Taking a back step

[TG2016]

Hi,

Firstly not sure if this is the right topic to post in. It's a bit positive but I also think my anxiety is telling me it shouldn't be. About 12 months ago I was asked at work to become a manager. I was over the moon. It was great for a whilst until I realised how hard managing adults can be. I was given no training just told to do it with no prior experience. I was constantly being disrespected, dealing with drama, there was bickering, backstabbing you name it it was happening. It opened my eyes at just how childish adults can be. Now being an introvert combined with anxiety this was getting tough it was affecting my mood in a really bad way I was so down and angry which is not me at all. My next step was to find another job but you see I live somewhere with a high unemployment rate and I didn't want to move as I couldn't afford to so adding this to an unhappy situation was not doing good things. Yesterday I was pulled aside another manager of another department who wasn't aware of how much I was struggling and said he wanted to combine my team and his together and he would manage it I would then go back to doing what I was before and the pay stays the same (which is not my concern). I was so happy to say yes go for it. It was the biggest relief. I know it's all about doing what makes you happy but part of me is thinking I failed and that I'm weak for backing down but I know in my heart it was the best thing that could have happened.

[geoff]

hello TG, I wouldn't take it this way, you were promoted to become a manager, and once this happens your responsibility increases enormously and there will be staff who want to complain about someone else and on it goes, something you certainly weren't expecting.
It's not a failure by any means, all you have done is handball all the responsibility over to someone who wanted both your teams to amalgamate, it's now a relief, you still get the same pay etc, so you haven't been demoted, it's just that he has to cope with all of this bickering now. Geoff.