Changed departments at work - hate it and want to move back

[hadenoughh]

I changed departments at work recently, a voluntary move to a department I thought would be more rewarding.

I hate it. I haven't been properly trained yet and have been criticised by my new manager for mistakes when I am not yet trained.

I was well regarded in my old department and I feel like I have ruined my reputation by how bad my performance has been in my new department.

Do you think I could ask to move back? I don't know what to do

Have you spoken to your new manager about training ? Is there a training plan in place or are you just being left to get on with things ?
How long have you been there for ? If you really don't like it there's no harm in asking to be moved back - the worst they can say is no.

The training involved shadowing someone for a day and taking notes and then being left to it. My manager is now planning on putting more in place in response to the mistakes I have made but I'm just not enjoying it. I don't want to be there for a number of reasons. The only perk of why I wanted to move has now changed and so now I completely regret moving in the first place.

I know it's silly but I just want to throw in the towel and give up there rather than stick it out. It's only been a week. I'm not sure how to bring it up to my manager. The awkward thing is my new manager and old manager are close friends so they will be discussing me.

Know exactly how you feel...I moved to a different role/department 6 months ago and regret it every day. No training or support. I've found out that when the vacancy became available, they asked for someone more qualified and experienced than me ...but I got recommended as having potential. Constantly feel that they're trying to make the point that I'm not good enough, it's awful!

I also had a really good reputation in my old role, it's a horrible situation. I have askes to be moved but it's very awkward as my new department is well thought of (wrongly in my opinion , they put on a good show).

You have my sympathies

Do you think I could email my new manager and ask if I can move back? I know my old department would be happy to have me back but not sure on the logistics of it.

Would it be better to email sooner (so they don't waste more time training me) or give it more time (so it looks like I haven't thrown in the towel at the first hurdle?)

Email your old department! A bad environment can be a crushing place to work at.

In my experience the sooner you ask to move back the better. I would say to your old manager that you do not feel you are offering value. Mistakes happen and I dont like the sound of your new line manager blaming you after only a week.

I cut short a role i struggled with (not the work i just didnt like it) for four weeks. Before I moved on I gave that line manager lots of notice and worked it all because I really liked her. I've known people cut short secondments.

Yes you can, just do it sooner rather than later.

I think you should do it sooner rather than later if you're sure it wasn't the right move. I've seen this happen a few times in my company, it doesn't have to be a big deal, sometimes the new role doesn't live up to expectations.

Best of luck!

I waited it out for 6 months , 6 miserable , stressful months because I thought it was the right thing to do. In hindsight all my instincts told me it wouldn't get better but I didn't want it to look as though I hadn't given it a chance.

If your managers weren't good friends I'd email my old manger first without hesitation...makes it tricky doesn't it , the whole "friends" thing.

Yes, email and ask to go back. No point wasting any more time.

This is almost exactly the same situation I am in. A new office opened up and the big bosses were looking for volunteers to move. They weren't going to have my job role there but I talked with them and said it wouldn't work without my role so they agreed to let me move over. I thought I'd be the only one doing my job so would be able to have autonomy (within reason) and that it would get me away from the people who always got the opportunities. A new chance to show what I can do, that kind of thing. I helped set the office up,my new manager (who was my previous manager and is great) gave me lots to do to help with the set up. Then I found out one of the "golden people" from the old office was coming across as deputy to my manager. I was a bit..hurt? disappointed? but thought that I'd still be able to make my mark as the deputy would be doing the same as everyone else as a base role. Got to the new office, there are 4 of us now doing 'my' job, the one they thought they didn't need. The deputy who is a friend is always being given projects by the senior manager whereas I am doing a very basic role and everything I suggest gets shut down.
It's got to the point I have been crying at work, having panic attacks at the thought of going in cause I hate it so much. I'm away from my support network that I've built, away from the colleagues I love, and l am not doing the job I love.
I've asked to move back so an waiting for a decision but I doubt I'll be able to go back to my old role, instead it'll be one I dislike. At least I'll be back in the place where my friends and close colleagues are, even if I'll still be in a role I hate.
The worst thing is I know it's all my own fault, thinking I could start afresh. If I'd stayed then I would have had a new manager who seems cool, and the big boss was also new as the previous one moved to the new office. I could have had a new start without going anywhere.

