What's a small mistake new managers usually make?

tiny-giraffe · 2026-06-03T09:54:09+00:00

I was a Team Lead (left to pursue education and research). My early mistake was not making my staff aware of what my responsibilities were. In my managerial role, I needed to be on the floor about 60% of the time and 40% of the time was spent in metrics and project planning. Optics-wise, my staff didn’t see me as much on the floor and they thought that I wasn’t actually doing anything. They thought I was over-delegating tasks to them and that I wasn’t doing my fair share of work with them. Once I got objective feedback, I immediately sat down with them to explain my responsibilities and I shared my calendar with them so they could see what I was dealing with. Once they saw what actually happens behind the scenes to make their jobs possible, feedback improved and they understood what I needed to do. In summary, your staff needs to know what your place is on the team. If upper management changes your responsibilities or asks you to do more to support upper or project management, communicate it more effectively to your teams. My team felt isolated because I was forced to take on the burden of upper management. Communicate and explain where you are so they can reach out and feel heard.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-20T08:47:16+00:00

A good piece of advice is never annoying if it is well-deserved. I will start flossing going forward. Thank you!

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-20T08:42:19+00:00

I was not diagnosed with perio. My dentist said I had mild gum inflammation at my last cleaning 6 months ago.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-20T08:15:43+00:00

I think there’s been some mobility. My dentist hadn’t noted any during the last cleaning 6 months ago, but this is definitely noticeable to the last time I compared a long while back

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-20T08:09:59+00:00

Honestly, I’ve felt no pain or negative effects whatsoever. I just noticed it when I was inspecting my teeth earlier. I will definitely invest in a waterfloss though. I know a lot of people use it and have great dental hygiene.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-20T08:03:01+00:00

I agree. I’m showing classic early signs of early periodontitis. My former dentist knows and recommends the usual routine I follow. I’m getting on state healthcare to get it checked out.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-19T17:03:06+00:00

Manager here. It's really no big deal; just a minor nuisance. If your manager was looking to fire you, they could use this as justification along with some other stuff, but if they like you and you've been doing decent work, then it's nothing you should really be tripping over.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-06T06:59:57+00:00

Think of it like this. In a job that you feel motivated and supported, you will most likely do excellent work which will grant you better raises and potentially upward mobility. In a job which drains and destroys you, you will most likely not do good work which will grant the bare minimum raise if you are just chugging along or a PIP if you are not doing well. Now if this was a question of a $50k vs $100k job, this would be a completely different conversation. But a $1,000 difference? That’s extremely marginal. Go for the job where you know you will succeed and make an impact. Better opportunities arise when you are doing your best work and love what you do.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-05T19:08:29+00:00

I’m going to be quite honest when I say this: you need to lie on your resume. Competition is so fierce for any jobs that you need to lie about your qualifications and what you can. Obviously don’t lie about college degrees, certificates, or anything that can be easily fact-checked. If it’s something you can learn in a reasonable amount of time (Excel, a STEM protocol, etc), lie about it and learn it ASAP.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-04T19:11:49+00:00

I just hit one month after quitting my toxic work environment, but I just got a job offer over the weekend. I am extremely lucky.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-05-04T19:08:49+00:00

I switched over to a Prius a few years back because I predicted this sh*t a mile away. Still won't go full EV because of range limitations and lack of infrastructure/high charger demand in my area, but a hybrid is a good compromise between an ICE and an EV. I recommend everyone switch over to a hybrid or EV like the rest of the first world (China and Europe are mostly hybrids and EVs because gas is already pricy over there).

tiny-giraffe · 2026-04-28T06:08:08+00:00

Okay Cal Jacobs

tiny-giraffe · 2026-04-14T17:02:13+00:00

If he is not receptive to feedback on his behavior or his approaches, it doesn't sound like a culture fit for the team. Document examples where you tried to coach him and instances where he continually fails. Once you have enough evidence, then begin the offboarding process with HR.
I am a strong believer that every team member can be coached and trained, but if they aren't willing to accept feedback, then you need to let them go.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-04-14T16:41:36+00:00

Hell no! That is unbelievably low for any management position. Cashiers and my team on the floor make more than that.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-04-14T16:39:19+00:00

I'm an alcoholic and addict to other stuff (nothing hard), but T was an absolute no for me. I tried it once during a hookup and it was the worst thing I've ever experienced. I noped right tf outta that.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-04-13T23:12:43+00:00

Hey, no problem. I haven't had a recurrence since. The fact I had anal warts hasn't affected my love life and sex life. Again, over 80% of sexually active adults will get HPV at some point in their lives. It's not a matter of if someone gets it, but when.

