How to Transition After Promotion on the Job

Some people are fortunate enough to be promoted and put into a higher level position. When this changes involves the supervision of other workers, it can be a difficult transition. Here are some ideas on how you can minimize the anguish of moving to a new job under the same roof, without disrupting your existing work relationships.

Things You'll Need

• Professional wardrobe

Instructions

1. Maintain the status quo of your behavior and relationships. Don’t try to make sudden changes in your behavior or manner because you are now “management.” Certainly it is fine to dress a bit better than you did before, just to please the company with a show of professionalism, but don’t try to take on a “gung-ho” attitude if you were easygoing before the promotion. Change things in deliberate, metered steps instead.

2. Smooth the road for yourself. The hardest promotion to get is one where you are now in charge of people who previously served as your working peers. The relationships between you and the others will be awkward and strained for a while. Be sure to meet with each person you will supervise and discuss the change, how they feel, what their new expectations will be of you and what you will expect from them. Tell them you want to continue to be friends and you appreciate their cooperation. Ask each to be your informal confidant and to give you feedback privately on how you are doing in your new role.

3. Listen to what they tell you. Some of what you will hear may be sour grapes stuff, but you will hear some nuggets of truth. Analyze what they say about your approach, style or whatever. Particularly when you are hearing the same things from different people, you should take their suggestions into consideration.

4. Tone down your eagerness for action a notch or two. Many times, an inexperienced supervisor sees things in black and white terms and overreacts to situations in an effort to assert himself. In some cases, he acts like the new deputy in a small town, shooting off his gun for the first time. Then he may become the source of ridicule. How he reacts to this is pivotal. If he can see the humor and laugh at himself, things will go well. If he cannot, and takes himself too seriously, the transition will be toughest on him.

5. 

   Find a work mentor. An older, experienced supervisor who has been there and done that is a perfect find for a new supervisor or manager. You can run ideas by her, ask for advice in handling performance problems and get some ideas on fixing things that may go wrong. Listen to your mentor, who really does want you to be successful. This is almost as good as a couple of years of experience. If your workplace doesn’t have a mentor program, do it informally by asking someone you admire to help you.

6. Keep your ego in check. Don’t be easily bruised or offended if you can help it. This is a time of growth and change for you and the faster you can learn to let things go, the easier it will be for you. You will make mistakes and maybe lots of them. Some people even go back to non-supervisory jobs because they decide they were happier as individual contributors, but you owe it to yourself to figure out where you belong. Give the process at least one year before giving up and going backward.

7. Understand that your friends, now your subordinates, will not be privy to everything anymore. Do not betray the company’s trust or secrets. Your career and future must come before your workplace friendships.

Tips & Warnings

• Do dress the part.

• Do encourage reaction, questions and discussion.

• Do listen to others.