I am scared to move up in to management

[Lathan]

Alright so I've worked for the same company for the past 2 1/2 years. Consistently been one of the higher performing associates number wise. I have been told by 4 different people (store manager, HR, and 2 other managers) that I should really consider moving up to a management position.

By doing this, I would pretty much triple my income which would help me fund the things I really want to do with my life.

The problem is, although I generally get along with most people.. I am quite laid back and even though I am great at one on one conversations, I do not like speaking to groups of people. I do not like being put on the spot in general, even if it's to praise me. By being a manager there would be instances where I have to give meetings etc and quite frankly I'm just scared to do it.

I get butterflies, and my mouth gets dry. The whole nine yards. It's weird because there are times where I do find myself being more "dominant" in social situations but for some reason I don't seem to do it all the time.

I guess the overall point of this post is to ask if any of you are laid back individuals like myself who can be shy at times but still prevailed at managing people in the past or better yet, are doing it right now.

 

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[FastNAwesome]

From my experience - this just seems to be a bit outside of your comfort zone, and then fears tend to be a bit magnified.

I think you'd get used to a new position (and to 3x income).

Just like jumping into water that's a bit colder than you feel comfortable with. Standing and contemplating the jump seems to be the worst part. But then once you jump in, you quickly get used to it.

And holding successful meetings is just another skill to be learned. Messing it up here and there is a given and to be expected, so everything's great.

 

[Digamma]

So you would make more money, you would have to get out of your comfort zone, and you would practice conducting business.
Sounds like a win-win-win to me. Don't let fear block your momentum. Go forward.

 

[jazb]

F*ck fear, dive straight in. Yes it will be tough initially, but you will improve massively and you will improve your life financially and personally.


do it.

 

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[jon.a]

Someone is going to be the manager. Should it be you or should it be someone else? Who knows who the someone else might be.

 

[Lathan]

Should it be you or should it be someone else? Who knows who the someone else might be.

I forgot to mention that it is mandatory for me to be transferred if I get promoted in to a management position.

 

[jon.a]

I forgot to mention that it is mandatory for me to be transferred if I get promoted in to a management position.

Kind of an important point. Make the best choice that you can.
One of my mentors told me once, "if you're comfortable with what you're doing, you've been doing it too long."

 

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[AndrewNC]

Alright so I've worked for the same company for the past 2 1/2 years. Consistently been one of the higher performing associates number wise. I have been told by 4 different people (store manager, HR, and 2 other managers) that I should really consider moving up to a management position.

By doing this, I would pretty much triple my income which would help me fund the things I really want to do with my life.

The problem is, although I generally get along with most people.. I am quite laid back and even though I am great at one on one conversations, I do not like speaking to groups of people. I do not like being put on the spot in general, even if it's to praise me. By being a manager there would be instances where I have to give meetings etc and quite frankly I'm just scared to do it.

I get butterflies, and my mouth gets dry. The whole nine yards. It's weird because there are times where I do find myself being more "dominant" in social situations but for some reason I don't seem to do it all the time.

I guess the overall point of this post is to ask if any of you are laid back individuals like myself who can be shy at times but still prevailed at managing people in the past or better yet, are doing it right now.

You totally shouldn't do it.

It'll mean learning things you haven't learnedd before and turning into the kind of person you haven't been before.

Learning how to break out of your comfort zone is definitely not a skill entreprneurs have.

You should stay in your comfort zone for as long as possible with your job and your business. That's our goal here, right? To live comfortably?

When you one day hire people for your own company, they will able to manage themselves.

If you're lucky you will have this same job for the next 40 years and retire comfortably without having to learn how to do new things.

 

[Get Right]

Try MJ's formula in the book - WADM.

 

[Bila]

I am as shy, soft spoken, non conflictual as you can get. I even blush for whatever stupid reason and it's embarassing. It might be cute for a woman but as a business owner, i had to change.
It's been almost 3 years now, believe me , you will be proud of the transformation just as i am of mine.

As @jazb said ..."f..ck fear"

 

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[Damage Inc.]

I was in a similar situation. I'm very introverted and easy to get along with, mostly non confrontational, and generally keep to myself. At the company I used to work for the two people above me in my department left the company within about 9 months of each other, leaving the position of project manager open. It was either I give it a shot or they hire from outside. I didn't feel entirely ready for it but I jumped in and it worked out well. I grew in to it, learned how to deal with people and problems, learned how to manage people twice my age, etc. It's not easy but I'm sure you would experience the same success if you give it a chance.

I gained confidence in myself, I put some money in the bank, and I continued growing my business nights and weekends. Eventually I was able to quit and pursue my business full time. I'm sure that the money, confidence, and experience of holding that position helped me move faster than I would have otherwise. It sounds like you have a similar plan.

My advice if you do take the position: use your positive personality traits to your advantage. Just being calm, attentive, listening to people's problems genuinely, and not getting into arguments and drama will get you a lot of appreciation and respect. Introverts can definitely make effective managers. You may find though that every so often certain people will try to push you around or take advantage in some way and mistake your quietness for weakness. Don't let them get away with it.

 

[randomnumber314]

and quite frankly I'm just scared to do it.

You're literally afraid of something that is not real. This is like having a dream one night that there's a scary dragon outside, and then never leaving the house.

Guess what? You will probably suck at public speaking at first. Guess what? People tend to have to practice doing things to get good at them. Guess what? You have to actualy do something in order to practice.

Stop being scared.

 

[Lathan]

You may find though that every so often certain people will try to push you around or take advantage in some way and mistake your quietness for weakness. Don't let them get away with it.

Thank you for the response. It is nice to hear the perspective of someone who has been in the same position.

