The Manager’s Playbook: Navigating the leadership challenge. Beware these 7 transition traps.
Being appointed to the role of leader or manager for the first time is both challenging and exhilarating, triggering a range of emotions, from excitement and a sense of achievement, to apprehension or even fear.
In a survey of over 1,300 senior HR leaders, nearly 90% agreed that "transitions in to new roles are the most challenging times in the professional lives of leaders" (Watkins, Your Next Move, 2009).
Understanding key transition challenges.
As a new leader, the primary task for managing a successful transition into your new role is to identify and set out the right strategic priorities for you and your team. And stay focused on them.
However, there are a list of common transition challenges that can derail good intentions and get in the way:
Time pressures and intense learning curve
Being overwhelmed with immediate firefighting and task-driven priorities
Needing to invest in building new networks and forging new stakeholder relationships
Dealing with legacy issues from the predecessor
Challenges on inheriting or building a team and/or having to make tough personnel decisions
For external hires, a lack of experience of the company culture, which may inadvertently lead to gaffes and early political blunders – all of which can take time to recover
Getting the balance right between moving too fast and moving too slow
Letting go.
When successfully making the transition to leader or manager, a critical first step is letting go of current attachments as quickly as possible. You need to refocus all your time, energy and thoughts on the new role. Your former role is no longer your responsibility.
However, some managers can stay involved in their previous role for the wrong reason. Niamh O-Keeffe, in her book, Your First 100 Days, identified four key barriers to letting go:
Preference to stay in comfort zone
Concern about managing their legacy
Emotional ties to the team
A false belief that no one else could be good enough to take over
Common transition traps.
Even if you successfully manage to 'let go' of your previous role, there are still a number of 'transition traps' to be aware of. These can occur any time you get promoted, as each one is a transition point, not just when you make that first transition from team member to manager or leader.
Below is a list of common transition traps, from the aforementioned 2009 Watkins survey:
Sticking with what you know - you believe you'll be successful in the new role by doing the same things you did in your previous role, only more so. You fail to see that the new role requires you to stop doing some things and embrace new competencies
Falling prey to the "action imperative" – You feel you need to take action, and you try too hard, too early to put your own stamp on things. You are too busy to learn, and you make bad decisions and catalyse resistance to your initiatives
Setting unrealistic expectations. You don’t negotiate your mandate or establish clear, achievable objectives. You many perform well but still fail to meet the expectations of your boss and other stakeholders
Attempting too much. You rush off in all directions, launching multiple initiatives in the home that some will pay off. People become confused and no critical mass of resources gets focused on key initiatives
Coming in with 'the' answer. You come in with your mind made up, or your reach conclusions too quickly about 'the' problem and 'the' solutions. You alienate people who could help you understand what's going on, and you squander opportunities to develop support for good solutions
Engaging in the wrong type of learning. You spend too much time focused on learning about the technical part of the business and not enough about the cultural and political dimensions of your new role. You don’t build the cultural insight, relationships, and information conduits you need if you are to understand what is really going on
Neglecting horizontal relationships. You spend too much time focused on vertical relationships – up to the boss and down to direct reports – and not enough on peers and other stakeholders. You don’t fully understand what it will take to succeed, and you miss early opportunities to build supportive alliances.
Essential transition tasks.
When exploring the challenges – and opportunities – associated with moving into a new role, there are a number of authors and management experts who emphasise the importance of the first 90 or 100 days. Whilst a bad transition doesn’t necessary doom you to failure, a successful first 90/100 days is often seen as a strong predictor or overall success in a new role.
To meet the challenges outlined above, Michael D. Watkins, in his book, The First 90 Days (2013) proposes that there are fundamental principles that underpin success in transitions at all levels. These include:
Prepare yourself. This means making a mental break from your old job and preparing to take charge in the new one. The biggest pitfall you face is assuming that what has made you successful to this point will continue to do so
Accelerate your learning. Climb the learning curve as fast as you can. Be systematic and focused about what you need to learn and how
Match your strategy to the situation. Different types of situations will require you to make your transition in different ways. A clear diagnosis of the situation is an essential prerequisite for developing your transition action plan
Secure early wins. Early wins build credibility and create momentum. As soon as possible identify opportunities to build personal credibility
Negotiate success. As soon as possible figure out how to build a productive working relationship with your new boss. Discuss expectations, working style, resources and your personal development. Gain agreement to your transition plan
Build your team. If you are inheriting a team, you need to evaluate, align and mobilise its members. Be systematic and structured in approaching the team building challenge
Create coalitions. Success in the wider organisational context depends on your ability to influence people outside of your direct line of control. Supportive alliances, both internal and external, are necessary if you are to achieve your goals
Keep your balance. Making a transition can be tumultuous both personal and professionally. It can be easy to lose perspective, become isolated or even make bad decisions. Build your support network and identify those you can use as a sounding board
Accelerate everyone. When moving into a new role, you aren’t the only one going through a transition – those around you are as well. Help those around you – direct reports, your boss and peers – also get up to speed and establish new working relationships as quickly as possible
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