Stressed in new role.

LegacyUser · 09-07-2014 2:16pm #1

Going unregd for this. Apologies for the vaugness of the post but i do not wish to be identified. Not even sure what im looking for here. Help or words of wisdom. Anything.

I work in the public sector and recently took on a role which allowed me and my family to move to our dream location.
Unfortunately the dream has turned into a nightmare as I'm totally unsuited to the role with possibly the worst manager I've ever had by a country mile.
The job involves interaction with members of the public which can frequently be quite intrusive and confrontational. The job itself is necessary but requires a specific type of individual to do it, which isn't me. I have to force myself to get up in the mornings some days, have stomach cramps and am constantly exhausted.
The demands placed upon me and my team are bizzare considering how massively under resourced in terms of materials and manpower we are. Its become increasingly obvious that such matters are of no concern to management.
I attempted to extract myself from the position by speaking to the powers that be qhich would have staying in the same location but in a more suitable role. This has not worked and my immediate manager feels aggrieved by my actions.

I feel completely trapped and unable to cope in this job which i am stuck in. I cannot quit as its my family's livelihood but there are some days where i just cannot get it together to function. Everytime my work phone rings i nearly have a heart attack as i think its my boss with some other request for some irrelevant information.

I've never been in a position like this before and like to think i am actually a good worker with a decent work eithic. Its just this new job is completly alien to me and will remain so.

drumswan · 09-07-2014 2:59pm

Look for another job?

Mrs OBumble · 09-07-2014 6:19pm

Have you spoken to your union?

If it's affecting your health, then a short term break from the role would come via a trip to your doctor. Bur really it's a longer-term solution that you need.

PS I can kinda sympathise. People sometimes don't realise just how difficult it can be to work as a housing officer, bailiff, social welfare inspector, customs officer, community warden, dog control officer, etc etc until they actually have to do it.

tenifan · 09-07-2014 8:06pm

Hi Op.
Try to clear the air with your manager. Arrange a friendly meeting and tell him/her not to take it personally, but you find the job tough.
It's a bit silly to say your manager is looking for "irrelevant information". It's obviously relevant to your manager, and that's who's asking you for the info.. so do your job and try to scrape the info together. Use assumptions/estimates, etc if you need to get a deliverable in front of him or her, and ask for guidance on how to gather any further info required.
Now to tackle your day-to-day work. It's a public sector job so it's pretty secure. Ignore the demands, just do your 9-5 and try not to get too stressed. You say your job is confrontational by nature, but what if you approached your clients(?), were as friendly as possible, tick the boxes, file your report, and just try to make the whole experience as pleasant as you possibly can for your customers.
It sounds to me like your job is quite important. The days of admin work, where filing, answering phones and putting together daily/weekly reports are at an end. Look at your role as a challenge & an opportunity to gain experience in knowledge work and dealing with difficult customers (and managers)
Oh, and take a few days holidays soon! Holidays are not to be hoarded. In fact, seeing as you're stressed right now I think it would be permissible to take a few sick days. Just my opinion- that's what they're for!

LegacyUser · 10-07-2014 8:42am

Hi Op

Could you have a chat with your manager & ask for more training for your job e.g. how to deal with difficult clients or time management - whatever is making your job difficult at the moment. Also ask them for their input on how to make improvements in how you are currently doing the job.

You never know it might make all the difference if you speak to them in a positive way and show them that you are trying to make it work. If you still cannot stick the job, unfortunately you may have to face seeking out another job even if it's in another area.

Best of luck

LegacyUser · 10-07-2014 12:51pm

OP here. Thanks for the replies.

A little bit further background which may help. Prior to this new role i was carrying out a specialized role in my organization which did involve some field work. I am still undertaking a university course in relation to the old role as provided by my organization.
I have been told by my HR dept that eventually i will get back to my old role but in the meantime im stuck in this new role.
The new role is a real time job where our "clients"( i like that description of them) are dealt with as the suspected offence occurs. It is an extremely demanding job where you really need to be dedicated to it to do the job effectively.
I cannot quit this job knowing that eventually i will get back to my old role in our dream location. I am attempting to develop a way to keep my new manager happy while avoiding those parts of the job which unnerve me.
Even typing this out is helping. Thanks again.

LegacyUser · 10-07-2014 4:49pm

Stressed and Stuck wrote: »

OP here. Thanks for the replies.

