and suddenly she was going to be my boss. I was also just coming back from my LOA and was concerned about my job. I'm pretty sure she was wondering what to expect based on my file and likewise I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with her as a boss. I didn't want to lose a friend in the process.
Fortunately, it's been a great experience. First of all Christie doesn't micromanage. She gives me my space so that I can just do my job. She doesn't need to monitor me. If I am going to fail I am going to do it on my own. I appreciate that. I am not the kind of person that wants someone to be keeping tabs on them. And my stats speak for themselves. If I have missed a mandate it was because of uncontrollable circumstances.
My other concern had been whether or not she could stand up to me and say what needed to be said. I'm not perfect. I am going to make mistakes or do something without thinking. I have seen both sides of Christie. There is the outside of work side and then the inside of work side. She says what needs to be said and when you get pulled into a room it's not going to be fun and games. But I respect that ability to separate her personal life from work. It's tough when you are friends with the people under you. But I would not be able to respect her if she did play favourites or not deal with something because of a friendship.
I know where I stand. It's not a question of mixed messages. Not only that but Christie also gives a lot more in the way of respect and appreciation then other managers I have had. Respect is huge. It is what keeps employees. She gives me a hard time about developing an ego but it's nice to be appreciated.
Lastly, Christie makes it fun. Not to say it's always fun and games. We are no longer allowed to play with the Nerf guns but that wasn't because she wanted to be mean. That was because the stats are not up to snuff. She gets out there with the agents... jokes around with us. She's also good at taking a joke since we give her a hard time a LOT. Christie always brightens my day.
When you work for someone you respect you want to try harder... not just meet expectations but exceed them. I find I work harder and do more now then I did before. Now some of that stems from changes in the role. But it's also because I want to prove to her what I am capable of. I just completed a huge make-work project and it wasn't because I had to but was because I wanted to. Took a lot of time and energy but in the end I believe that it will save time and help me identify more trends. Now if only Christie could read Excel spreadsheets.
For all of these reasons I nominate Christie for the greatest boss. Now if she would just make use of the van and drive me to soccer practice... *lol*
Effects of Micromanagement and the Hostile Workplace
Since I started working with my current employer I have had 6 team leaders/managers. There have only been a couple that I had issues with. Both were for the same reason. As an agent I never had any type of disciplinary action. I knew the job requirements and what was expected of me. I was consistently doing fine on my monthly scorecards. So I wanted to be left alone. The last thing I want is micromanagement. I don't need to be monitored or policed in any way. Now if you have a disciplinary action for me that's another story altogether and that needs to be dealt with. But otherwise leave me the fuck alone and let me do my job.
Micromanagement tells me that you do not trust me and are not confident in my abilities. Why else would you need to monitor what I am doing on a daily basis? It also reminds of what life was like at home... and I got out of that a decade ago. I doubt myself enough... I don't need someone else doing it for me. As anyone that knows me will attest to... I monitor myself. I know where I stand and what I need to improve on. For the most part I don't need someone else to tell me.
I am a good agent. I can say that without having an ego.... Back when I was still new all my stats were good and I did not have any disciplinary action. My only real issue was attendance. In the first year I had pneumonia and I had bronchitis four times. Then just after I made it past the one year mark I had the flu. Lost 20 pounds and I'm not sure I ever completely recovered. After that I made a decision. I dropped out of school and chose this as my career. There are still times when I reflect on the last 2 years there when I wonder about that decision.... All because of a few people.
I spent the first two years on Joan's team... Well okay there was a team before that, briefly, but I don't even remember it. I was the golden child. I was appreciated and told what a good job I was doing. Then I moved to Mike's team. I immediately felt like I was under a microscope. Suddenly, I felt like I wasn't good enough. Joan had emphasized what I did well... Mike was more focused on what I wasn't doing so well. He was big on sales which was my weakest point. Some people are probably about to say this story is too much information.... Anyone that knows me knows that I drink LOT of caffeine. I was working permanent nights so I was always there until close. My last break was usually around 6:45 and my bladder was not going to hold out from 7 until I got home. Now I would wait... and wait... and usually at about 9:15 the calls would be gone. So then I would go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, the calls weren't always gone. So Mike hauled me over to his desk to have a little "chat" about it. He seemed to think I was avoiding taking calls. I can understand his point of view but that was definitely not what I was trying to do. Having said that it would be one thing if he stopped there but the next day he was asking me about it. It was embarrassing. Then right after that he was monitoring all my stats. Tried to tell me my call time was too low. Too low? At that time we had 15 people taking portable calls... I was taking about 40 calls a day and bringing in business for the center. To this day there are very few people that can match my handle time. My confidence level took a BIG hit.
After that I was applying for performance coach and was told that I was "negative and unapproachable and [he] did not want to give [me] an interview." To this day whenever I see that person it's all I can think of.
So I transferred to the legacy queue just to get off Mike's team. With Stan I was back to being respected and was left alone. I was in the middle of a separation so he would check in with me and see how things were going. I really appreciated the time he took and the effort he made. Shortly after I did get performance coach and was on the move again. But he would still ask about me.
