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You did an excellent job at your job and received a long-awaited promotion. How to prepare for a new position and what are the first steps to take? Goal setting specialist says.
The main mistake of specialists who get a promotion is to think that «we need to work as before, only more.» This is not true. Until now, you have worked as an expert, promotion, most likely, moves you to the management group. Now the work is directly related to managing people.
You will almost certainly be involved in solving strategic problems at various levels. The main tasks will be managerial, not expert. And emotions can run high at first. How to avoid mistakes and get comfortable in a new role?
1. Learn more about the new position
This will help you get rid of the feeling of uncertainty and quickly adapt to a new place.
Read available corporate reports. So you will understand what role your department plays in them, what results have been achieved and by what parameters the company evaluates the success of the work.
Now carefully study your job description and think about what skills and knowledge you lack. Make a list of five main skills. Rate them on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is “I can’t do anything”, 5 is “I can do very well”. Mark in this five skills those for which your grade is 3 or less. It is these competencies that you should pay attention to in the first place.
2. Make a list of trainings you want to take in a year
Include only those that will help you master the skills in the 5 Essential Skills list. This will come in handy for your first meeting with your line manager.
Even if the boss did not intend to send you to training, you can easily justify this need. You will confidently tell what knowledge you lack in your work, accompanying your speech with weighty arguments and referring to duties from the job description.
3. Prepare a three-month action plan
Set aside some free time for this when no one will distract you. Include 3 sections in your action plan:
section related to your specialization,
section on your personal development,
team development section.
Think about the criteria by which you can measure the implementation of the plan. This is also an important condition. When the plan is ready, set up a meeting with the leader and present him with the final version.
4. Respect the opinion of each employee
Building relationships with the team is another strategically important step. At the meeting with her, tell her in detail about your plan. Listen to all objections and make necessary changes. Be patient and attentive, keep an eye on the team. Your colleagues study you, you get to know them again.
If your promotion leaves someone behind and you think they may be suspicious of your appointment, be especially patient with them. Their behavior may be very different from what they previously showed while you were equal in position.
Recognize their accomplishments, consult on important issues, ask for their opinion and respect it. A calm emotional background is very important for effective teamwork.