How do you go about letting those people who try to push you around know that you are not going to let it happen? How do you effectively get the message across without being a complete a**hole?

 

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[People>Cash]

Join toastmasters to help ease you in with public speaking

 

[Bila]

Practice makes perfect...You will get better and gain confidence with a lot of practice

 

[Damage Inc.]

Thank you for the response. It is nice to hear the perspective of someone who has been in the same position.

How do you go about letting those people who try to push you around know that you are not going to let it happen? How do you effectively get the message across without being a complete a**hole?

A lot of the time just stating your fact bluntly but politely to somebodies face can be powerful enough. Complaining behind their back and being passive aggressive does not work. Holding tight to your stance when appropriate is also a way to show control. I noticed some less effective managers would sometimes give up and say "whatever, just do it your way" and that can send a bad message. And every once in a while you do have to be an a**hole.

You'll find that different personality types are better dealt with in different ways, you may cater your management style to each person. One method that worked for me with some people when there was a difference of opinion and things were getting stuck was "Well the big boss is pushing me to make something happen and this is the best way I can think of do get it done, so I'll take the heat if anything goes wrong".

Also, I found that a lot of people complain or resist just because they think you haven't considered their point of view. Sometimes people will totally change their stance if you come at an issue from their side. You can do some preventative maintenance with certain situations. An example from the company I worked for would be that it's drizzling outside and there's outdoor work to be done. If I came in and said "Hope you guys brought umbrellas, you're working outside today", of course everybody will get pissed off, say it's ridiculous, you're an a$$, it's so dangerous I might slip, etc. But if I come in more like "I can't believe it's raining today, I know how tough it is for you guys working in the rain but these customers are really pushing us to get the work done, which parts of the project do you guys think you could still accomplish effectively in the rain?" they would be a lot more accommodating.

 

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[Guest3722A]

Alright so I've worked for the same company for the past 2 1/2 years. Consistently been one of the higher performing associates number wise. I have been told by 4 different people (store manager, HR, and 2 other managers) that I should really consider moving up to a management position.

By doing this, I would pretty much triple my income which would help me fund the things I really want to do with my life.

The problem is, although I generally get along with most people.. I am quite laid back and even though I am great at one on one conversations, I do not like speaking to groups of people. I do not like being put on the spot in general, even if it's to praise me. By being a manager there would be instances where I have to give meetings etc and quite frankly I'm just scared to do it.

I get butterflies, and my mouth gets dry. The whole nine yards. It's weird because there are times where I do find myself being more "dominant" in social situations but for some reason I don't seem to do it all the time.

I guess the overall point of this post is to ask if any of you are laid back individuals like myself who can be shy at times but still prevailed at managing people in the past or better yet, are doing it right now.

this quick read on effective management was recommended by someone in a high profile mastermind group.

http://classes.sdc.wsu.edu/classes/cstm301/readings/the one minute manager.pdf

maybe this will help ease some anxiety

 

[Lathan]

this quick read on effective management was recommended by someone in a high profile mastermind group.

Thanks, I'll definitely give it a read.

 

[Bila]

One thing that helped me as well was redefining my role.
Dont see yourself as the typical manager. Be your own version of a manager and it's empowering to know that you can have weaknesses and it's ok and focus on your strenghts instead and what you can bring to your team

Good luck

 

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[MindWarrior]

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

 

[Bouncing Soul]

Just serve your people like you wish your manager did, and make sure it is in a way that is in the company's best interest. Performance of your people is a testament to your skill, give your team all the credit.

My bigger fear for you is "climbing the ladder". The higher you are, the bigger the jump.

Trust me.

 

[PDeezy]

Alright so I've worked for the same company for the past 2 1/2 years. Consistently been one of the higher performing associates number wise. I have been told by 4 different people (store manager, HR, and 2 other managers) that I should really consider moving up to a management position.

By doing this, I would pretty much triple my income which would help me fund the things I really want to do with my life.

The problem is, although I generally get along with most people.. I am quite laid back and even though I am great at one on one conversations, I do not like speaking to groups of people. I do not like being put on the spot in general, even if it's to praise me. By being a manager there would be instances where I have to give meetings etc and quite frankly I'm just scared to do it.

I get butterflies, and my mouth gets dry. The whole nine yards. It's weird because there are times where I do find myself being more "dominant" in social situations but for some reason I don't seem to do it all the time.

I guess the overall point of this post is to ask if any of you are laid back individuals like myself who can be shy at times but still prevailed at managing people in the past or better yet, are doing it right now.

I think you'll be surprised at just how many people are or have been in a similar situation to you (myself included). Change is scary particularly when you know it will involve putting yourself in situations you've traditionally been uncomfortable with. There are lots of other good comments here so I'll try not to reiterate what's already been said, but a few things I would keep in mind are:

• When you're feeling uncomfortable or nervous remember that most people are too busy being focused on themselves to worry too much about you. No one is going to remember how you presented in a month, a year etc. Don't be too hard on yourself.
  
• Practice really does make perfect, ease yourself into these situations by looking for opportunities to do so in a safe setting (ie. amongst family and friends)
• Picture yourself in 5 years time, where do you want to be? Where will you be if you accept the role? Where will you be if you don't? Which is the more compelling future (a bit Anthony Robbins-esque)
• For limited, short term use you might have some success with something like beta-blockers (ie. propranolol) which can block the flight or fight response and stop dry mouth and butterflies, thus allowing you to concentrate on communicating clearly without the fear response (absolutely see a doctor before taking any medication). My understanding is that these aren't habit forming and can be used on an as-needed basis, however if you can get by without them then obviously that is the preferred option.

 

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