Appraisal coming up and not doing well at work - advice...

Jo_R_2

I've got my appraisal next week and I'm wooooooorried!

Basically I came back off maternity leave a couple of months ago and things haven't gone swimmingly. I've posted a little while ago about me trying to continue breastfeeding my LO and getting my health and safety rights implemented which has been an ongoing struggle, and things elsewhere seem to be following the negative pattern. I feel like I'm losing motivation, that I'm not "feeling" it as much as I used to, and believe me I love my job.

My line manager is new to me, I've moved offices and am working with almost entirely a new team which is an upheaval in itself. The work is further to travel to and I'm sooo tired because LO doesn't sleep much at night. I feel unhappy a lot of the time going to work and have been worried I am getting depressed again as I had postnatal illness after my first baby, and my GP wrote to work telling them the effect the breastfeeding situation is having on me.

And to top it all, one of my clients texted me saying he didn't want me to help him anymore (I work for a voluntary organisation) and wants someone else to work with him instead. I wasn't surprised as he's been hot and cold anyway but was upset, in nearly three years no one's ever told me that. My line manager was supportive as she'd had her doubts about his commitment, but I think with us still getting to know each other at work, she's not really sure what to make of me. Our manager was very keen for me to come back, I've always had great appraisals and I was supposed to be doing training for a promotion. But my line manager spoke to me today and asked me in passing if I'd been applying for jobs for another client I was with - being as that's my job I'm not sure what she thinks I'm actually doing when I'm spending all this time with clients instead!

Also I found out that a colleague doing the same job as me who started a while after me, was given extra responsibilities which I would have LOVED to do, which are essentially a line manager's duties. I was never offered these when I was off, even though I should have been told about it. Which I wasn't. So I'm quite aggrieved about that as well, especially because it looks like she's being groomed for a promotion.

So it's not looking so great for me now! I want to discuss work with her at my appraisal without looking weak and too disheartened - I still want to go for the training for a promotion yet with what's been happening I worry I just don't look like I can cope with things right now. How should I approach it? I really want to emphasise that all previous appraisals have been excellent, really good and never had any trouble at work prior to this.

Savvy_Sue

In the absence of any better advice ...

I think you should use what you've posted here: yes you're going through a difficult time, but you remain very committed to work and you want to train for the promotion.

As for your colleague being asked to take on extra responsibilities which you would have enjoyed, you can either play the grievance card and say "I should have been offered that, it's not fair" or just state that you would have been interested and remain interested in any similar opportunities.

I hope it goes well ...