Feel like a failure at work

LegacyUser

I work in a large company on a team of about 5-6 people. I am ambitious and I work very hard. My year end appraisals are strong and the mid year review was extremely good. I applied for a promotion to supervisor a few months and wasn't succusful but my manager said I had potential and we had a meeting where he said he'd support me and also let me attend a two day supervisor course. Very encouraging!

I have tried to take on additional responsibility and in January & April I asked my supervisor for training it never happened or kept getting put off and I was told it was too busy and there wasn't time to train me.

The supervisor handed in their notice last month and left last week and I got additional responsibilities such as a weekly report to the client. I feel the training and handover I got was completely inadequate and all last minute when I could have practiced for months but I got on with it. I was in Sunday for a few hours unpaid getting ready for my weekly reports.

I had no supervisor and the manger was out of office Monday & Tuesday so I had no support and the report didn't go well. There were some small mistakes and when my manager returned yesterday he spent the day fixing them and apologising to the client.

The supervisors job is open. I want to apply, everyone on the team told me to apply. I lead the group and assign tasks, train the new staff and work well with others. I really wanted that job and others commented they assumed I would get it but I brushed that off as I don't openly discuss my plans.

However at the end of yesterday my manager told me to train up another girl who will take over the supervisors reports though I'm barely trained myself. As the manager was leaving he stopped at my desk and quietly said I'll be shifted to another team in a few weeks at my current level.

I've not been told I cannot apply but I feel the job is already assigned and I'll be disregarded if I do apply. I think I get too upset about things. Does it look like I've blown my chance? I did my best, working several hours unpaid. My best is all I have but I still got upset at being told I'll be moved.

Neyite

I've no doubt you sound hard-working and dedicated, and work well within a team but I wonder are you interested the supervisory position because you feel its a step up /pay raise, rather than knowing you have the skills to do the job, and would be good in a client facing role.

I know you want the job, but I don't think you are ready for it - Can I ask, when confronted with your mistakes, did you explain to your manager the way you did in your OP? Because if you did, you have some of your reasons there. It's not about the mistakes, its about how you coped with a crisis and how you responded to it, and who you blamed for it.

With supervisory positions, you need to be capable and think on your feet. You'll get thrown into situations with little or no training, and have to muddle through using your own decision making. And a client wont care when you say you've had no training, it'd be hugely unprofessional to tell them that kind of thing - they just want results from the company that they are paying to do a job.

Having said that, you probably do have potential, so what I would do is show then you have balls and go apply for interview if they will let you. And approach the manager informally and tell him that you know you screwed up your chance, but can he give you feedback on what you need to work on in order to improve your chances the next time around.

meeeeh

I don't know in what area you work but there is a chance a client demanded you are gone of the team. It happens sometimes. Give it time and see how well you will settle in the new position and then maybe apply again.

Backstreet Moyes

I can't see why the O.P. is getting blamed here to be honest.

Obviously this client was important yet the manager left sole responsibility to someone with inadequate training.

Why was their nobody else with sufficient training to do the report.

The reality is the manager failed to deliver proper training and as you would expect the o.p. made some mistakes.

Where was the training? Where was the manager on Monday and Tuesday. How could a manager let a situation occur where someone with inadequate training has the sole responsibility of completing work for a client.

Also now the manager wants the o.p. who is not fully trained to train someone for the job it all sounds very badly managed.

puppieperson

irish companies are full to the brim of badly and not even trained managers . My manager cant spell and frequently sends emails to the company full of errors, he always blames team leaders for everything and just takes the big pay for himself. I describe him as a lizard a big long tongue for ass licking his superiors!!! Hate my job now.