When you're a fish in a tree: the misfortune of being promoted when you're not ready
I have never been comfortable with the idea of being someone's "boss". The term makes me think of the horrible things bosses do to people with a seemingly authoritative title. I mean, they've even made movies about this very idea! Sure, there is a redeeming story in the end, but in the meantime people are scarred for life.
A couple of positions ago, I had a horrible experience managing people. In the end I had to leave the role and start somewhere else. I was feeling pretty useless and all my own insecurities reared it's ugly head. Yes, good ol' imposter syndrome came to visit.
It took me a solid 3 years to recover from this. Ironically recovery came from the very people who were managing me at the time and my peers. One day I was chatting to Tree Pechau-Russell about this and she recalled a similar situation. She said that a colleague of hers was also "a fish in a tree". At first it made no sense, but she went on to explain.
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"A fish in a tree will never work when you have a tree full of monkeys. But a fish in the ocean will work just perfectly".
When I joined IoT.nxt , I made it very clear that 1) I am not a UI designer and 2) I am not to manage anyone. Over time, I have had to appoint a couple of designers and inevitably have to manage them. Sneaky bosses I have...but weirdly, I don't feel like that fish out of water anymore. I feel right at home working with 8 amazing designers, making sure they are able to deliver, learn and grow.
My point being, sometimes you're a fish in a tree and just because you are, doesn't make you incompetent. You're simply in the wrong place doing the right job. I was just lucky that I found my pond.
Product Designer at Freethinking Business Consultants
2 年I'm so glad I found this post, Jaco. Thanks for sharing your story! To me, the scariest part is not knowing if it's a tree or an ocean when it certainly looks like a tree. How do you know when your tree has become an ocean?
Service Design // CX // UX // Creating useful and usable products and services
2 年Thanks for sharing Jaco :) glad you have found your place!
I am a Design Executive, Entrepreneur, Learner, Builder & Educator | Elevating Global UX & CX | Anchor & driver of putting Batho Pele (People First) while doing great things every day for the past 17 years and counting.
2 年I have been a fish in a tree, a couple of positions ago, from Managing Director at an Advertising agency and then later a bank and recently I have found my pond also It’s never been easy, I recall when I was seconded at a bank, one of the heads said I should not manage people and that I should rather focus on product strategy, boy did that make me feel like I was incompetent, a year later though I was tasked with growning a global business unit, an ask from folks who have ran the business for 20 plus years and there I was thinking, what crack or weed are these folks smoking ? Why me of all people ? I have been told I am hard to work with, had two fall outs with colleagues and through that I had to learn more about myself, my management style and what must and not tolerate and when to say no to working with a certain type of person because if I do not, I bet my bottom rands that a fight or clash will take place Ke leboha your time for writing out this post Jaco de Wet
I love this post Jaco. Such a relevant phrase too. I think you're a bit hard on yourself tho.