Are you a manager/boss?

[IntlSet]

I hope this doesn't make me sound like the clueless early 20-something I am.

I cannot imagine being anyone's boss! I haven't been in the work force for long, but so far, I've found it very, very difficult to tell people what to do. More often than not, if I'm asked to pass along a message like "Tell Jimmy to do this" I will just quietly do it myself.

Was it weird when you first found yourself a manager or a boss? How old were you?

 

[DiamondGirl1]

I was 23 when I became a boss...and I didn't have any problems telling anyone what to do! But I did have to learn HOW to deliver the message nicely, rather than steamroll people.
Part of managing people is tasking them - if you just do it yourself, you will not be a boss for long. Remember you are always being evaluated and considered for higher positions. If you can't delegate and task people, you will be penalized...and likely not promoted.
You ought to check if your company offers any leadership development classes, and also try to find a mentor to help you with this... good luck!

 

[Swanky]

I became an Ass't Manager when I was 21 of a retail store, then again around 22 as a Property Manager.
I figure it's either me delegating - I prefer that word! , or someone else.

 

[nataliam1976]

my first situation when i had to tell people what to do was when i was 24 and started working as a marketing and events executive in a hotel - i had to cooperate with other departments and monitor and supervise them during the events ...and i had to learn the hard way how to deal with it. Since then i was a deputy manager and now i administrate spas and leisure centres in our chain. I was too soft and nice and politely asking instead or "ordering" and it fired back at me ... i am still nice now but also strict and not letting things be discussed - they know that when i say something, it has to be done. Maybe because i am nice and always interested in their lives and remember little things about them, they respect me enough to do what they are asked properly and with no fuss.

 

[Bee...Bee]

Can you considering giving orders to university interns bossing around, LOL? If yes then 23.

Then I got to boss around analysts when I moved to an associate position at 25.

Then I got to boss associates when I was 26. That was when was given a vice president job.

Finally I got to boss around the vice presidents as a director of the principal investments (i.e. proprietary trading) desk when I was 28 but then I always get bossed around by my managing director and the head of principal investments, LOL

Actually we called it 'leveraging our human capital.' This leveraging thingy, I was pretty bad at. Clearly a guy didn't listen to me when he blew up trying to do a convertible bond arbitrage. In fact most people thought that I didn't deserve to be a director because I am very childish, LOL.

Usually this is what I do and it was a bit awkward I had to do it in front of these late 30 year old guys who thought that they should have my job especially when they call me a blonde bimbo a few weeks before hand . This is what I said to them:

I don't care what you do but we are in this together if we win but if you lose, you are alone so all of us is going to go home this evening, spend 15 minutes in front of the TV and think about how we can all win.

It is not very inspirational, LOL but my desk profits wasn't too lousy (and the blow up rate was pretty low) before I left so I guess I must have struck the right note somewhere .

 

[SunnyFreckles]

I was 27...and have been only since November. I changed so much overall. I am an emotional person by default and when asked in interviews what is my best and worst quality, my answer has always been the same for both...my emotions. I have had to really work on getting it under control, and after I because a sup, it was like I changed overnight. I do much better now. And, I love it! I didn't think I was capable, but I just had my review today, in fact, and I am doing great! I tend to "overcommunicate" and "overreact". I have a long ways to go, but I think I am doing ok!

 

[Label Addict]

20, it just comes naturally to me I know it can be hard some people are born leaders and other aren't but it takes both kinds of people to get things done

 

[ame]

I and 29 and have been a manager (art and creative director at an ad agency) for about 6 years. I have been with a couple firms in that time but with this one about 4 years. I don't know how great I am at MANAGING per se but part of where I think Im successful at it is that Im just like everyone else, and I don't flex my managerial nuts just for the sake of doing so, like most of the management in this company. I am also the ONLY female in management so generally I don't get any credit for anything and get pretty much ignored/overlooked when I come up with something for them to steal as their own...but my "subjects" respect me, and I have no problem with anyone screwing around reading mags or playing online if the work is done. And we get stuff done, fast and right. So honestly I think if you are cool with everyone and are generally professional and accommodating, and you don't act like a raging jackass, it's not terribly difficult.

I guess part of why Im ok with being in management is because Im ok running the show but its not that I go out to blaze a trail or anything. I used to have the "if I don't do it it can't possibly be done right" mantra but when I got so busy that I was at the "delegate or move into my freaking office forever" point, I realized that as long as I train them right, and my way, it will get done and so far so good. NO complaints and no problems.

 

[amanda]

i've been the senior member of my department at work for about a year, so since i was 20. i'm a natural leader and i don't let people push me around, so it came very easily for me. i think i'm about to get a promotion, so that's exciting

 

[twinkle.tink]

When I was 17, I became a shift manager of very busy pizza parlor. It may not seem like much, but it was the hardest job I have had in my life...no kidding. We took in about $ 5,000. on Friday nights, back then average pizza price about 8 - 10, so yeah, about 600 pizzas a night. At 18 I became assistant manager and kept that job all through college. I can tell you the hardest people to manage /schedule is a 50+ teeneagers, who don't really need to work, kwim? Made my 'real' job after college seem like a piece of cake, probably why I became production manager in a very male dominated field at 24, and general manager at 26...finally VP at 28.

Like I said, easy to scoff at my early job, but I completly believe those skills I learned made my success, much more than my college degree.

 

[Junkenpo]

hunh... interesting thread.... I think I was 18 when I first became a "shift supervisor" in a retail job...followed by assistant manager (22) ...and then I left that job for another retail job where I was an "associate manager" (25)....followed by a "Dormitory Teacher" (27) position... and finally arrived at "English Teacher" this year...

I never really considered myself a "boss"....but when thinking about my titles, there's definitely a lot of quiet leadership that's been happening.

 

[wordbox]

I've been a supervisor at my job since I was 19 or so (I'm 23 now). I do find it hard to tell others what to do at times, especially because they are people that are my same age, but it's gotten easier over time. My job is pretty laid back, though, so it's not like it's super serious business or anything.

 

[digby723]

I've been supervisor of a department in Best Buy since Nov. Its easy to delegate, considering I did so much of it before (was practially the Sup before I got the job...my boss had me do his job and he did his boss's job) I just hate to write people up. I hate to have people not like me.

 

[Pursegrrl]

I became a manager with direct reports for the first time at 27. It was one of the most profound moments in my early career. My manager got promoted and she needed to backfill her spot. I applied for the position and got selected. So, I got promoted from my pool of peers. Suddenly I had to get them in trouble for some of the same things I had been doing myself, LOL.

It was a huge learning curve and bumpy at times. It was an enormous change suddenly being responsible for getting work done through others rather than doing it myself. What helped? Remembering the "please pass the salt" attitude. Just ask people what you need done and why.

Since that first promotion I have had anywhere from 10 to 30 direct reports at any given time. For the last 6-7 years I have switched to a project management role where I don't have directs but rather have to lead teams of people I have zero authority over. That's my current career challenge and passion.

 

[amanda]

I've been supervisor of a department in Best Buy since Nov. Its easy to delegate, considering I did so much of it before (was practially the Sup before I got the job...my boss had me do his job and he did his boss's job) I just hate to write people up. I hate to have people not like me.

ooo, i work at best buy too! i just applied to be a business pro at my store (we're BBFB segmented), and i'm in appls now, but my sup basically acts as a store manager, so i'm 'acting' sup. what dept are you in?