Having a hard time adjusting from leading a large team to being managed.

6 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 27,2024 at 3:40PM UTC

   Hi! I can see how you feel. My insight is that when you turn in whatever you need, you are done and only responsible for you. I'm certain that sooner or later, you will be leading again, especially if you have more experience than your supervisor.

   Keep your eyes on the prize both internally and externally- it'll come

2. AnonymousApril 28,2024 at 5:12AM UTC

   I have done this several times in my career. The key is to see how you can enable your supervisor to succeed. Do everything you can to make them look good and feel appreciated. See what their pain points are and do what you can to work with them to minimize or eliminate them. You probably have a lot in your background that will make you effective in doing this. Being in a non-supervisory role is also a tremendous opportunity to determine both how you would wish your future direct reports to function and to aid in your growth toward being the kind of supervisor that others would enjoy working with and for. Wishing you well - learn a lot!

3. Daniela PardoApril 28,2024 at 2:07PM UTC

   Focus on proofing your value, helping your current team and boss, and having a business impact.I'm sure with the right mindset and steps you will get promoted very quickly!
   Good luck :)

4. AnonymousApril 28,2024 at 2:52PM UTC

   I have done this a few times and have learned how to navigate the pluses and minuses. You have a chance to relearn skills that you actually enjoyed at one point and contribute to the team. Once you get into it, your supervisor will appreciate you for being a productive ally. Best of luck and you can do this.

5. AnonymousApril 30,2024 at 12:54PM UTC

   Been there, done that. I also found it difficult, being well-seasoned in my career.

   The pitfall that I found going from being at the top of the org chart for my division to reporting to someone who likes a great deal of detailed communication is this: I felt like I was doing a good thing by taking things off the boss' plate and doing, well, the job I was hired to do.

   "Boss won't have to even THINK about this anymore, I got it! I am sure Boss is so glad to have me to take care of this so that they can move on to other things that need attention."

   The boss, unfortunately, felt cut out of the loop and possibly threatened because they were not getting as much information fed back to them as they wanted. Unfortunately, they did not communicate this to me until annual review time, and that was an uncomfortable conversation for both of us.

   My advice would be to ascertain how comfortable Boss is with you taking control of your role and the tasks/responsibilities that belong to it, and find out how much information they want/how often. Then give them what they believe they need. In writing. If it's a 1:1, follow up with an email every time.

6. AnonymousMay 3,2024 at 1:42AM UTC

   Thank you all! It's been a difficult situation as I'm trying to find my footing while not stepping on his. After years of leading, it's hard to figure out where I fit in and the communication issues has been a factor. I'm trying to remain positive and switch my mindset.