Recently Promoted

8 ways to hit the ground running

You have just started in a new job. Here are some strategies to help you reach that point where your company needs you as much as you need your monthly salary.

1. Ascend the Learning Curve
All new jobs require stepping up. Put time aside, perhaps early morning or initially at weekends, to learn about the company, its markets, products, technology, processes etc. Remember the ‘T’ approach, a broad knowledge across the top, but a ‘deep’ knowledge in your area of expertise. Make sure you know what you need to know and know where and how to can find out the rest!

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2. What is the reality?
You need to diagnose the business situation your company or department is in, including the challenges and opportunities ahead. For example, do you have the resources to move forward? You need to know where you are at before you can develop your action plan.

3. Staff Relationships
You will achieve little without the support of your staff. There is a very short period of opportunity to get staff on board. Be sensitive to history and company culture. How do you want to be perceived by staff? If you are inheriting a team, you will need to evaluate its members. Perhaps you need to restructure it to better meet demands of the situation. Your willingness to make tough early personnel calls and your capacity to select the right people for the right positions are among the most important drivers of success during your transition.

4. New opportunity for everyone
You need to help everyone else, direct reports, bosses, and peers adapt to the new situation. The quicker you can get your new direct reports up to speed, the more you will help your own performance.

5. Secure quick wins
Quick victories build your credibility and create momentum. What actions can you implement quickly, that will get you noticed for the right reasons and create goodwill with staff. Often the early wins can be reducing bureaucracy, giving staff more responsibility to make decisions (demonstrates trust) or eliminating bottlenecks in business processes.

6. A new outlook

You are in a new position, time to own it. Don't assume that what has made you successful so far will continue to do so. A common danger is hanging on to elements of your old job, sticking with what you know, working hard at doing it, but failing in your new position.

7. Support from above
You need to figure out how to build a productive working relationship with your new boss and manage his or her expectations. Frequent one-to-one meetings, especially in the first few weeks is always useful, giving you an opportunity to discuss and gain support for new initiatives, proposed actions and of course your on-going personal development.

8. Networking
Your success will depend on your ability to influence people outside your direct line of control. Supportive alliances, both internal and external, will be necessary to achieve your goals. If you are serious about climbing to the top of the career ladder you also need to be visible within the industry not just within your company. Remembering networking is working.

So often companies view moving into a new role, especially at a management level as ‘sink or swim.’
If an amount equivalent to the new manager’s salary was invested in new IT systems, a considerable amount of time and energy would go into testing the compatibility of the new IT system, getting its implementation right first time etc. Surely recently promoted staff, moving into senior positions, and representing a substantial investment on the company’s part, deserve similar support and attention especially in the first few weeks?

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