Does anyone else just wing it in their job

[Sullyssorryeyes]

I have just recently started a new job in middle management. This is my first management role. Oh. My. god. I feel like I'm drowning. The technology, The meetings about meetings, the putting together ideas about anything and everything.
Did anyone else go through something similar? How did/ did you cope?

TIA

Totally normal!

There’s a term often used of ‘drinking from the firehose’

Have you cracked the delegation thing yet? Absolutely crucial to success. I figure it’s my job to keep my team out of meetings so it’s their job to do the things that come out of those meetings.

It’s hard to get past that first couple of delegations though. And many many years later it’s still not my natural inclination but it has to be done.

I was asked this week to meet with and advise someone who has been appointed to a similar role to mine in a sister organisation. I've no fucking clue what to tell her I do, but my boss and her boss who I know quite well have told her I'm brilliant and I'll be able to guide her through settling in 😬

From reading your responses I can't believe that this is actually a thing!! That so many of us are winging it.

Releives my stress levels though....

Any new job takes a good 3-6 months to get a grasp on. Best thing to do is to identify the things that are making you anxious and tackle those first. Imposter syndrome is also a massive thing. I took a year out of work to do a Masters and have an interview on Thursday to re-enter the work place. I spent the weekend crapping myself about it before saying to myself: “Erm you wouldn’t have got an interview if they didn’t think you were a potentially fab candidate!” So also please remind yourself that you were given the job because other people have confidence in you, your skills and abilities. You’re allowed to feel adrift and you’re allowed to flounder a bit, but don’t forget your own worth!

Me!! Imposter syndrome is real 🫣

Manager for 3 years here. We’re all winging it. Make decisions. Go with your gut. Fake it till you make it. I’ve grown in confidence in 3 years.

Oh yes this.

I am nearly 3 months into a new job in middle management for a large global software company and it's been overwhelming so far. The onboarding is insane, and I kind of gave up with it in the end because there is only so much theory you can learn about doing a job, sooner or later you just have to start doing the job.

I am gradually realising you just have to hold your nose and jump.

Omg yes to winging it. Totally normal. Just be yourself, keep organised, write everything down to learn new stuff.

Thanks for all your replies. 😊

This is a really interesting thread. I’m considering going for my first proper management role but keep getting cold feet, despite some more senior people saying they think I’m ready. Does anyone regret taking a step up? The money is much better but I kind of enjoy my current low stress role!

Nope. Go for it!

@CaptainCorelli I totally understand what you mean. Won't lie it's not easy and I'm nowhere near comfortable yet. However, I would rather try and fail at something than not try at all so go for it!

@CaptainCorelli that's exactly where I am at now. Probably lower paid sector than most mn but its still a leap from "conformable competant" to "eek line managing/wfh/complete change of job/will I cope/regret jumping.

In my case it is a leap to 4 days a week which I know isn't a lot by mn terms but is amongst my friends. I have some health limitations but new job is wfh so the extra day does also bring with it ability to pace and rest a bit in breaks.(sorry its all coming out now ! Decision by next week so it's all I'm thinking about.)

Be nice, think things through, know your staff and what they are good at. Talk to about their last manager and what worked what didn't. Be very good at organising and delegating work to meet deadlines. Stand up for yourself and your team.

It sounds like imposter syndrome to me. They think you are great. Believe them. Prioritise brilliantly and Be agile.

Most people are winging it. Assume you have a mentor as a new starter. . If not ask for one. Your manager will be great. Don't say you feel like you do, say you are keen to make sure 30/60/90 is achievable and how do things get done in this company etc

Keep going!

See how you feel and if you enjoy it, I get a weird sense of pleasure out of not knowing what I'm doing and then gradually you do know. Id be bored if I wasn't challenged.

The guy who asked for your expert opinion - he knows far less than you, he's just mastered the art of delegating like PP said

Be warned though it's addictive exhausting climbing the ladder!

Everyone is winging it! From top to bottom.

You've got this I promise.

If you can do a job perfectly straight away, then there's no learning and you may well get bored. That said... if it's stressful then you need to flag tbis up to supervisors very quickly otherwise you'll burnout.

Good luck x

I'm currently on MN, of course I'm winging it as middle management 😂

Another day of management speak/jargon going over my head 😐im hanging in there though.

I wing it every day. Three years or so ago I was promoted to marketing coordinator despite having no experience whatsoever. I just make it up as I go along. Haven't been found out yet.

That's food for thought

@What3words did you go for it?

I've been at my role for 14 years and sometimes still feel like I'm winging it! Just keep showing up OP! I'm trying to deal with my imposter syndrome and I keep telling myself that other people do these tasks and none of them are superhuman.

If you are organised, read the stuff before meetings and do what you say you are going to do, be pleasant but not over invested with colleagues, then you'll be surprised how little people are concerned about what you are doing and at what level you are performing. I'm on a train to a meeting where I know half the people will be unprepared and have little knowledge of what we are meeting about. These are middle management and above.

I am assuming that everyone who has said this is female.

Men (in my experience) never say or think that. As an example yesterday at yet another work meeting I gave very brief input - perhaps a minute's worth. A male colleague then spent 7 minutes basically repeating what I said with more words and coming to the exact same conclusion. But he looked really pleased with himself at the end 😬

We need to be more confident!