Itâs exciting, no doubt about it. Your expertise, hard work, and perseverance paid off. You got the big promotion you were working toward. Then, along with exuberance, reality sets in with a bit of nerves for this new challenge. Now you have to deliver.
Even though promotions are exhilarating, they can also leave recipients uneasy about the change. Going from a position where you had proven yourself into a position with some inherent uncertainty will put a knot in the most confident stomachs.
Oftentimes, the easiest kind of promotion is where youâre promoted into a new environment with a new team to work with. That is like a clean slate. Much harder can be the transition within a business unit. Not to mention, the move from peer to boss can definitely be a minefield. Like it or not, we create an identity at work and many of our co-workers identify us with our role. Change our role or give us more responsibility, and people around us sometimes have difficulty adapting. There are also occasions when the person promoted has difficulty adjusting.
Letâs take a look at some of the steps the newly promoted can take to ensure a smooth, effective transition.
Listen
Embrace the newness and recognize your stakeholdersâthose affected by your work and your teamâs work. Even if you are working with some of the same people, there is a good chance you have new stakeholders or new relationships with stakeholders. Meet with them and listen to their feedback. From employees to suppliers to customers to your boss, they will let you know whatâs going well and what needs improvement from their perspectives.
Note the emphasis on listening. You donât need to promise the world just because youâre in a new role. You are there to gather their feedback so you can ensure expectations are met. You will learn a lot when you actively listen and these people will notice your engagement.
Plan
Your promotion was a competitive process. Your boss saw something in you that persuaded them to give you this opportunity. There is almost always a learning curve to your new position, but during the transition, put together a plan for yourself and your role going forward. You bring a skill set, expertise, and a new perspective. These are all ways you can add value.
Determine 30-, 90-, and 180-day milestones about what you are going to learn and how you will proceed in making positive contributions. Utilize the SMART principle for goal-setting (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound). The promotion is not the high water mark. You have greater things in store.
Communicate
Be as transparent as possible about your goals and expectations. This communication should be the case up and down the chain of command, and you have to actively invite feedback and demonstrate a willingness to listen to it.
Once you have developed your plan and milestones, meet with your supervisor to discuss them. If you have not worked closely with this person before, it may be helpful to meet regularly, at least while you get your feet wet. Get to know his or her expectations and communication preferences. See to it that youâre both on the same page strategically and tactically.
The same holds true if you have any employees reporting to you. They should be aware of the direction you want them going in, and they should know how you prefer to communicate. Share your goals and plans. Research has shown that we are more successful at working toward goals and implementing new habits when we communicate them to others. We allow people to hold us accountable. In a team environment, there is no other way to move the needle.
Finally, you may be asking, âWhy so much emphasis on communication preferences?â Relationships at work function much better when the individuals involved have clear understandings. This becomes even more important in workplaces with flexible schedules and working arrangements, different communication media available, and where teams are distributed and function in a virtual environment. Sending an urgent email to your boss when she only checks email once a day can be useless.
Taking the time to understand these important details can ultimately pave the way for cohesiveness and long-term success after your promotion. Good luck!
We know how tricky it can be to navigate a promotion at work. If you're struggling to adjust to your new role, we can help.
We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. Itâs a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.
You work hard, spend your time at the office judiciously, and meet targets without failing deadlines. For the work you do every day, you feel you deserve a promotion. But when it comes to asking your boss directly, you find it awkward and difficult to approach him/her.
It can indeed be quite nerve-wracking to go up to your boss and ask for a promotion directly. Instead, there are ways you can show that you are ready for one and convince your boss easily.
Here are some useful tips to show your boss you deserve a promotion:
Upgrade Your Skills
A promotion means new responsibilities and greater challenges. To meet these new challenges, you must have the desired skills. One of the best ways to show that you are ready for a promotion, therefore, is to upgrade your competencies and develop your skills. Understand your job role, browse the net, and find courses that can take you ahead. Many large organizations have online courses for their employees. On the completion of those courses, managers are immediately notified. If your organization also has such courses, sign up for them frequently.
You can also attend workshops and seminars to learn more about what courses will upgrade your skills and make you a more valuable resource in your company. Another simple tip is to follow people on LinkedIn. Find professionals who have a similar background and check the courses they completed. A simple Google search will give you a lot of information.
Be Innovative
In the present business climate, organizations need people who can not only perform their responsibilities well but also deliver greater value. To make yourself more valuable for the business, think outside the box. Look for unforeseen challenges and hidden opportunities. Start by observing your team keenly. Once you identify a problem, look for ways in which it can be addressed.
Be A Dependable Team Player
One of the things managers pay special attention to when it comes to promoting their team members is their maturity to handle things. In other words, you should be someone your manager can depend on when things are difficult to handle. You must, therefore, be proactive and extremely organized.
Create folders as per your convenience to arrange documents, presentations, and spreadsheets in order. Be responsive and always respond to important emails. If you find it too tough to handle multiple responsibilities, use sticky notes to stay on top of things. The way you do your job sets you apart from your colleagues. So, don't leave a bad impression by doing a shoddy job.
Ask Your Manager To Mentor You
This is the easiest way to grab your boss's attention and show that you are keen to learn. During the mentoring phase, you get an opportunity to collaborate closely with your manager. Moreover, you come across as an enthusiastic learner and get an opportunity to demonstrate your skills. By leaving a good impression, you can have an influential ally backing your case for promotion.
Rock Your Current Role
While pitching yourself for a promotion, you must show that you have excelled in your current role and that staying in the same position will be stagnating for your career. Gain the trust of your team members so that they approach you when they have a problem at hand. Try to "manage up." Your boss will be more convinced if he/she sees that you have done a great job in your role and are now ready to take on more responsibilities.
When you bring value to the business, your manager will be convinced to promote you at work. You just need to find the right balance of hard work, people skills, and enthusiasm to brighten your prospects.
Navigating difficult workplace situations like asking for a promotion can be incredibly stressful, especially if you're feeling lost, trapped, or burned out in your career. If you're struggling to demonstrate your value and advocate for yourself on the job, we can help.
We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.
It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.