February 2020 was a particularly challenging month for me. My team was working through personnel shortages, on a short month, all while maintaining a challenging workload to accomplish our agency’s mission.
As a functional team leader and manager, I am responsible for not only day-to-day administrative tasks such as timecard processing, hiring, promotions, disciplinary actions, mentoring and more. I’m also responsible for overseeing a team of technical professionals – which includes reviewing reports, as well as corresponding backup documentation (source documents, checklists, et all).
I work with a bright team with varying degrees of experience and competencies. We leveraged our strengths by re-analyzing our risk ratings, sought reprioritization of certain elements of our job with higher management approval, and powered through (see: long hours) to accomplish the mission.
I felt like we closed the month very accomplished, but I was mentally drained and emotionally exhausted. As I reflected on the preceding month, I couldn’t help but wonder a few things:
- Was cut out for the job, or is this new role more than I can handle with my current experience. I was recently promoted to the management position less than 5 months ago.
- Is there any way I can make my team’s workload easier?
- What could do to prepare myself (and my team) for the potential of future challenges. Our agency, much like many others, is facing budget cuts, reduction in resources, and a workload increase. In short, do more with less… again.
The takeaway from this learning experience is perfectly captured by the following Jim Rohn quote:
“Don’t wish it was easier wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge wish for more wisdom.”
Need a little motivation? Check out Shawn Achor’s TED talk, titled The Happy Secret to Better Work
Instead of wishing the job was easier, I analyzed ways I could perform the job better.
Instead of wishing for less challenges, I sought new ways to overcome them.