10.59 AM. The clock ticks away…You are a bundle of nerves waiting to enter your boss’s office. Nerve wracking moments are ahead of you. Its finally time to know if you made the cut..if you got the promotion that you deserve. You have worked hard to get to this place. You know deep inside that you will get it..Finally, you hear the words from your boss’s mouth – “Congratulations! you have been promoted to Manager“..You are elated, you thank her…Almost immediately, the weirdest of fears crops up – What will X, Y, Z think? How will X,Y, Z react when they hear the news that I am now their manager?
This is a common scenario played out in workplaces. One day you are someone’s peer, the next day you are his/her manager. For most people this is an awkward transition. They oddly feel guilty about their well-deserved promotion. They avoid the questioning looks on their peers faces as they walk out of the boss’s room. They run to the restroom to rejoice!
Here are 6 ways to make a smooth transition that will have the people you are going to manage cheering for your success.
- Mindset: The biggest obstacle to our growth is our mindset. Guilt, fear, jealousy, anger and other self-induced negative emotions can sabotage our success mindset. Remove the feeling of guilt from your mind. You are reaping the fruits of your own hard labor. You deserve your promotion. You’ve waited a while for this to come to you, now believe in yourself and your capabilities and your worth and savor it.
- Demeanor: Reveling in your success definitely doesn’t mean you toot your horn to all your colleagues and make a big deal of it. Wait for the formal announcement to be made, if that’s a practice that your workplace follows. Call a team meeting and gently let your team know about the change and how you hope to support them moving forward. Consider how your demeanor must change to support the new role. If you formerly took long coffee/lunch breaks or spent time at the water cooler complaining about the workplace, evaluate if those actions support your managerial role. Don’t make an abrupt exit from your ‘water cooler group’. Instead, politely convey to them the responsibilities of the new role.
- Major Overhauls, a strict NO: This is a common occurrence with new managers. They attempt to make major changes in the team or processes etc as soon as they assume the new role. This undermines the teams trust and confidence levels. As you start out slowly gaining the trust of your team in the new role, try to refrain from making major overhauls immediately. Set a transition plan that gives people breathing room and make the mental shift to viewing you as a worthy manager. Wait atleast 30 days before attempting a change.
- Set boundaries and expectations: A team’s success is heavily influenced by clear expectations. During the first few weeks, as the responsibilities of the new role sink in, chart out a clear plan for the team with their input. Meet with each person individually to understand their pain points, their expectations and their work. An even bigger task is to communicate your plan to the team clearly and setting clear expectations for each person individually and for the team as a whole. Its not uncommon even in a small team for people to not be clear on their roles and responsibilities. A assumes B will do a task or should do a task and B assumes A will do it. They can then be found complaining to a third person at the water cooler. Set clear expectations for everyone to eliminate productivity issues and team spirit. Also set boundaries. Boundaries are important to ensure people are not treading on you or each other.
- Feedback: Make the feedback process a continuous cycle. Give and take feedback as you make changes. Show people you are truly interested in their growth and help them grow by giving them timely feedback.
- Insider Knowledge: You have insider knowledge about the issues that irk people. You have experienced them too. All those complaining sessions at the water cooler, can finally pay off! Put that insider knowledge to use and make changes that address those issues at some level.
Transitioning to a new role can definitely be hard. Don’t add an additional layer of complexity by not addressing the elephant in the room with your team. Adopt a success mindset, change your demeanor as needed, set clear expectations, give timely feedback and use your insider knowledge to make a difference in your new role.Remember, the transition is not just for you, but for the team as well. Make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone.
Have you made the leap from peer to manager? What tactics have you used to make a smooth transition?
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