Effectively managing those with more experience

[truthbetold]

I start my new job next week. A brief synopsis is I was in a former unrelated career for over 20 years. I changed careers and spent some time in what would be considered entry level for a combined time of about 1.5 years. Many people in my field feel with my job feel you should stay at the basics for 5 to 10 years to be worth anything. I then moved on to review work for 2.5 years.

 

I found out pretty fast the hands on stuff, though I loved it, I didn't like the politics. My goal is eventually more health prevention and promotion and wellness. My new job is pretty cool in that I am a manager as well as educator but still with some hands on. I have management experience in my previous field, but on a super small scale of a few people and I was on site for the corporation so it was entirely different.

 

Here as well as educating I will also fill in as need be. I have no problem doing that but my skills are rusty. I plan to look to those with more experience for the refresher.

 

I understand I may get resistance from people who don't think I've earned my stripes so to speak to have this role. I know I can do this because I recognize and can figure out a plan to fix problems and initiate better procedures, even though I may not have a lot of years learning the basics.

 

Some in my field are content to just carry out the needed duties and the hands on things for a number of years, which is great and I respect them. Where I have the problem is not having the authority to make needed changes in that kind of role. Which is why this new one sounds like a great fit. I will be able to make a difference.

 

My last job I made the huge mistake of letting my own insecurity of my knowledge base (because I felt it was limited) out and they exploited it. Which I learned fast was even able to train newcomers and try to implement ideas but they were shot down from the one person because they were threatened. I know now to keep my guard up, but I also need to maintain an openess and to keep my compassion.

 

I also know I can't be "buddies" with those I am expected to manage. I can be friendly but not buddies.

 

So now that you have the background my question is, when I meet these people I'm sure there will be a meet and greet and I plan to just run down my professional background and not attach any time frame to it. Just that I changed careers and spent some time doing x and x which brought me to a clinical review role for a couple years, so I need a refresher on my skill set.

 

What I am concerned about is if someone brazenly asks "how long I did "X" thing because the honest answer is likely going to have them think I don't have enough time in the "trenches" to have this role. But like I said, I see things others don't. Sometimes I wonder why I see it and they don't, but I do understand I just have a gift for that and they may not.

 

How would you answer how long did you do "X?" I want to say "why do you want to know?" but I think that would come across defensive. I need to have their respect which I'm well aware that will be earned in time, I just don't want to be discounted based on my limited beginning.

[Grumpybutfun]

Honestly, have subjects about your work lined up so that you do not have to run down anything about your work experience. I talk a circle around the issues I see in my field (Engineering) and most times do not have to answer any questions at grip and grins. Respect is earned so the best indicator of how well you manage is how well you do your job and your openness to discuss issues without being defensive or insecure. You don't have to give them a time frame as you have already been hired. If they ask, just say something like, "I feel like I have been doing this all my life. My interest began in my junior year when I first built an engine in my GTS"....then watch their eyes glaze over and they will lose interest. The most important thing about management is to believe in yourself and what you offer. Don't have any doubts that you are exactly where you need to be. You can't control whether or not they discount you in the beginning, but you can be sharp enough and confident enough that they know that you got to where you did through sheer talent and work ethic.

Good luck,

Grumps

[truthbetold]

Honestly, have subjects about your work lined up so that you do not have to run down anything about your work experience. I talk a circle around the issues I see in my field (Engineering) and most times do not have to answer any questions at grip and grins. Respect is earned so the best indicator of how well you manage is how well you do your job and your openness to discuss issues without being defensive or insecure. You don't have to give them a time frame as you have already been hired. If they ask, just say something like, "I feel like I have been doing this all my life. My interest began in my junior year when I first built an engine in my GTS"....then watch their eyes glaze over and they will lose interest. The most important thing about management is to believe in yourself and what you offer. Don't have any doubts that you are exactly where you need to be. You can't control whether or not they discount you in the beginning, but you can be sharp enough and confident enough that they know that you got to where you did through sheer talent and work ethic.

Good luck,

Grumps

 

Thank you for this. I like the part about "my interest began..." but I'm trying to figure out how I can tweak that to fit me. See I wanted nothing to do with healthcare ever! My interests before were in interior design and then because I loved airplanes that steered me towards the travel industry. I loved dogs and animals as a kid, people in general were not my thing, so it wasn't until later in life that I understand for me, it is about helping others that's what bring me joy in my work and I have a passion for wellness.

 

Since I actually worked in 3 different specialties during the 1.5 years I was thinking I could say "oh between "x", "x" and "x" I got a broad range that gave me a good base and where I did and didn't want to be" and then maybe turn it around and ask "how about you?" but I wasn't sure if that was dodging and suspicious.

 

The thing with healthcare is, it is dynamic. Just when you find one thing and a certain way of doing things, a new study will come out that shows something better. I've found that some that have done this for years and years though are very stuck in their ways and not open to change, but then again anyone in this field should understand it's constantly changing and that's the nature of it. I love to do research and find out what else is out there and basically in improving the quality of life. I understand too that everyone is an individual and what works for one won't for someone else.

 

That's what I mean when I say that I've run across managers in this field who were not open to my suggestions to improve quality of life because they had one bad experience with ONE person! So therefore their experience shuts down the hope for someone else when my suggestion could have opened up that other person's world, exponentially. That is what my new employer saw in me and the difference I will bring.

 

They also told me the people I am training do not like to be "talked at" or just for me to be reading from a paper. They want to be involved and to teach with them not at them. I believe I will enjoy that, as I am tactile as well as visual and I think you do learn best by example and sharing together. It's just figuring out how to implement that fine line I need to walk!

[truthbetold]

Well an update, things are going fantastic in the new job! I have been honest and not dodging questions about my past experience and it's still been met openly. In fact I found out two of the people had been out of the field for many years before returning and they returned to this place after their breaks! So I feel very welcome on that front.

 

I've set a different pace completely to how I handled things previously. There are still going to be those negative nancy's but I can know either walk away from them instead of being subjected to having to sit there and be beat over the head with the negativity because of the desk job. I now move around a lot and it's great. I still see patients, but the leadership/mangement part is really cool and soon I will be training on the teaching piece, so I'm super excited.

 

I have not ever felt in the past jobs that they were something that I could put my roots down and grow there. This place is not only that, but I actually enjoy getting up to go to work. I haven't felt that in well, ever!

 

One of the most awesome thing though, is how they support the work/life balance. Because like I said, I told them that on the interview. I saw no sense in pretending I was going to be some workaholic even though this role could warrant that but I knew if I did and they expected that, we would both be disappointed and me once the "new" wore off, would be miserable. So I took my chances and laid in all on the line and am happy to report there are actually some companies that do respect total honesty even on the interview!

 

I love how my superiors really are who they portrayed themselves to be. They haven't wavered once and there are some super stressful things going on right now that would absolutely show their true colors and nope, still laid back and open with how they deal with everything. LOVE IT! I didn't think people like this existed and I see now that there really are.

 

My previous boss was a good guy however he didn't like to cause waves and had no balls so people got away with anything and it was chaos. It's so refreshing to see leadership/laid back work in harmony. This place is the epitome of TEAM. Everyone helps out on other things to get things up and running. There are no egos of "that's not my job" so employee morale is overall high. Of course there are bad seeds but no where near in any abundance.

 

So that's my update. Thank you all so much for the tips and advice. I really appreciate it! I am finally happy on the job front after 2.5 years of near misery! (really, jumping for joy!)