Repeatedly set up to fail at work and my confidence is suffering

Anonymous

September 22,2021 at 5:19PM UTC

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Repeatedly set up to fail at work and my confidence is suffering

I've been in my current role for nearly 3 years now, and have felt set up to fail on many of the projects I've worked on. My leadership struggles with clearly defining our roles and sticking with those role definitions and don't really consider capacity or role when assigning projects. For example, if someone is requesting copywriting support and all of our copywriters are unavailable, they just assign the work to whomever, even if they don't necessarily have that skillet. This goes for large technical projects as well, that really require a decent amount of expertise.

What this has resulted in is feeling like I'm constantly being pulled in different directions without proper support or even the skill set to do my job well. Every day at work is stressful because I'm always waiting for the next tight deadline or poorly assigned project to fall into my lap. I really care about executing well, and our leadership team has really high standards, even if we are doing something completely new.

I'm definitely burnt out and have been looking for new jobs for a few months now without a ton of success. I don't have much confidence in my abilities right now because it's been hard for me to keep track of what I'm doing well with so much pressure and work that is really a bad fit for me and not in scope for my job description.

I've gone over this with my leader a few times now, but she doesn't seem to take our conversations too seriously unless I'm visibly upset. I don't want to get to that stage (it takes a lot to push me there) to be heard.

Any tips on how to stay confident and care less while I find my next position? I'd at least like to maintain my mental health while I ride this out until I can leave!

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AnonymousSeptember 22,2021 at 5:53PM UTC
Upon each assignment I would write an email out lining the assignment and begin with "to clarify......" and restate the assignment. If it's a poorly assigned project where you do not have the proper skillset or expertise, I would begin with " while i don't have copywriting experience, I will give it my best shot to draft something for review by the copywriters....."
For your mental health you must practice separating from your job. Deep breathing exercises, meditation and physical exercise can really help clear your mind. You need to spend time with you hobbies and interests. Example is if you like gardening then commit to that activity fully. Plan your fall cleanup of the garden, cut everything back, research your winter garden care online and meet with your local nursery experts to gain more info. Start researching spring garden designs...etc. meaning emerse yourself in you hobby so much that the activity, research and creative fully engages you. It helps you to switch gears, be complete in charge and the feel joy and satisfaction. This is how you balance the scales. You cannot pour all your energy into work and expect to feel centered and balanced. You need to feed you heart mind and soul so you feel well rounded, healthier and your soul is more at peace.
It's a long term investment in you and you need to work on it everyday. As soon as you start to feel stressed and not centered, that is a sign that something in your life is out of balance. To bring balance back you allocate time and honest effort to all the items mentioned above. A happy, fulfilling life doesn't happen by accident.
AnonymousSeptember 22,2021 at 7:21PM UTC
Hi,
I've had similar experiences with being pulled this way and that with my workload at the office. Learning to push back on something that I'm not qualified/trained to do by sending that email suggested by another comment.
Also, if I'm being loaded up with too much to do in the time I have to do it in...I make sure to put that decision back on my manager. I'll contact her and ask for a prioritization of tasks if all I'm being asked to do seems to need to be done "RIGHT NOW" and only by me. A call or an email saying this is what I have on my plate and I need your help to prioritize this list so that everything gets done and/or redelegated to someone who would be better able to do it.
It works out very well and I usually end up being able to do most if not all of the tasks on my plate. I just don't get so stressed about them since I know what really needs to be done right away and what is a little less important in the scheme of things.
If I come to her with a question like I'm not very well versed in high level product sizing, for example, I'll ask my boss or my mentor who in the organization might be better at that to ask questions of to learn how to do the task.
For me the key is staying in touch with my management and the management of the task I'm doing (if it is a cross-team assignment) to be clear on their expectations and mine.
Good luck riding it out and looking for that other job.
Alexandria Scobee |Leadership Coach | IT ManagerSeptember 22,2021 at 7:47PM UTC
How do you track your tasks? I have found myself in similar positions and found that tracking tasks each day and week allowed me to feel more accomplished. I also close out each week and look for wins that I am proud of. Disconnecting from others disorganization can be difficult but necessary.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistSeptember 22,2021 at 11:12PM UTC
I guess my question is why are you still working at such a poorly managed company?