And then came Chris. She was a new team leader and had something to prove. A lot of that came at my expense. I was a new performance coach and she was a new team leader. 7 months of hell. I was berated in front of team members. I was constantly getting in shit for something. Nothing I did was going to be good enough. She even admits that she was monitoring everything I did. It was a very hostile environment. Any confidence I had was completely destroyed. I wanted to quit and almost didn't come back from the LOA. The best part of the LOA was coming back and being moved to another team. Unfortunately not everyone is so lucky.
Micromanagement creates a hostile work environment and one that no one enjoys. Now micro-managers do provide results and on paper can look quite good. But they rule with an iron fist and people are too afraid to speak up. They fear reprimand or for their job. I was scared to death that I would be fired. It also leads to high burnout or high turnover. In a nutshell micromanagement does not work!!!
Micromanagement tells me that you do not trust me and are not confident in my abilities. Why else would you need to monitor what I am doing on a daily basis? It also reminds of what life was like at home... and I got out of that a decade ago. I doubt myself enough... I don't need someone else doing it for me. As anyone that knows me will attest to... I monitor myself. I know where I stand and what I need to improve on. For the most part I don't need someone else to tell me.
I am a good agent. I can say that without having an ego.... Back when I was still new all my stats were good and I did not have any disciplinary action. My only real issue was attendance. In the first year I had pneumonia and I had bronchitis four times. Then just after I made it past the one year mark I had the flu. Lost 20 pounds and I'm not sure I ever completely recovered. After that I made a decision. I dropped out of school and chose this as my career. There are still times when I reflect on the last 2 years there when I wonder about that decision.... All because of a few people.
I spent the first two years on Joan's team... Well okay there was a team before that, briefly, but I don't even remember it. I was the golden child. I was appreciated and told what a good job I was doing. Then I moved to Mike's team. I immediately felt like I was under a microscope. Suddenly, I felt like I wasn't good enough. Joan had emphasized what I did well... Mike was more focused on what I wasn't doing so well. He was big on sales which was my weakest point. Some people are probably about to say this story is too much information.... Anyone that knows me knows that I drink LOT of caffeine. I was working permanent nights so I was always there until close. My last break was usually around 6:45 and my bladder was not going to hold out from 7 until I got home. Now I would wait... and wait... and usually at about 9:15 the calls would be gone. So then I would go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, the calls weren't always gone. So Mike hauled me over to his desk to have a little "chat" about it. He seemed to think I was avoiding taking calls. I can understand his point of view but that was definitely not what I was trying to do. Having said that it would be one thing if he stopped there but the next day he was asking me about it. It was embarrassing. Then right after that he was monitoring all my stats. Tried to tell me my call time was too low. Too low? At that time we had 15 people taking portable calls... I was taking about 40 calls a day and bringing in business for the center. To this day there are very few people that can match my handle time. My confidence level took a BIG hit.
After that I was applying for performance coach and was told that I was "negative and unapproachable and [he] did not want to give [me] an interview." To this day whenever I see that person it's all I can think of.
So I transferred to the legacy queue just to get off Mike's team. With Stan I was back to being respected and was left alone. I was in the middle of a separation so he would check in with me and see how things were going. I really appreciated the time he took and the effort he made. Shortly after I did get performance coach and was on the move again. But he would still ask about me.
And then came Chris. She was a new team leader and had something to prove. A lot of that came at my expense. I was a new performance coach and she was a new team leader. 7 months of hell. I was berated in front of team members. I was constantly getting in shit for something. Nothing I did was going to be good enough. She even admits that she was monitoring everything I did. It was a very hostile environment. Any confidence I had was completely destroyed. I wanted to quit and almost didn't come back from the LOA. The best part of the LOA was coming back and being moved to another team. Unfortunately not everyone is so lucky.
Micromanagement creates a hostile work environment and one that no one enjoys. Now micro-managers do provide results and on paper can look quite good. But they rule with an iron fist and people are too afraid to speak up. They fear reprimand or for their job. I was scared to death that I would be fired. It also leads to high burnout or high turnover. In a nutshell micromanagement does not work!!!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
And then the Unthinkable Happened
Okay so I am still broke and about to have my phone cut off... just as soon as the next bill comes out... so if anyone wants to donate to my phone fund I won't say no... Just call it a birthday present. But... this afternoon there was a posting at work for team manager. Now it's a longshot... but it's also a rare event. It's about the only chance of advancement, short of moving to another location. It was quite a shock let me tell you. So now I have to make sure my resume is up to date and create a cover letter. If nothing else I can dream.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Christie's Vacation
My team manager went on vacation recently. Well, it really wasn't a vacation since she was in the hospital having surgery. Just before she came back Pat and I got the bright idea to decorate her desk. Rachel had left all her bridal magazines when she left the company... so we got to work posting pictures on bristol board. In the end we covered the inside of her desk. Even had a couple made out of CocaCola boxes with pictures on them... and of course the wedding rings. Plus there was the message, "Will you marry me?" We scared one of the new team managers who was going on vacation right afterwards. It was just something fun to do and we wanted to make her smile when she came back. One guy jokingly called us evil and said we were going to split her and Ben up. By the time Ben actually saw it we were off and no one knew who did it. So Christie got the heads up before she came in... ruined some of the surprise... but she still had a good laugh and had no idea who did it, until I 'fessed up any ways. I thought she would've figured it out. It was a lot of fun although payback just might be a bitch since I'm currently on vacation.
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