So you got the promotion. Brilliant. If you’re anything like most leaders I work with, you're probably excited and up for the challenge of a role with a bigger scope and the chance for more autonomy and impact. But transitioning into a new role can be tricky.
When you get promoted you’re operating at a higher level than you used to, people are watching to see how you do and the pressure is often on to make a difference quickly. (Yesterday would be ideal.) All of which means it’s easy to fall prey to one or more of the common promotion pitfalls that can catch people out.
Some are more common when you move companies and the business context is new to you, others are more likely to trip you up if you’re promoted internally Either way, forewarned is forearmed, so here are some of the common ones to anticipate and some of the strategies you can use to overcome them
Taking action too quickly
In the quest to have an impact, hit the ground running and make a difference, action feels like the way to go. If you’re not making decisions at pace and taking action are you even a leader?!
It’s especially easy to feel that other people expect you to take action. The problem with this is when you don’t yet have the context for what is the right action to take. The risk is you solve the wrong problem, fail to get buy in and ultimately damage (rather than build) your credibility. This goes double if you’re joining a new business where the suggestions you make are things that have already been tried, or where there is a good reason why they wouldn’t work
To avoid this temptation, I advise clients to expect to spend the first month or so in their new role with their attention focused on learning rather than taking action. Set out at the start what you need to learn and craft a plan for how you will gain that understanding
Not prioritising relationships
A colleague of mine once had a new manager who came in as a director to manage an established and well regarded team. It was an unmitigated disaster for one simple reason – the new director was so focused on the projects they needed to be involved with they completely failed to build relationships with their team in the early days
Bearing in mind there had been a gap while the role was filled, the team had been used to autonomy and being involved in senior level conversations so noses were firmly out of joint when the implication they felt was ‘thanks but I’m here now’. Not to mention the leader was chasing their tail doing stuff they didn’t need to do because they hadn’t taken the time to understand what their team was actually capable of
When you start a new role, be intentional about building relationships. Listen more than talk and focus on building your understanding of what your team is capable of, as well as how they like to be managed
Doing ‘more’ rather than ‘different’
One of the best things about promotions is they often come with a pay rise. One of the worst things about a pay rise is when you subconsciously feel that means you need to work harder to justify it.
Added to which, if you’ve been promoted internally there is often a gap left in your old role which needs covering. And if you’ve gained your promotion from a move to a new business you’ve filled a vacancy, meaning people are often waiting for you to arrive and get through the stuff that’s been piling up.
It’s a very common pattern to see people get promoted and start to work longer hours. Coupled with this is a feeling of overwhelm – even with working long hours, the list keeps getting longer. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.
Newsflash. The solution is not to just keep working harder (that way, madness lies). It is to get really clear on the true priorities and start to operate differently. Take some time to consider and get clear on what sits with you and what now needs to sit with others. Ask yourself ‘what is the current top priority for me and my team?’ and ensure that is communicated to enable the team to support you
Imposter Syndrome & Self Doubt
A chunky promotion should be good for confidence, surely? Whoever gave you the job obviously thought you could do it. Well yes. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find it tough. Instead of being the expert in your previous role, you’re suddenly back a few steps and in the place where you don’t know what you don’t know.
That can be enough to trigger a wobble or two. True imposter syndrome is the experience where you don’t internalise your achievements and hence you feel like you’re less capable than other people perceive you to be. Instead of revelling in your new role it can lead you to constantly try to prove yourself, keep control of every detail and worry that people will one day realise you’re not all that.
Even if you don’t feel like an imposter, self-doubt can rear its ugly head. Have you bitten off more than you can chew? Do you need to accept you’re just not cut out for this level? If you’re feeling this stuff right now, I’ve written before about Imposter Syndrome and Self Doubt – you can read that blog here for strategies to handle it
Team members not wanting a boss, and especially not you
One of the hardest things to handle in a new leadership role is someone who is disengaged with the idea of you being their boss. Sometimes that’s about the way they have been managed before. Sometimes it’s about the fact they were a peer and now you’re their manager. Occasionally they might just be an awkward so-and-so who wants to be left to their own devices.
When you’re faced with someone who doesn’t hide their distaste for taking direction from you it can be easy to bury your head in the sand and hope they will come around. The chances of that happening are slim. Addressing it doesn’t have to be combative, but it normally does have to be done.
Rather than waiting for the dust to settle and hoping the situation will resolve itself, it can be helpful to sit down with someone and acknowledge that they may not think the situation is ideal. Invite their suggestions for how to make it as constructive a working relationship as possible
If you’re heading into a new leadership role, you can grab a free copy of my full Promotion Pitfalls checklist. It contains all of the common pitfalls I see, along with tips for how to avoid or minimise the impact when they happen