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Help, I'm in over my head at work

Dear Evil HR Lady,

I was recently hired to fill a position that my predecessor held for 20-plus years. I've had to ask for absolutely everything: clear definition of my job description, access to a printer, help getting my phone set-up for voice mail, access to databases, access to archived templates, etc.

The company offers no training for my position. There were no procedure manuals left behind, so I'm just flying by the seat of my pants. It feels like I'm being set-up for failure.

The position has been downgraded to manager supervisor, so I don't feel I should be looked upon as her replacement, but of course I am. One of my direct reports has been great about showing me the ropes, but nobody told her she was going to have to do this and there are some things that even she doesn't know.

I'm very disheartened and frustrated. I really like the culture here and my coworkers are great. The position is a step up for me, so I worry that I'm not doing a good job and will get canned for not knowing what I haven't even been told. Any advice on how to turn this around?

Welcome to management! When your job is task-oriented, it's pretty easy to have a list written up of the things you need to do everyday. The higher you get in the food chain, the more difficult it is to write up everything you need to do. In fact, so much of managing is dealing with the unexpected and solving problems that you can't have it all written down.

This doesn't, of course, mean that your predecessor should not have written down what she did. She should have. And her manager should have asked her to leave better documentation. But that is neither here nor there. We deal with the reality rather than the should-haves. Here's reality:

This is normal. When you start a new job, it often feels like floundering. You don't know what is going on and others don't know what you are capable of, so it takes some months to find your footing. This is part of the reason turnover is so expensive -- it takes time (often a good six months) for someone to be up to speed in this type of position.

Direct reports training a new manager is also normal. Your direct reports will know a lot more of the day-to-day stuff than your manager will. Ask them questions. Ask your manager questions. It's part of the getting-up-to-speed process.

You are the replacement, regardless of title. Your predecessor held the job for more than 20 years. This is a promotion for you. That's why she was a manager and you are a supervisor. You are expected to do the vast majority of the work she did, but you aren't expected to be as polished at it as she was. The expectation is that as you learn and grow and figure out what in the heck you can do, it's possible for you too to be promoted to a position of manager. Often jobs can be slotted into several different titles and levels.

You will do things differently and that's okay. Now, it's true there are unrealistic managers who expect you to jump into a job with the same skill and finesse that the previous person had, but it doesn't sound like that's the case here at all. You said the culture is great. That tells me that they will most likely be accepting of you doing things your way.

Expect to make mistakes. Not only is this a new job for you, it's a promotion as well. I suspect it's your first time supervising people. You will make stupid mistakes. Just acknowledge them, fix them, apologize for them and move on. Don't dwell on it. Don't be surprised when it happens.

It's supposed to be hard. Any new job is challenging, but a new job where you're also in a higher level position is doubly hard. It's supposed to be that way -- this is how you grow and develop.

Maintain close relationships with those above and below you. Set up regular one-on-one meetings with your direct reports. You need to know what is going on and you need their feedback. Try to do the same with your boss (if she's not doing it already). These do not need to be long meetings, but they will help you to get and stay on the right path.

Have a workplace dilemma?  Send your question to EvilHRLady@gmail.com.

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