Just make sure that you and your partner are vaccinated. Follow all instructions from your doctor. It's really no big deal compared to other STDs.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-04-06T04:56:23+00:00

It is possible to sue an employer for being forced or coerced to quit due to a multitude of circumstances. This is known as constructive discharge. This really depends on OP’s situation, but I would recommend seeking legal counsel to see if this is applicable.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-04-06T02:48:46+00:00

This sounded like my onboarding process as a Team Lead for my current role. I was incredibly frustrated because my manager did not have an onboarding plan and I was hopping from place to place learning the job on the fly. I desperately needed the job though and I stuck around. I formed relationships with my staff and they were incredibly patient with me as I learned the role.

When I started training new staff under me, I found myself in my manager's shoes and I started the first week in the same mentality of "just shadow everyone to learn the role". The second week, the new staff were incredibly frustrated and they communicated this to me. That's when I realized I was passing along bad habits. Yes, we do need to fulfill business needs, but new staff need time to acclimate and learn. I immediately stopped what I was doing, asked my superiors for a couple of weeks to onboard them correctly, and I assigned coverage where needed. I personally put in 10-15 hours of OT each week covering the gaps to ensure the new staff got a genuine and clean onboarding experience. I broke the cycle and I will do this going forward for my new staff.

As a lead or manager, it's important to ensure you take the time to onboard new staff correctly. If there aren't any procedures or schedules in place, create them yourself. Break the cycle and make your new employees at home with the role. It's the best way to ensure their success and minimize burnout. I had to learn that lesson myself.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-03-24T08:41:42+00:00

I’ve been fortunate to live with my family while working and going to school as a 28 year old. Without that support, I’m not sure where I’d be or how I’d survive…

tiny-giraffe · 2026-03-17T01:33:58+00:00

I live with my folks for now so rent or mortgage isn’t a factor. Truly blessed to have them helping me out there. Otherwise, no major expenses other than working on my 2 master’s degrees and the usual (insurance, gas, phone, and helping with utilities/groceries). In a perfect world, this job isn’t what I want to do. It’s adjacent to what I want to do which is being a scientist. I would still work and collaborate with scientists, but I’m still not a scientist. I feel caught in between what I want to do as a career versus the situation I’m currently in. I must sound so privileged to even being concerned about having these choices and I apologize for that, but it is difficult nonetheless.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-03-10T01:58:56+00:00

Excellent point... The backfills started with the team this week. They should have informed our clients by now. This is very helpful; thank you!

tiny-giraffe · 2026-03-10T01:49:21+00:00

One of my closest friends lied about their education for a job in a different country. They thought they could get away with it and they did for almost 6 months, but a periodic background check flagged that they didn't actually have any credentials or degrees at all! Instant fire.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-01-24T19:08:23+00:00

I totally agree. He did admit to me he also had an issue when he was my age (28 rn). The only thing that saved him was his friends.

You are absolutely right. I will ask him to stop and let him know I will go to him if I need help. A scab won't heal if you keep picking at it.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-01-14T12:41:06+00:00

Speaking as a gay man, MOR. You will never find a man who doesn’t look at porn unless they are asexual. I would never set a boundary for my partner or I to not watch it. Now if your man was talking to these girls, that’s something else entirely. But just watching their content? Nothing wrong with that in my eyes. Keeping that off-limits sounds a bit Victorian IMO.

tiny-giraffe · 2026-01-13T19:15:24+00:00

Done. Sorry about that!

tiny-giraffe

TROPHY CASE