You Cannot Stop Me!

It is interesting how people want your help but then when you exceed their expectations they all of a sudden second guess your role or how they view your role in relation to how you will fit with them. Let me tell you a recent story and what I’ve learned.

I was told to complete a report that will go to members of the Leadership team. As I started, I realized I had to rely on someone else to provide me the information needed for the report. The person I had to rely on, kept telling me that what I was going to do was “not going to match” what they are reporting out. I responded with, that’s okay because we are reporting different metrics or different measurements. That person felt a little better I thought until their manager came to me and said, that they wanted to check and make sure that I was reporting what I was told to report. I said yes, and brought up the associate with the concerns. We talked through it and then I moved on.

Next, I started putting together the information and it was coming along great. Then my manager said, add this and this, oh and this and this. Finally, I responded, if we keep adding to this summary it will become 40 pages of information. Then my manager said how about we do not include this or that. I responded, what you are asking me to delete or exclude is the reason why I started this report. Finally, my manager was okay and we agreed to include some of the additional requests.

I was also tasked at the same time to learn how to create a new report using a new Reporting tool. So, in order not to create an anxious stress-filled environment, I finished the report last night. I stayed online until 9 pm because I was determined to have this report that took me a month to finish, once and for all last night (Thursday). This is something that I will not be doing all the time but I have been working on this for a month. The people that were supposed to give me information changed the data point every three to four days, then a new report comes out every Monday. And on top of that, my Manager kept changing what was needed. So, I finished it and sent it out with a couple of notes of my thoughts, and scheduled a meeting for today (Friday) to cover my thoughts and report.

Well, my Manager emailed me with the message let’s reschedule this for next week. I shot back no, next week is a new report and before I recreate this report again the same way, I want to make sure that this is what is needed. The Manager responded with okay. Then we met over Teams (Microsoft platform like Skype) and the Manager said we have a lot going on let’s reschedule. Did I recede? Yes, because I found out this is not about me. This was a test for me, sure, but this was not about me.

I learned my Manager thought I would not be as involved as I am. Our job is to provide insights for a team that makes decisions about what happens in our business. I told them in the interview, I know a lot of people and have learned a lot. I was tested on what I know and who I know. My manager thinks that there is a such thing as “the right time” to bring up an idea. I nicely stated, that the people that you are meeting with views what we do as “what can we do for them? How will this help me?” I also mentioned that it is important to learn how they view things that they see or hear. The Manager brushed me off and the meeting did not go well. I suggested that we met as a larger team, the Manager brushed me off and said that was the first of many meetings. I said okay. I am here to support the Manager and make sure that the goals are met.

I learned that my Manager will continue to move my targets until the Manager thinks that I am unable to meet a task or exceed expectations. This does not bother me, because I thrive on challenges and I was hired to assist this team and the larger team by connecting to the business through reporting and relationships. I will be sure to make sure that I am meeting the needs and expectations of the other managers on the larger team. Most importantly that I am exceeding the needs of the Director as he is the one that hired me.

The last thing I learned is that this is not about me but about the way the Manager feels about herself. I have noticed that most problems I have normally come from women that look like me. They are women and are Black/African-American. It’s like we say to one another, there can only be one of us here that is successful. So, I will practice leveling her up so she can be who she thinks she is. I will pull her up despite her not listening or taking good advice. I have to learn how to manage upwards and then put it into practice. We should be two Black/African-American women that are successful.

If you have the chance to help another person, take it. Stop putting them down or holding them down. In the end, YOU CANNOT STOP WHAT GOD HAS FOR ANYONE. God may have tried to use you to make a difference, and if you do not embrace the chance to be used, HE WILL FIND SOMEONE ELSE.

YOU CANNOT STOP ME!

Have a great weekend!