I’m not looking for advice here, as I think I already know what I should do. I just wanted to share and get this off my chest. I was recently promoted to a manager position after being an assistant manager for 1.5 years. My promotion was considered exceptional because I advanced very quickly due to my performance. I received the highest rating of 5 on the 2024 performance review.
But I’m currently in a slump. I feel like I’ve lost the freedom to make decisions and to be myself. As an assistant manager, I had direct and full authority over the team I handled. I was comfortable and enjoyed the freedom to make decisions for my team. Now, I manage multiple teams but have very limited authority and cannot make decisions independently.
I’m supposed to take over my senior manager’s responsibilities, including managing the assistant managers who now report to me. Yet, he still handles almost everything, and all approvals still go through him. As a result, I’m left with minimal tasks and little decision-making power. I’ve handed over my previous responsibilities to the new assistant manager of my former team. While I do have other tasks, I feel far less productive than I was as an assistant manager handling just one team.
I’m not trying to start a discussion, I really just wanted to write this down, like a diary.
My senior manager is a full blooded Japanese and, honestly, a very nice person. I’m lucky to have him as my boss, especially since I’ve seen how difficult some Japanese bosses can be. But, like in any company, I have to ask for his approval or opinion before raising my own suggestions or concerns. My husband suggested that I speak with my boss but I didn't want to discuss this with him just yet as it might affect our good working relationship. It's been 2 months since I was officially promoted.
Thank you for listening.
by Dokichanchan