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I am currently a manager in a call center of sorts, managing 16 full-time employees and 1 part-time employee. We are a 24 hr call center so I manage employees on both the day and night shift even though I work normal office hours M-F. I was recently asked if I would be willing to take on another department in addition to the current department that I manage.  These two departments do work rather closely together and I was once a peer in both of these departments. So here are my concerns about accepting the offer:

-I would be taking on management of an additional 6 full-time employees and 6-8 part-time employees who work a call schedule and also work in our main office which is 2 hours away. 

-I worry that my effectiveness as a manager would diminish by taking on the challenge of 2 departments instead of one with one of those not being in the same office as I am working.

-I like the department that I am currently managing and was a part of its inception 4 years ago...so it holds a special place in my heart.  Therefore, I don't want to have to eventually give it up to manage this other department.  There has been talk of that happening eventually.

-I am also currently in school online to obtain my B.S. so that takes up alot of my time at home which is sometimes already difficult to balance with spending time with my 5 y/o daughter. Taking on an additional department would be more phone calls in my "off" hours.

-I also worry that if I take this on and don't like it or find it to be too much, that I won't be able to get out of it.  I'll be stuck with both departments indefinitely unless I seek employment elsewhere which I wouldn't want to do.

-I also worry about the added stress of the additional work load and if I can handle it effectively

-On the flip side, I worry that if I don't take it I will be passing up an opportunity for an even higher position (director) in the future and that me not taking this offer would be a "strike" so to speak against me in the future to ever be considered for a director position.

I'm really torn on what to do. 

tlhausmann's picture
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Hmmm. Limited information...but it appears an opportunity to grow in responsibilities, develop managerial acumen, and skillfully delegate.

Perhaps, they would not have offered unless they see in you great potential. Go for it.

stephenbooth_uk's picture

 Presuming you're looking to progress, go for it.  As TLHAUSMAN said this could be a massive opportunity  to grow.  This would be a good time to look at your sucession planning.  If you didn't show up for work is there anyone (or anyones) in your team who could step up?  Once you've identified them delegate anything that doesn't actually have to be done by you to them.  If possible involve them in the things that have to be done by you, e.g. if the budget has to be done by you (and isn't confidential) get them to sanity check it.  If you can't identify any natural sucessors still delegate but spread the work wider.

 Stephen

--

Skype: stephenbooth_uk  | DiSC: 6137

Experience is how you avoid failure, failure is what gives you experience.

 

mdave's picture

You were asked for a reason - congratulations !!If you have concerns about it being "too much", you might give some thought to what you need to do to be sucessful.  (e.g. opportunities to delegate). The ability to develop people is a key skill as you advance. You just may not be seeing this as an "opportunity"  yet.

Singers's picture

"Do you want more responsibility?" if you want to grow and move up in the organisation the answer is yes, plain and simple. 
Key point is: success will come with applying the trinity, more responsibility = more stuff to be delegated ;)

Kind Regards
Mads Sorensen
Disc 4536

asteriskrntt1's picture

Evidently your company doesn't see your lack of a BS as a deterrent to giving you more responsibility.  Not sure how much time you are spending on the BS but I think that some of that time will go to the new job (if you get it).  I always laugh when reading executive bios which tell you how amazingly successful people are over a long career and then list "Bob earned a Liberal Arts degree at SomeNoNameCollege 34 years ago.  Or a job posting that wants 15 years of senior experience PLUS you must have a bachelor's degree, like it is the degree from 20 odd years ago that shows them you can complete something.