. I am attempting to develop a way to keep my new manager happy while avoiding those parts of the job which unnerve me.
.

I don't think you can just avoid the parts of the job that unnerve you, if they are something that you are responsible for. You would be much better off if you could find ways to cope with them instead. List out the areas that are causing you problems and go to your manager to see what could be done to help you in these areas.

scrips · 15-07-2014 10:36pm

Are you a Civil Servant? If so try contacting the CSEAS (Civil Service Employee Assistance Service) and having a chat about your anxieties, work performance, etc. They're there to support and advise. And give yourself a chance - you're not long in your new job and it can take time to adjust to a new and challenging role and get a bit of perspective. Specialised training should surely be provided if required (especially if you have an enforcement role with potential health & safety risks) and you may just need to ask. Think positive about all the new experience you're gaining. By taking on new challenges you will build up your self-esteem and confidence. Perhaps you haven't had any induction training, in which case you could try requesting that, too.

InReality · 16-07-2014 1:03am

Try and ease yourself into the bits you dislike, at your own pace, rather than avoid them completely.
Try and break them down into smaller parts.
I tend to avoid things I dislike and generally can end up creating more hassle for myself.
And give yourself credit too , a new job is always stressful

Claregirl · 18-07-2014 11:28pm

OP firstly congrats on the move at least you're where you want to be (think positive)

Any new role is difficult - being the new guy not knowing enough not part of the "team" and feeling inadequate the first couple of months are scary for anyone until you build up your knowledge, relationships and confidence.

I'm PS as well and was going through a very difficult patch recently and spoke to my manager a number of times outlining the difficulties I was experiencing overworked, uneven distribution of work and problems hitting my own set targets among other things and I got nods of agreement while I believe at the same time they just wanted me to stop whining.

Eventually at breaking point I wrote an e-mail spelling out not only the difficulties but also suggestions on what would help alleviate the situation I didn't send it straight away (I'd probably have gotten a P45 if I did) but came back to it and re-edited it a few times until I was happy with both the tone and the content. This turned out to be far more effective than our "chats" once it's formalised in writing there needs to be a formal response and so far this has improved my own situation and also acts as a point of reference for any situations / difficulties that might arise (particularly where lack of resources are involved).

The parts of the job that unnerve you now should improve over time it's something else I've learned along the way sometimes if you confront things head on practice makes perfect and all of that - there are parts of my job that unnerve me to this day whether through lack of knowledge / experience things I've not come across before etc but I resolve to do the best I can and improve as best I can while doing it (I also try to get these out of the way as fast as I can usually at the start of the day when I'm more alert

)

tenifan · 19-07-2014 12:30pm

Claregirl wrote: »

Eventually at breaking point I wrote an e-mail spelling out not only the difficulties but also suggestions on what would help alleviate the situation I didn't send it straight away (I'd probably have gotten a P45 if I did) but came back to it and re-edited it a few times until I was happy with both the tone and the content. This turned out to be far more effective than our "chats" once it's formalised in writing there needs to be a formal response and so far this has improved my own situation and also acts as a point of reference for any situations / difficulties that might arise (particularly where lack of resources are involved).

I'd advise against sending the email in this manner. it could be seen as confrontational or the manager could pick up the tone wrong.

It would be much more effective to arrange a meeting (not a chat) and go in to the meeting with 3-4 well thought-out points where you'd like to see action, and the outcome you want from each point (be it more training, coaching, different responsibilities, etc).

At the meeting, discuss each point with the manager allowing him/her to make suggestions or to "buy in" to your suggestions. Make sure you agree time frames. If it's something the manager says he/she will look into, make a note of that too.

After the meeting you could send them email. Keep it brief, thanking manager for the meeting on #date# and summarising in bullet-point format the 3-4 outcomes, along with timeframe. For the "I'll look in to them"items, make sure you identify them as something you want a response to (you can follow them up later on).

After hitting "send" go straight up to your manager and say "i've just sent you a quick summary of what we agreed in our meeting today, maybe we can follow-up on some of the points next week?"

This is probably how I'd approach it if I really wanted to send an email (we have career plans where I work so it's usually not necessary to do something like this). But I definitely wouldnt' just write a long email out of the blue and expect it to have a happy ending.

Stressed in new role.

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