Work situation wwyd?

[Crazyhouse123]

I left my job a few months ago as I was offered a position elsewhere, which I hated.

I was very lucky that my old job took me back, I enjoyed it and was/ am good at it. I am starting again...probation etc...which is frustrating but just pleased to be back. I made it very clear that I want to move up eventually and my new manager fully supports that.

Last week she advised that there is a new group being set up with one person from each team as a rep to discuss the scheduling. She asked if I would like to do it for my role development I said yes, so after she asked me to, I sent an email to the team asking for their input. About an hour later she messaged me asking me to copy her in. I checked that she had meant for me to send it...she said yes, but she wanted to be kept in the loop. I apologised and cc'd her in.

The thing is, the only way she could have known I had sent it is if one of the team asked her about it. And this has put me on edge a little...I know everyone from before, thought I had slipped back in ok, have not stepped on anyone's toes and my manager came to me.

I do not want to be seen as anything other than a team member. I do want to move up but not at the expense of being part of the team. I am happy to wait and now feel like I have pissed someone off...either a team member or my manager.. and this has made me uncomfortable.

I don't want to do this now! I have a lot going on at home and was in no hurry...I am going to apply for all the jobs I can internally and when the right time and job comes along hopefully I will get lucky. But I feel like someone went to my manager behind my back and I am not Senior enough to not care this soon after I went back! This isn't a huge thing, won't take up much time, but I am now no longer as keen!

So cross that I've been back just 2 months and already seem to have annoyed people through no fault of my own! Wwyd?

Could you be reading too much into this? Could a team member have been chatting about it to your manager and mentioned in passing you'd sent the email?

I think you might be overthinking this.

Did your manager actually say they knew the email had gone? It’d be a bit of a weird response to that to ask you to CC them in - they’d know you couldn’t, at that point. It’s more likely that something reminded them of your chat and prompted them to ask you to CC them in.

If someone did mention it; there’s every chance it was casual and not because you’ve annoyed someone or they’ve complained… but I’m not at all convinced that your manager knew.

Thank you for the response...possibly but the way my manager messaged was a little shorter than usual and out of character. You know when something just seems a little off?

@TakeYourFinalPosition

I think you might be overthinking this.

Did your manager actually say they knew the email had gone? It’d be a bit of a weird response to that to ask you to CC them in - they’d know you couldn’t, at that point. It’s more likely that something reminded them of your chat and prompted them to ask you to CC them in.

If someone did mention it; there’s every chance it was casual and not because you’ve annoyed someone or they’ve complained… but I’m not at all convinced that your manager knew.

No...she actually asked me to copy me into the email I had sent out so she knew I had sent it. The impression I got in our initial chat was not that I needed to, that it was for team members to discuss things outside of management ears so that we could raise genuine issues. She certainly didn't ask to be copied in in our chat or I would have done so.

Is it possible she was BCCd into the reply? I think its probably that its quite hard for a manager to hand over responsibility. Just CC them in and job done, everyone is happy.

You are overthinking, you can't know why your manager said it. Maybe someone in the team is always complaining about the schedule and the manager wants to be in cc to back you up. You just don't know so no point worrying about it.

I genuinely don't think I'm overthinking it...I know everyone from before and something feels off. Before I wouldn't have minded so much but this time because I am "new" again I am more conscious of these things.

It's difficult to put across but something def feels off!

If I received an email from a colleague asking my opinions about scheduling, I'd want to clarify why they're asking, what they're going to do with the info, if it's an 'official' question or 'off the record' etc.

I'd probably have emailed my line manager for clarity and reassurance this is a legitimate conversation that has the support of my employer.

To be honest, your manager should probably sent the initial email explaining your role in the project and letting colleagues know the format and objectives of the exercise.

I'd imagine if she just gave you the role of representative for your team without discussing it or opening it up to the rest of the team, and then an hour later you sent your email out, one of the team members will have asked her what's going on.

And yes it's likely that someone in the team is a bit disgruntled that the role (and opportunity for development) has been handed to you.

You’re reading too much into this, your email probably just came up in normal conversation