I recently got promoted. And now I get to hear it ALL.

So recently I became a general manager.

And I can't shake this feeling of "I can't do it."

I work hard every day. I show up early. but everyone around me seems to be less and less happy.

As if me simply being there is the cause of their unhappiness.

People can't show up for work, people are quitting without notice. I am constantly trying to figure out the schedule. I am accepting applications but no one ever returns my calls for interviews. Everyone wants more hours but when I give them more hours all of the sudden they are sick. And then above all it is hard for me to focus on keeping the store from melting down when absolutely everyone in one form or another is just.... Constantly bugging me in one form or another.

The amount of responsibility I have now I can handle. But it seems like the GM before me did more for them than I am currently doing.

I get that feeling that everyone hates me, but I am already used to that.

Aside from people, I also have the shop and myself. I don't mind working 13 hours a day, 7 days a week as long as the shop is still open. I really don't mind people not showing up. I don't care that much about money and yet it just keeps falling into my lap now. I made an extra 50 bux yesterday because someone didn't show up and I got tipped heavily. I am trying to "get faster" but I end up cheating. And what I mean by cheating is I come into work 2 hours before I am supposed to and I stay for an extra hour to make sure things are going right. I have even picked up people without a ride to get them to work. But it seems like everyone is like... OMG..... this # sucks right now but you shouldn't be here. So i just pick up a rag and start fixing everything. but it still doesn't make them happy. Sometimes I wish I could clone myself so that way I know what to expect. But at the same time i am trying to create managers in a world full of LAZINESS.

It seems like where I live absolutely everyone is looking for a sugar daddy or a sugar momma.

IS there anyone else who feels this way and has been a GM for more than 8 years?

It just feels like no one wants to be responsible anymore.

a reply to: GiulXainx

My title is Regional Director", or as I call it, "Everyone's little bitch".






Get used to it. It will get worse.

a reply to: DBCowboy

The thing is I already hate people. As in I have no desire to be around humans. Yes I work with them. Yes I have to talk to them. Yes I am solving problems with some of them. But seriously... I hate people. I hate customers. I hate the truck drivers. I just hate humans. But I do all of my work and the number one thing I do not do is: Complain.

I stopped complaining. I stopped caring about my "image." I stopped caring about my pay rate. I stopped caring about the WORLD. I don't have any friends. I hate my family and now I have an excuse NOT to see them on every single holiday. (Because I am Salary now.) But the thing is... I am already used to being hated. My entire life people hated me. And now I am the most hated human being in the store and man can I #ing feel it.

a reply to: GiulXainx


pffft


You think you're evil.




Hold my beer.

a reply to: GiulXainx

It depends on your line of business. Also the size of the business, are you in charge of 5 or 500 employees for example.

GM position typically is about delegation of duties, and fiscal responsibility for targeted sales goals accounting for P&L.

As a GM you shouldn't be doing grunt work so to speak. Every time you do, you are doing someone else's job that they are getting paid for while not doing your own job.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: GiulXainx


pffft


You think you're evil.

Hold my beer.

DON'T HOLD THAT BEER, HE'S TRYING TO TAKE HIS PANTS OFF!

a reply to: DBCowboy

Well I have opened Pandora's box more than a few times. And I gaze into the abyss every day now.

But why do I still have feelings?

How can I just rip these feelings out? That way I can move forward?

Like for example. I never get attached to anyone. You could be a cool person to TALK with. but I judge people based on their work ethics. If you want to hang out with me you gotta impress me with how much you are able to handle.

If you suck at your job I tend to just.... not even acknowledge you or your existence. I am not mean. I don't ignore you completely I just tend to drive your conversation into a brick wall because NOTHING interests me about your favorite "insert noun here."

Unless it is something I am interested in talking about I will continue with it. but no one likes theories. No one likes the same shows as I do. no one plays the same platform or games as I do.

I don't even talk to most of them at work. Maybe they hate me because I am boring. But I don;t care. I just work my ass off.

originally posted by: GiulXainx
a reply to: DBCowboy

The thing is I already hate people. As in I have no desire to be around humans. Yes I work with them. Yes I have to talk to them. Yes I am solving problems with some of them. But seriously... I hate people. I hate customers. I hate the truck drivers. I just hate humans.:

you sound like the perfect person to be a GM


fast food?

Schedule a one on one (with a reliable witness in attendance) with each employee. Let them know that it is "off the record"
Find out what can be done to improve both the work and yourself as manager .
I.E. let em vent....that can be productive sometimes.
Just my thoughts.

Maybe go be a manager at a company that pays more / gives low-end employees a bit more responsibility.

It doesn't sound like you have a lot of personal ties to keep you at your job. Why not quit?

