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New and improved, advice about boss posting
Hey ladies! I just started a new job at a new company about a month ago. It was quite a step up for me, but right up my alley. Most of the things that I am doing are things that I have done in the past, but on a much larger scale. I have been a little bit stressed (or a lot stressed) recently because I was immediately tasked with building our budget, which is due in 2 weeks. This is a large task in general, but several things are making it more difficult:
1. I'm new to the company and don't know the business
2. No one has ever done this type of budget here in the past, so there is nothing to go off of. In the past it has just been, "we spent x dollars last year, this year we are increasing sales by x%, and will increase the budget accordingly." Now we are doing a much more detailed process.
3. There are multiple data sources, in different formats (challenging, but not impossible)
Anyways, this has been quite a challenge to me, and I think (hope) that anyone who just started would feel the same way. I've been working a lot, but I don't always have things in the exact format that my boss has been trying to describe to me that he wants it in. After he gives me more details, I always go back and try to make things the way that I think he is asking me to, but it's always so abstract, and then I feel that he is disappointed when I don't do things the way he has them in his head. Of course, I may be being oversensitive...he is a very analytical, matter of fact person, and our personalities are completely different. Which really gets to the heart of my issue. I don't know exactly how to deal with our differing personalities. Or how to deal with his management style. When I ask him certain questions about the budgeting process he looks at me like I am a moron (or so I perceive) and says, "I don't know." And then usually asks me to go to a different source for the answer. Which is fine, but sometimes I either don't know who to ask, or just want to ask him first to get his opinion. I feel like I need more guidance, but don't exactly know how to ask. Partially because I feel like when I do ask, he's not very receptive. I have set up frequent meetings to go over my work on the budget, which I feel is a good step, but I just don't want to feel awkward or put down all of the time
Sorry for the length. I feel like I am blathering on here, but any advice is really appreciated.
Re: New and improved, advice about boss posting
I would perhaps ask him what his management style is and how he'd like to handle meetings, one-on-ones, and progress reports. While you may feel it's a great idea to set up frequent meetings, he may be wondering why you're wasting your time meeting with him when you should be working on the budget and only talking to him about what he considers big issues. Or you may be asking him a question here or there instead of coming up with a list of questions to hit him with at once instead of a bunch of questions over the course of a day. He may also want you to come to him more with, "I have a question about X, and I was thinking of talking to Person Y about it" instead of "Who do I talk to?"
Just a few thoughts.
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I love the list of questions idea and will definitely try to be more specific regarding who I will talk to, etc. when asking questions. The frequent meetings were something that he started, and I have continued. They are really just quick check-ups, and the last time I suggested meeting he said it was a good idea so that is one area that I think I am good with.
Thank you so much for your advice! I am certainly going to put it to use.
You are a new employee building a new process; there is no way this can't be collaborative. I get the sense you're feeling overwhelmed, but you sound too quick to dismiss yourself. For one, if your manager is really as analytical as you say, he would probably be more apt to give concrete direction. That he's not means he's figuring out where to go just like you. This is an opportunity for you to shine! Bring your ideas, be inventive, and ask questions about the existing situation when you don't understand. It sounds like the meetings are working out; use them to continue the converstaion and bring your ideas to the table.
Give yourself a chance-you're at a new company learning how they're organized. He's filling in the gaps in the existing relationships so that you can bring the solutions. Don't perceive this as him being disappointed; he's training you. If he's telling you he doesn't know the answer, he probably doesn't-a manager doesn't know everything, that's what we pay our staffs to do. Ask him who you should talk to if he tells you to go find an answer, because I'll bet he knows that. Good luck, my battery's dying, gotta post and run!