Be prepared for who you might meet as you start your new job with our handy guide to your potential new colleagues. The fear around stepping into a new role is almost always related to people. Will they like me? Will I like them? Will my boss consider me successful? Will my team be manageable?
Among the sea of faces to pass through your induction period, there’ll be both potential allies and those who may make life difficult. You’re in unchartered territory, but those challenges won’t come as such a shock – may be enjoyable even – if you’re prepared for the types of scenarios which can derail the unprepared in those vulnerable first few months.
1. The colleague who didn’t get your job
This one’s a real toughie. The ambitious team member who wanted to take the next step is feeling, at best, disappointed, and at worst, angry and resentful of your success. They may even attempt to sabotage your smooth transition by voicing concerns about your abilities. The problem becomes even more difficult if you’re now managing said employee.
In our everywomanNetwork webinar Approaching your new role: First things first (log in to listen back), trainer Pippa Isbell recounts her ordeal at the hands of a new employee who’d failed to land the job she was just beginning. Pippa offered the following advice: “You need to consider the strengths that they have. How could you enhance their role so that they have the chance to grow and support you? When will you have that conversation and what will need to be said? My advice would be to talk to them as soon as possible and describe how you’d like the relationship to work. Be clear on what the benefits are to them of having it work well and ask for their cooperation.”
2. The new stakeholder who bombards you with advice
“In those early days, everyone will have advice for you and want to tell you all sorts of things that you have to know,” says Pippa Isbell. Remain receptive and make a note of all the information coming your way, particularly anything with special significance to your remit.
But beware of falling into the trap of being overly influenced. “Listen, and take it in before you make up your own mind,” says Pippa. Be conscious of what’s guiding the opinions – good or bad – of others, and give yourself the space and time to form your own.
3. The boss who’s promoted you but expects you to keep doing your old job too
The elatedness that comes with a well-deserved promotion can quickly come crashing down when you realise that your boss expects you to get stuck into your new role while temporarily still doing your old one. Your success in the new role will very much depend on your ability to learn and grow and so any such transition will need to be managed carefully by you.
“Your boss will no doubt have very high expectations in order to vindicate the decision to hire you,” says Pippa. But with only so many hours in the day, tying up loose ends in your previous role is a huge distraction and limited of success. Keep communicating on this issue with your boss, carefully laying our your priorities.
4. The ghost of the last person who did your role
“Be your own woman,” urges Pippa Isbell. “Don’t assume the company wants more of the same.”
This is true even if your predecessor was incredibly popular and successful. Remember that there’s a reason why you now have the job. Your fresh eyes and new ideas are one of your biggest assets – use them. Consider which areas of your predecessor’s work you’ll continue, which you’ll adapt to suit your own style, and which you want to makeover completely. Involve your stakeholders, asking them what they think could be done even better.
5. The employee on your team who expects you to get involved in the detail
“As you step into leadership, the job is to get other people to get the job done,” says Pippa Isbell. “Delegation and influence become the critical factors.”
You must then, avoid the temptation to do absolutely everything yourself. You might have a team member who shares the what, who, where and why of every single task. Resist the temptation to dive in and get things done yourself, knowing that in the long run it’s more motivating for your team if they’re given space to get on with their roles.
Remember that delegation requires you to truly step away. “Don’t offload a task but then impose your way of getting it done. People won’t always do it your way; but your way isn’t necessarily the only way,” says Pippa.
6. The new report who’s gaining a boss and losing a colleague
If you’ve been promoted from within a team, there’ll be a change in the dynamics of your relationships with those who, once peers, are now your direct reports. This transition period can be a tricky one to navigate, and politics will no doubt kick in.
Tackle any issues quickly and directly. “It can be tough to move away from people, but resist the urge to keep your relationship the way it was. It needs to change,” says Pippa.
Feeling inspired? Watch the full webinar Approaching your new role: First things first on the everywomanNetwork.
