To hate being a line manager?

[Ezlo]

I line manage a few people. I'm still fairly new to line managing and one of my direct reports is great and enthusiastic, but her enthusiasm has had me telling her she can't do things a few times now. I think she goes head in without thinking about it properly sometimes and as we don't work in the same location, I can't always keep an eye on what she's doing and she doesn't run everything past me. It's now causing issues because it's causing me more work to have to pick things up when she has been over enthusiastic and the consequences haven't been considered. I guess this is just a rant.

You've forgotten the important word...manager...you manage her. So you nicely, but firmly take her to one side and tell her to stop. That she's doing a good job, but she needs to run things through you. If she doesn't you involve hr. You are not her friend. You are her boss.

Yes it can be a pain but sometimes you need to be firm and even heartless

You need to identify what she needs to develop and discuss with her. I don’t think all your direct reports running everything past you is what you want either. But they need to be able to judge when it’s appropriate to do so.

YANBU to dislike being a line manager,But it's very difficult to progress without being one. I know one person who avoided it, but technically she was of such high quality that the company were prepared to go to great lengths not to lose her. Not many people can pull that one off.

What's nice about being a line manager is a) you can get so much more done if you have staff to share the work b) guiding people and seeing them take to their wings and fly.

I'm with you, OP. I'm a line manager and I really don't like it. I'm looking to move jobs so I can stop having to be one.

I'm also with you. I've just moved jobs and I'm not line managing anyone which is such a relief!

Examples please @Ezlo

Same here! It’s exhausting. I’ve had really difficult direct reports. Thankfully things are better now. But there is almost always some sort of drama.

Ive applied for other roles but haven’t been successful.

I hated managing. 2 out of 7 were constantly calling in sick and being seen on FB socialising, helping girlfriend move, buying Easter eggs etc. The first thing I had to do most days was phone others at 6:55 on their day off and beg them to come in. No support from above either.

Have you shown your staff member the results of her actions? or explained?

I have a team of 10 and I genuinely really like them all but being a manager is exhausting. Would jump at the chance to have a role where I only have to worry about myself.

I hated it. We were given no guidance on our roles, what was expected etc. Managing long term older staff who expected me to understand their jobs which I had no experience of. I found younger staff who weren't pulling their weight easier to deal with but still stressful, and hard to avoid doing it all myself instead.( I still had my own full time workload outside this). Do you have support from your manager?

I'm at a point in my career where line management would be the next natural step, but I tried it and it made me miserable, I wouldn't say I was bad at it but it just wasn't a good fit for me.

Instead I've taken a role where I 'lead' on projects but don't line manage and it's a much better fit. I've had opportunities since to move into line management but I just don't want the stress. I suppose it probably does hamper my earning prospects slightly but I enjoy what I'm doing now far more. Collaborating with teams but not responsible for them.

It's okay to find that something isn't for you and change lanes.

I'm with you op.
It's bloody tedious!

I hated it when I was a HOD. And I was rubbish at it.

I'm exactly the same. I took a step back a year or so ago for various reasons, but avoiding line management was one of them. I'm over qualified for my role and doing a lot more than others in my team who are the same band, but not wanting to line management is definitely restricting higher roles that I could apply for.

I hated it.
They manage me.

I hate managing people. Im not the biggest fan of people and being directly responsible for 18 of them is soul destroying.

Yeah, I hate it too. I'm lucky to have a pretty nice team (one is a lazy sod but he's nice enough) but I'd still rather not have to manage them.

I managed for 5 years. Absolute worst times of my career. Recently escaped & went back to being the sales person. I'm infinitely happier!!!

I've been with my current employer 9 years and ended up managing everyone. It's so time consuming and thankless.

I really want to leave. I'd honestly rather take a pay cut!

Can't think of anything worse tbh. All the bitching and moaning about annual leave and shifts etc.

I've been line managing people for years. It can be wonderful when you're able to really support good people to grow, develop and succeed, and it can be really shit when you're stuck managing difficult people.

It's fair enough to decide that you don't like it, but you may have to carry on doing it if you want your career to progress. So the key is to develop strategies for getting people to do what you need them to do and dealing with it quickly and effectively if they don't. That takes practice and experience, but it does get easier over time.

She sounds like she has initiative and ownership. Someone who doesn’t need stiff spelled out for them to go do it. Exactly the kind of person most managers would want working for them. You need to coach her to get the best out of her.

Thank you everyone.

@Ytcsghisn she does have initiative, but then the questions are never ending. I'm drowning in her emails. Sometimes her initiative means she wants to do things outside her role which then creates more work for me when I say she can't and explaining why she can't.

Currently on maternity leave but I'm a line manager plus my own client accounts to look after. I've had a really difficult direct report who threatened suicide in response to being put on a PIP.
I think people who haven't been a line manager or supervisor before think we have an easy job, especially if we delegate tasks but managing the personalities and emotions of multiple people is really draining.

Line management is a great job but it's not easy until you built up the skills needed for it. Most new line managers aren't supported enough and that's why it's difficult.

She actually sounds like she has lots of potential but is just using it in the wrong way as she doesn't know any better and hasn't been given any guidance.

Can you have a 1:1 with her where you discuss her potential and guide her on what may be a better use of her time. Surely there is something that needs an enthusiastic member of the team to look at. They agree that you will do a 20 minute weekly catch up with her on progress. Give her parameters - she can do all the research she wants but no further needs to check in with you re any spend or any priority conflicts either her day job etc.