So, I have been promoted to a ”Head of” and feel like I am drowning…

[Allthegearnoidea2025]

This was in March and I had a fair payrise, the responsibility mainly involves geographical expansion of responsibilities and one major project.

It has added to my workload but I was coping.

In the weeks everything blew up at the top… and a big Titanic of another team is heading my way. I cannot say no, as I flew that rocket to the Moon few years back, the business restructured and took it off me, now it’s been handed back to me, broken to build back up with zero resources to support yet another increase in workload. Asking for more money is not answer on its own, and I cannot refuse taking this on. I feel like manage every minute detail of whatever I do still like an individual contributor but am expected to lead like a director (I am referred to as such internally but not really my job title). It’s a large corporate organisation.

My boss is not a details person - the moment an idea is mentioned, in his mind I have taken care of it.

Please can someone help me navigate this? I feel like I should step up and act as a director, instead I am like a little girl trying to please my boss, keep my team operational and not fall asleep at 6 pm when DH gets home. I have lost my way.

You sound completely out of your depth

Did you apply for the role?

I feel like I should step up and act as a director

Why? You're not a director and you won't be on the same wage as a director.

Go back through your job description and if you're regularly doing anything that isn't in it, put your foot down and stop.

You need to hire people onto your team that can help with the workload. Or refuse something.

@Returnofjude No, it was offered to me, as I have done a good job in my old region and there was really nobody else already in the business to take the extra responsibility, the new are.

@AintNoPunshineWhenShesGone I do not have a JD, was never given up, so that just shows you how some of the most high profile business operate on the inside. I am not going to ask for one in case I ever need to play that card.

@FeedingPidgeons You are right, but the headcount will just not be approved. There is no care about employee well being. But I am not sure I can justify it as growth facilitator. Realistically, I need to stop being a perfectionist and drop the ball a few times and see what happens.

Well that seems silly
Given you sound as though you are in turmoil

What an unfair and unhelpful response.

It’s less than six months into a big new role. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone do similar and completely hit the ground running. I have - countless times - seen someone show their lack of experience in the first year or so of a big promotion and then inhabit the position as if they’d been doing it their whole lives.

I think the last thing anyone needs in this situation is someone agreeing that, yeah, maybe they just aren’t up to it. The line about responding like ‘a little girl’ suggests there may be a confidence or assertiveness issue, which makes this particularly bad advice.

Hopefully you can take some time out over the long weekend to think about some solutions without the pressure, OP.

On the basis of the OP, yes I stand by me saying the OP sounds out of her depth

And I say 5-6m in is far too soon to say.

Feeling out of your depth is totally normal in this situation. Unless the way forward is just for the op to throw in the towel, do you have any advice for her?

Well firstly - get a bloomin job description sorted would be sensible

I mean the whole point of the OP was that she feels out of her depth so why be a dick about it by telling her again?

Why can't people either say something supportive or constructive or just STFU when someone is clearly already feeling like crap? Is it really necessary to twist the knife a bit more? FFS.

What card?

You need to know what your own JD is, otherwise how do you know if you're doing everything you should be, and how do you know whether you're regularly doing things you shouldn't?

Just ask HR to email it.

My advice
get your JD sorted
Instead of the daft logic of not doing so you can reveal this “card” if needed

This isn’t the behaviour is a senior manager

I agree. Good idea. Any reason why you had to phrase it like the op is evidently an utter fool rather than neutrally putting across some reasons as to why it may help?

“out of your depth”
and you have interpreted as me saying the op is an “utter fool”

One for hyperbole I see

And how will the company measure performance come performance review time

Very strange

In addition to the advice that has been given (that id agree with), if there’s limited scope to make it better, I’d get ahead of the story and put together a strategy for the teams. Set a path and high level goals that you think the teams can deliver and put people in charge of them. They can form their objectives. Means you can manage expectations and you give your boss a good story to tell rather than floundering and letting other people set the path / be seen to come in to rescue the situation etc.

Hey lovely ignore the twats on here. Have you any access to a coach of some sort? Preferably someone with experience aligned to yours to discuss the challenges with the role and your boss, and ideally help you see clearly and prioritise your efforts as needed. I’m sure the challenges are big, but you got the job for a reason. You sound like you’re struggling to transition from old mentality to new role mentality and I’m sure some limited beliefs are arising. But you can do it - you have the experience just need some help and direction. Remember everyone starts somewhere and all heads of had to do the job for the first time before.

be kind to yourself x

I agree with Feeding Pigeons, though I’d had that if you don’t have the headcount to hire more people you will need to start sizing up your team and working out who you can delegate things to. This has two advantages: it takes some weight off your shoulders of course, but it also allows you to start sizing up deputies/giving others a chance to show their capability to advance as you have.

Now also a really good time to get very familiar with the Eisenhower matrix!

You work out what they expect, get them to confirm in writing, work out your resources - people and time - and then explain that you can do x amount or can do more but these are the resources you need to do the full scope including personal development resources/training. Refer back to job description.
Don‘t do it on the hoof but go in with a clear plan and be clear that you are worth it and expect to be remunerated to do this with money, time, title or the likely effect will be burnout and them losing you and all your company knowledge to a better run/better resourced competitor

OP can you give more information about how your team is structured? It would be helpful to know if you have 2ICs who can take some of the workload off you.

Your “get a bloomin job description” was what I was responding to with my “utter fool” comment. It suggested something like exasperation or disbelief that the op didn’t have this very basic point down. It was not couched as a supportive or even neutral piece of advice.

Anyway, I don’t want to derail the op’s thread any more so that’s it from me.

You know the difference between the way overwhelmed managers and successful directors act? The overwhelmed manager takes everything on themselves and says 'oh no, there's no resource, I'll have to do it all myself'. The successful director says 'okay, you want me to take x and turn it into a successful team/project/function? Here is my business plan. You'll see I've given you a clear list of the resources and time I'll need.' And they work in some contingency too - I.e. tell them you need the budget and headcount for three new manager posts when you only actually need one, then let them bargain you back down.

It's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed in a new leadership position but you need to draw a very clear distinction between 'I want them to think I can handle this' and 'I have to be able to do All The Things just because someone else wants them done'. You can handle it IF they resource you to properly.

Oh, and get your JD sorted. It's not a card you can play later down the line, they'll just argue they had tacit acceptance of the role as you've been doing it because you haven't complained. Get it straightened out BEFORE overwhelm becomes your new normal.

Fake it until you make it! Start acting like the leader you want to be. I agree that very few people are competent in their first year of a 'big job'. It takes time to actually be confident and many people never make it. (See Imposter Syndrome) but you can act it.