Having a managerial transition period can always be a stressful endeavour. You might want to know who your new boss actually is, and what kind of working culture he is going to bring to the office. Changes of leadership are part of your career development and showing that you are adaptable to different bosses and working environments. You can add your ability to work under different leaderships to the professional skills part of your CV.
So whether you are about to undergo a transition or just want to prepare for the eventuality, we are here to help you with our top tips for handling a change of leadership in the workplace.
What to expect from a new boss
The first thing you need to remember is that they will themselves likely have to go through a learning or transition process. This means you can already present yourself as a useful source of guidance for the new manager. Building a relationship of trust is essential in the workplace and you can be considered trustworthy by immediately being the source of information for the new manager. Nevertheless, remember too that he or she will be busy their first few weeks.
In addition, take note of the following tips for the start of the new manager’s tenure :
- Send a friendly greeting email outlining your role. Even if you have likely discussed this with them in person, its normal that they forget, so an introductory
- Try to already schedule one-to-one meetings on a regular basis.
- Create an organisational chart with all the team and their CVs so that the manager can be
- Go through the annual goals. Make the manager understand where your team is at fulfilling and what difficulties they are facing.
What to do with a disruptive new manager?
If a new manager comes in and wants to settle in by laying down a marker and being tough this is normal. They are probably acting on an insecurity, as they can be afraid of a failure to click as much as you are. The best solution in this case is to try to understand how the person thinks professionally.
They could be a big picture person, who is annoyed if you come to them with too many details. Try to narrow down your problems to more executive, broad decisions for them to take.
They could also be a micromanager, which may be frustrating. Try to confront them more head on about what you two can achieve together working on a project without their being a hierarchical element to the relationship until it is finished.
The important thing is communication and earning trust. With these two principles in mind, you will go through the managerial transition in no time.