A promotion is a victory, an accomplishment to be proud of. As excited and enthusiastic as you are to make your mark in the new job, there are unseen stumbling blocks on that higher rung that can trip you up if you’re not very careful.
Here are some common problems that recently promoted managers encounter and suggestions for handling them:
- Letting go. This is one of the biggest difficulties for newly promoted managers. They are more familiar with the problems of the old job and know how to fix them. And they usually feel more comfortable operating in the realm where they excelled.
Suggestion: Withdraw by delegating to people you have confidence in. The more you feel your staff is up to the job, the easier it will be. Reassess each person’s skills from your new perspective.
It takes self-discipline to break the umbilical cord. When you are tempted to step in and take over, remind yourself that this can backfire. It divas energy from your new work at a time when staying focused is crucial to success.
- Handling resentment and jealousy. Someone who competed for the promotion may now report to you. Angry and hurt, he or she may spread rumors, refuse to cooperate, and rally others to do the same.
Suggestion: Try ignoring the sabotage for a time; it may play itself out. If it doesn’t, confront the person. Cite specific things that were done or said—the letter to a customer that incorrectly implied you were to blame for a missed deadline, the remark you overheard about how you got the job through unethical ploys. Show how it will be to the person’s benefit to support you. Point out how productivity is dependent on cooperation and harmony, and that the lack of it reflects on everyone involved. If the problem persists, warn the troublemaker that efforts to undermine your authority or stifle productivity will seriously damage the individual’s future.
- Getting a handle on new job requirements. “Each step brings more freedom,” notes Dr. Jim Lister, an industrial psychologist with Byron Harless, Reid & Associates, Inc., in Jacksonville, FL. “The initial response to that is often anxiety.”
Some people tend to approach the new job in the same way as the old, out of habit and a natural desire to continue methods that proved effective.
People new to management may face their first experience directing a team—a different task from supervising a secretary. A move from first to second line management requires other kinds of skills.
Suggestion: To help yourself switch gears, get a precise job description from both your boss and your predecessor, if possible. Get a firm grasp on your old and new responsibilities and what they call for. Then compare and contrast.
If this is your first management position, consider taking a management training seminar or a suitable course or two at a nearby university or college.
When moving to second line management, expect to be less involved in the day-to-day and more involved in long-range strategic planning. Says Lister, “Your success will depend more on judgment skills, the teamwork of your employees, and your ability to coach and advise rather than supervise.”
- Adjusting to a new boss relationship. You may report to a different person with a new set of needs and expectations. Or— often more difficult—you may keep the same boss, but the dynamics of the relationship will change. Be aware that your skill at reading and responding to your boss can either smooth or aggravate the transition into your new role.
Suggestion: “Strike a balance,” says Lister. “Be independent and bring something new to the position, but stay within the parameters of what the boss wants and respects.” One boss might take well to formal, written status reports; another may go for casual chats to learn what’s been happening.
“Keep assessing how your boss responds,” adds Lister. “You don’t want to be a sycophant, but stay attuned so you can judge when a different approach might be wise.”
Observation: Lister points out that people often think a higher position means working longer and harder. They overlook the more important difference—a necessary change in their attitude.
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Always Stay on Top of Your Promotion
- When You're on the Road to CEO
- When a Promotion You Made Fizzles
- One Promotion, Two Candidates
- Maintain a competitive edge
- Investing in your best is ... The Fairest thing to do
- The Relationships between Bosses and Employees: Problems with your boss?
- Career Role, Creative Acts of Revolt
- Cash Flow: The Business Lifeline
- Practical Intelligence for On-the-Job Success
- Being an Outsider in Your Own Company