So it's been a week but two of those days I was out of office for first aid training so I have only been in there 3 days. Is that too soon to email to ask to move?

I had a really bad day today, I ended up having to go to the loos quickly so I could cry in private otherwise I would have cried in front of my new manager. I don't know how I have managed to go from loving my job (old department) to crying at work (new department) in the space of a week. :(

I feel weird about emailing after today as it will seem obvious why I'm asking to move and as if I am throwing a tantrum. Today was a really awful day where me and a colleague made a huge mistake, I didn't do anything wrong but in my manager's eyes we both f*cked up big time.

Also my new department is short staffed and needs everyone there, I know if I ask to move they will drag their heels but honestly I feel like if they don't let me move back I will hand in my notice. It's that bad.

It's horrible isn't it? When I think of how happy and excited I was to get the job...but I hate it, absolutely hate it. I actually did what user 1471 suggested, and said I didn't feel I was making a positive enough contribution and that, yes, they did need someone more qualified in the specific area.

So trying to say "no thanks" without rocking the boat.

It'll be a bit awkward for a few weeks maybe but then it'll be fine. In a month or so you'll be back where you're happier.

That sounds awful...ask to be moved now. You've nothing to lose if you feel like handing your notice in and everything to gain. It's mentally exhausting and so stressful. I will leave if I can't be moved back ...100%

You poor thing. Sounds like a really hard day and you are completely valid to want to go back to your old role, do what is best for you and don’t worry about what it looks like to others. Life is too short to spend it working in a job that causes stress

Thank you for your kind replies.

I'm now trying to work out how best to phrase why I want to move departments again. The honest reason is lack of training, lack of supervision and the department is really chaotic with no structure or protocols in place yet. I'm much more comfortable in my old department where I know what is expected of me and I am secure in what I'm doing. However, I don't want to slate the department or my manager as my reasoning so I am thinking of saying that I feel like I'm a more efficient and productive staff member in my previous department. Does that sound ok?

Agree you want to leave without pointing the blame at your new manager/department...I think playing the long game will be beneficial once you're the other side of this and hopefully back in your old role.

So talk about you rather than them ("my skills are better suited to...", "the (new) department needs someone with x/y/z skill set" etc). If the new department don't feel criticised it will make for a less awkward request (well that's how I played it, even though secretly I think the exact opposite).

Could you say that it seems the new department really need someone who is further along in the training than you currently are, that they don't seem to have the staffing capacity needed to train someone right now. It's making the whole thing feel like an awkward fit and (in your opinion) not the best move for either you or the new department. As a result you wondered if there was any possibility of returning to your old role where you felt you had more to offer the company. Plus it would free up new department to find someone who didn't need such extensive training, which should improve things for all working there.

That's probably too wordy but is the tone is go for I think.

Move back. Just say it's not for you and you're more at ease with your old role.

I guess it’s a new place and they haven’t figured out the new structure or protocols yet. I agree with Charliebong and make it sound like it’s you and not them. Can you speak with your old manager, but I wonder if new manager will say something along the lines of ‘give us a chance to sort structure and protocols, we only set this up yesterday, stick with us, you’ll get training blah blah’ new manager is probably stressed out underneath which is why he blamed you for a mistake as you were a target to let off steam !?

Yes that sounds like a good plan OP. I'd keep it brief and not be drawn into details about how the manager will make things better to get you to try it out for longer if you definitely don't want to be there.

You need to be assertive and say look this was a complete mistake. I love this company but this move is such a bad fit that I'm miserable, it's not a good fit, I really feel I can't contribute as positively as I could in my old role, and I'm bringing it up asap on the hope very little time has passed & I can slot back into my previous dept. I want to be a team player, hold my hands up and acknowledge the move isn't working at an early stage and I've made an error by moving and appeal to you to reverse the move. I'd really appreciate it. Please advise!

@TenShortStories

Could you say that it seems the new department really need someone who is further along in the training than you currently are, that they don't seem to have the staffing capacity needed to train someone right now. It's making the whole thing feel like an awkward fit and (in your opinion) not the best move for either you or the new department. As a result you wondered if there was any possibility of returning to your old role where you felt you had more to offer the company. Plus it would free up new department to find someone who didn't need such extensive training, which should improve things for all working there.

That's probably too wordy but is the tone is go for I think.

This is perfect! Say this OP.