They expect too much out of many retail managers.

a reply to: Vector99

Well the thing is I don't mind doing the work. I do delegate the work to others but the thing is the job is so easy I can do it with NO SLEEP. at least 2 days in a row.

But getting the sales up is easy. As I have already attracted the attention of my customers to "vote" my shop for a sponsor spot for the women's breast cancer awareness group with a local radio company. They voted my shop for the spot because they liked my shop the most.

a reply to: GiulXainx

While the service industry has some of the hardest workers, there are far more of what the rest of the world calls "unemployable." They only work service jobs because there are so many that will basically hire without much thought. They hire anyone, and see what sticks. Sorry, nature of the industry.

a reply to: TinySickTears

Of course. Fast food is where I am. But at the same time it is easy to do. I just do not understand why anyone else "can't hack it."

a reply to: GiulXainx


Be the arsehole they expect you to be! Bottom line, you are their boss, respect the ones with the balls to tell you they hate you, and beware the ones who act as if they got your back!

You are not there to make friends but to make money to support you and your family, just like they are.

a reply to: bender151

Major ouch man. But I think it is true. Most of the people who do get hired on typically do not want to do much. but even so... they hate doing any actual work after like 3 weeks. Some after just 4 days.

But eventually I will become the "Regional manager" Only because I have seen some other people with that title and they seem to be the types of people I'd like to "hang out" with.

But what makes it fun for me is watching how they go to school... and then after they "finish" school they are still here.

But at the same time I hire slowly. And I mean that I could totally use another worker in two areas. I choose not to hire because honestly. I want to see who can prove themselves to me. I already have one who looks like they are about to just up and quit because they can not handle all of it.

I also crushed the dreams of another co worker trying hard to make that "rent" payment a month and gave them the real run down on how apartments work. Where as they want you to make 3X the amount of rent before you are accepted. The only other exception is coming up with 6 months or 1 years worth of rent UP FRONT.

a reply to: seeker1963

I can say that I gave someone a good schedule already and they just quit without notice. But I expect this to happy every single day. I already know what their choices are going to be even before they tell me flatout. And I seem to be getting extremely lucky with the people that I do have. But at the same time. I have already been back stabbed and I took it without a shirt on. Honestly I feel invincible. Unless absolutely everyone said "I QUIT" all at once I still don't think that would "bring me down." in their fantasy world.

a reply to: GiulXainx

Well the thing is I don't mind doing the work.

For a GM, that is an issue. You have to realize your new position comes with certain responsibilities, like making sure you aren't doing other peoples job.

It's an adjustment period for sure, but you absolutely have to break the old habit of 'I'll just do it myself' and now get someone else to do it. Even if it's easier for you to just do it yourself, you don't. You get others to do their jobs and suddenly that odd work around the shop you don't mind doing will already be done. Then you can focus on your job.

Just an FYI, the less you are liked, the better you are doing (at least in most cases).

originally posted by: GiulXainx
a reply to: seeker1963

I can say that I gave someone a good schedule already and they just quit without notice. But I expect this to happy every single day. I already know what their choices are going to be even before they tell me flatout. And I seem to be getting extremely lucky with the people that I do have. But at the same time. I have already been back stabbed and I took it without a shirt on. Honestly I feel invincible. Unless absolutely everyone said "I QUIT" all at once I still don't think that would "bring me down." in their fantasy world.

I worked in retail management. There is no one who works for you who will make your job easy. They are like toddlers who will do everything in their power to test you and break you.

Trust me. No one like to be a dick, but in retail? It's the only survival tool you have in management. Go STRICTLY by the rules your company has set for you, and weed out the people who refuse to play by the rules. Otherwise, it will be you who the company gets rid of.....

originally posted by: GiulXainx
a reply to: TinySickTears

Of course. Fast food is where I am. But at the same time it is easy to do. I just do not understand why anyone else "can't hack it."

dont take this the wrong way cause i am not saying you and i am not clowning you.

the fast food industry does not seem like the industry where people with serious work ethic go.
those that do wind up a GM like you

and youre supposed to manage and delegate to people that want a check but dont want to earn it.

just an opinion but i have nothing to base it on. i have not worked fast food in like 25 years.

a reply to: Vector99

That is the thing though. I make more money that way. And it comes with a certain amount of respect.

but the transitional period... man. I hate being the guy who just sits in the back all day long. Maybe I should just take over the register and always have an easy day. The only problem is.... The amount of workers I currently have, versus the amount of hours I am allowed to give out.... just don't add up correctly. And the company I work for wants the GM to participate in all activities and even states "Do the hardest thing."

I like it because it builds respect among your workers where they can't say "You are a sack of # who sits in the back all day long." but instead they can;t say that because there I am on the front lines.