Work problem

[Maxine1001]

Hello all,

Im in a difficult work situation that is playing on my mind. Ive been in the same job for the last 3 years and, while I spent a good year of that going through the hell of panic disorder, I finally felt confident enough to go for promotion to team leader.

I am really proud of my work and my manager is really supportive, she has supported me to go for the promotion and has given me more resposibilty at work, to which I have constantly got good results and feedback.

Anyhow recently they have entrusted me to open the department for one morning per week IE I am the manager for a few hours (Its a 4am start), and I know I can, and have done this well with great feedback.

The only problem is everyone on my department knows about my panic disorder and how low I once was (not through choice, but because I had several episodes at work). But while everyone has been supportive, there is one that I feel is constantly undermining me. It drove me crazy today especially. I basically pick food orders for customers that shop online and we also have a section which just shops the magazines and cigarettes which has to be picked in one go by one person and then that one person scans it in. That person in recent weeks has normally been me, but because today I was running the department, it wound up being this one person that I feel undermines me. (I didnt give her the task, another team leader did).

She picked a take a break magazine which has a new issue come out every Thursday. As she was scanning it in, I noticed that it was last weeks issue and told her so. Her response was that she was adament that she had the right issue and that her daughter buys the magazine so she would know if she had the wrong thing. Also that if it wasnt the wrong issue that it wouldnt of scanned through and that take a breaks come out on Tuesdays. I tried to tell her in a polite way that I thought she had the wrong issue but the response I got was aggresive. She then went on to point out that the date on the magazine was the 1st March (today) and she was right. I ended up holding my hands and let her get on with it.

To a point, this happened in front of my manager.

Im annoyed with myself now though because I buy take a break every week and I knew I bought that issue last week. I also went into a shop today and bought this weeks issue which was dated 8th March that came out today.

To sum up, im now in a total panic that I have ruined my chances of promotion all because of a magazine and a difficult co-worker that I dont know how to stand up to. I knew I was right and its really winding me up to the point to where all my old panic attack symptoms are flooding back.

Can anybody help me?

[Recsense]

My suggestion, go apologise to the member of staff no matter how you feel, tell her you had it in your house and as you had read it though it was an only one. Thank her for pointing out your mistake and make a joke of the fact we all make them. Then tell your boss you had a work and tell her you read that issue. Admitting when you are wrong and saying sorry is a fundamental part of being responsible for people.

Good luck no matter what you do.

[Mountainclimber]

Relax, your only thinking you have lost your chance of promotion. Look on the positive side, the manager who saw this knows your assertive and doing your job correctly, so you got a magazine date wrong, its not as though you cost the company millions. Dont dwell on it. Good Luck. :)

[Maxine1001]

I bought it after I finished work today, this happened this morning around 7am, she picked the wrong issue and I tried to tell her about it but she shot me down

---------- Post added at 17:53 ---------- Previous post was at 17:50 ----------


Relax, your only thinking you have lost your chance of promotion. Look on the positive side, the manager who saw this knows your assertive and doing your job correctly, so you got a magazine date wrong, its not as though you cost the company millions. Dont dwell on it. Good Luck. :)

Nothing happened though, the magazine didnt get changed and will probably get sent back, i think im more worried that I cant assert myself to other colleauges

[Mountainclimber]

So you have been worrying about this for eleven hours, and has the worrying solved the problem. NO! Your getting yourself stressed out. Forget it, it was eleven hours ago, dont waste anymore of your time thinking about it. Go and treat yourself to something nice.:whistles:

[Maxine1001]

Im treating myself to a glass of wine :D im just wondering how, in the future i can get my point across in a better way, I was right at the end of the day, but I completly backed down to her aggresivness

[Carys]

So, she did send out the wrong magazine ? Is that what you are saying ?

Could you be honest and ask some advice from your manager.

You are very new to this role and can't be expected to just know how to deal with difficult situations without having background or any training. I think if you were to ask for advice on assertive strategies, most managers would happily provide you with advice. You could explain that usually you have no problem, but you are up against someone who is being difficult/aggressive and you'd like to know how others (your manager) would have handled it. Any manager worth their salt would applaud you for having the sense to think of your own personal development and the fact that you are aware that you need to build skills in this area.

[Maxine1001]

Yes, she sent out the wrong magazine and refused to accept I was right. But I let her treat me like a doormat. It was in front of my manager and she didnt say anything.

I wont know if it gets sent back until tomorrow. Thank you Carys, I will ask my manager that,