Biggest Challenges Faced By A Category Business Manager At Google
Christopher, a Category Business Manager at Google, finds that the biggest challenge in their role is "maintaining composure" amidst the constant barrage of negotiations and challenges, requiring the ability to separate personal feelings from the task at hand and recognizing that it's "about the thing not about you." The key is preventing internal stress from negatively influencing conversations, even when feeling overworked or overwhelmed.
Stress Management, Negotiation, Communication, Workplace Challenges, Resilience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christopher Speed
Category Business Manager
CSU San Marcos
MBA University of San Diego
Economics
Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain, Technology
Strategic Management and Executive
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Maintaining composure when dealing with multiple challenges simultaneously is a significant difficulty.
2. It's crucial to remember that negotiations and conflicts are about the issue at hand, not personal feelings or animosity.
3. Managing internal stress and preventing it from negatively impacting professional interactions is a key challenge, even among high-performing individuals.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your role?
The biggest challenge in my role is maintaining composure. When you get overwhelmed and everything is happening at once, it feels like everything is going wrong simultaneously.
That's kind of how I feel in this role sometimes. It's like I'm fighting battles or negotiating in multiple places at once. Even if one negotiation or battle isn't a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, imagine having ten of those happening at the same time.
The most challenging part is realizing that the situation is about the issue, not about you. It's not about how I feel or how the other person feels. We're all trying to achieve the same thing, just looking at it from different perspectives.
Maintaining composure is a challenge because when you're invested in your job or overworked, you can become cranky, especially when you're tired or hungry. I think many of my coworkers would agree. It's not the work itself, as we're all capable players, but making sure your internal feelings and stress don't manifest in your conversations.