when things are not going well, we really do need to speak up.
I got my supervisor's attention this week by just sending a quick email to say
"I'm feeling very overwhelmed".
Things that we have to deal with as social workers (or just employees in general) often suck and cannot be changed.
Sometimes, there is room for change though.
Is saying how you feel a risk?
Yes, absolutely.
However, saying what is on our mind, I feel is a risk well worth taking.
What do you think?
Is there something you were able to speak up about at work, and in turn, you were heard?
Did you see positive changes come from saying what was weighing on your mind or causing you stress?
I think for the most part, bosses are amenable to talking about what might be overwhelming their employees. One must really gauge their bosses personality to see if it would be risky to voice an opinion to change. I've had good ones and bad ones, but if my boss wants to cause a problem, it's not worth it.
ReplyDeleteExpressing my feeling of being overwhelmed is directly what led me to lose my first teaching position. But you are right, we do need to know our limits and know how to properly express our feelings and needs. Interesting and thought provoking post.
ReplyDeleteI think you've hit on one of the most important skills I think you have to have in our field - we learn about advocacy but we have to be able to advocate for ourselves vis-a-vis our managers. I'm lucky to have good managers but I do have to tell them sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI often speak up now and say no about new allocations but it's taken a few years to get to that level of confidence.