I have been dealing with a work problem since I have become the Team Leader.

Anonymous

September 22,2021 at 12:21PM UTC

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I have been dealing with a work problem since I have become the Team Leader. Its causing me so much stress and anxiety that its taking a toll on my personal life. I might be overthinking the whole situation but let me know what you think.

So there was a team member who was initially hired as a manager but few months later we came to know (through our manager) that she will no more be working in the same designation and they did cut her pay (came to know this through her personally). This came as a shocker for me and that has been going well with me till now.

Then, the management made me a TL when there's no team member and literally noone whom I can lead. Is this normal?

Now I think that they will do the same with me and that scares the shit out of me. I am always in this constant pressure of giving my best at the cost of my own health. I know this is toxic but the sense of insecurity of losing the job is making me go bonkers.

My manager has this habit of arranging "quick catch-ups" every other week and that makes me more anxious. Is this normal that manager and TL do touchbase on a regular basis and its just a part of it??

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LisaSeptember 22,2021 at 12:32PM UTC
Frequent check ins with your boss are the norm. Or they should be.
Be prepared to speak to any issues you are seeing, and see if you can offer up potential solutions. Use this time to your advantage and not just as a bitching session.
AnonymousSeptember 22,2021 at 12:55PM UTC
I’m not sure I understand. Your job demoted the former team lead and then made you the team lead but you don’t actually have a team? Did they define the expectations of your job? If not, you need clarity. You can’t be successful if you don’t know what the goals are.
AnonymousSeptember 22,2021 at 2:32PM UTC
There's no reason to believe your promotion to TL was based on anything but great work. All the stress and anxiety sounds like it's self induced. Do you have any examples of reprimand or writeups?
Catchups or check ins are normal manager procedures and should be an opportunity for you to play up your great accomplishments. Keep a list of highlights to share so they are handy for your impromptu meetings. Reassure your manager that you are on it and give her examples of how well you're doing your job.
I would really try and get your fear and anxiety under control by establishing some breatht exercises and meditation and exercise so you can relieve this heavy burden. Just because it happened to on coworker doesn't mean there is a pattern of demotion and letting people go without warning. Everyone has their own experience.
You need to get a handle on this for your sanity.
Sheri TriceSeptember 28,2021 at 3:22PM UTC
Our stress is often a product of “chaos” that we’ve had a hand in creating. And I say this as an Enneagram 3 - achiever, who like you, often finds themselves stressed trying to be the most productive and successful person I can be. That said, I don’t think that you should concern yourself with the possibility of having the same thing happen with you as it did with your colleague. If however you cannot free yourself from worrying, I would use the checkins with your manager to proactively gather feedback on your performance so that you always have an understanding of where you stand. Maybe not general feedback everytime but craft an agenda and at a cadence, touch base on different elements of your role so that all are covered on a quarterly basis and you can get rather immediate feedback on any areas where improvement may be needed. I have a feeling you’re doing just fine! But sometimes asking and receiving affirmation can help quell any concerns.
Courtney MadiseSeptember 29,2021 at 8:04PM UTC
I agree with the other comments. Regular checkins seem normal.