3 tips for moving between roles successfully
Imagine you are finishing one role and moving-on to another. The new role can be inside or outside your present organisation. One ending leads to a new beginning. So how can you manage the transition successfully? Let’s consider three steps for making this happen.
1) You can move-on from the present role successfully.
Finishing is a key skill in life – so how can you move-on in a positive way? One approach is to say: “Let’s imagine I was going freelance – but I also wanted to be able to return and get work from my present organisation. How would I behave? How would I complete the outstanding jobs? How would I hand-over the ongoing projects? What would be the actual words I would like people saying about me after I left? What reputation would I like to leave? How can I leave my present role in a positive way?” Bearing these answers in mind, try completing the following sentence.
The specific things I can do to move on
from my present role successfully are:
*
*
*
2) You can manage the transition successfully.
Perhaps you are planning to take some time-out. If so, do whatever is necessary to get yourself in shape - whether it is to take a holiday, move house or whatever. You will then move into the next stage – preparing properly before taking up your new role. Rightly or wrongly, people will make early judgements about your performance. So it will be important to hit the ground running. Let’s assume that you have made clear contracts with the key sponsors about ‘What’ must be delivered, ‘How’ and by ‘When’. You have a clear brief and mandate – plus the support required to do the job. Before starting the new role, ask yourself the following questions.
* Who are the key sponsors? What are the key challenges they face? What is their picture of success? What are the results I must deliver? How can I help the organisation to achieve success?
* What are the Dos and Don’ts in the culture? How can I be true to myself, yet also respect the culture? Who are the positive people in the organisation? How can I spend time working with them? Who may be the difficult people? How can I get alongside them and help them to succeed? How can I show respect to my new colleagues?
* How can I hit the ground running? What must I do before the first day? What can I do on the first day? Who will I meet? Who do I want to meet? How can I reassure people they have made the right decision to hire me? How can I deliver some early wins? How can I then sustain the momentum over the next weeks and months? What do I want people to be saying about me – and my contribution – after six months? How can I do my best to make this happen?
Rehearse everything. Picture arriving on the first day; meeting your colleagues; meeting your sponsors; attending the first business meetings; talking with customers; leaving at the end of the first day and so on. Practice everything so there will be no surprises. Or, at least, there will be fewer surprises. Try completing the following sentence.
The specific things I can do to manage
the transition successfully are:
*
*
*
3) You can move into the new role successfully.
“During the old days new leaders were given at least 100 days to acquaint themselves with the job,” said one MD. “Nowadays it is different. People make judgements almost immediately. So leaders must set the tone much earlier - otherwise employees say: “Nothing has changed.”
The same rule applies in any role. People will make quick decisions about whether you can perform the job. So do whatever you can to be positive, professional and deliver peak performances. Starting well is essential – and so is maintaining the momentum. Be crystal-clear on your aims and make a road-map for the first six months. Get some early successes in the bank, because these will buy you time. Then press on with encouraging other people, doing great work and helping the organisation to achieve success. People are then more likely to see you as an addition to the business. Try completing the following sentence.
The specific things I can do to move
into the new role successfully are:
*
*
*
Finishing is a key skill in life – so how can you move-on in a positive way? One approach is to say: “Let’s imagine I was going freelance – but I also wanted to be able to return and get work from my present organisation. How would I behave? How would I complete the outstanding jobs? How would I hand-over the ongoing projects? What would be the actual words I would like people saying about me after I left? What reputation would I like to leave? How can I leave my present role in a positive way?” Bearing these answers in mind, try completing the following sentence.
The specific things I can do to move on
from my present role successfully are:
*
*
*
2) You can manage the transition successfully.
Perhaps you are planning to take some time-out. If so, do whatever is necessary to get yourself in shape - whether it is to take a holiday, move house or whatever. You will then move into the next stage – preparing properly before taking up your new role. Rightly or wrongly, people will make early judgements about your performance. So it will be important to hit the ground running. Let’s assume that you have made clear contracts with the key sponsors about ‘What’ must be delivered, ‘How’ and by ‘When’. You have a clear brief and mandate – plus the support required to do the job. Before starting the new role, ask yourself the following questions.
* Who are the key sponsors? What are the key challenges they face? What is their picture of success? What are the results I must deliver? How can I help the organisation to achieve success?
* What are the Dos and Don’ts in the culture? How can I be true to myself, yet also respect the culture? Who are the positive people in the organisation? How can I spend time working with them? Who may be the difficult people? How can I get alongside them and help them to succeed? How can I show respect to my new colleagues?
* How can I hit the ground running? What must I do before the first day? What can I do on the first day? Who will I meet? Who do I want to meet? How can I reassure people they have made the right decision to hire me? How can I deliver some early wins? How can I then sustain the momentum over the next weeks and months? What do I want people to be saying about me – and my contribution – after six months? How can I do my best to make this happen?
Rehearse everything. Picture arriving on the first day; meeting your colleagues; meeting your sponsors; attending the first business meetings; talking with customers; leaving at the end of the first day and so on. Practice everything so there will be no surprises. Or, at least, there will be fewer surprises. Try completing the following sentence.
The specific things I can do to manage
the transition successfully are:
*
*
*
3) You can move into the new role successfully.
“During the old days new leaders were given at least 100 days to acquaint themselves with the job,” said one MD. “Nowadays it is different. People make judgements almost immediately. So leaders must set the tone much earlier - otherwise employees say: “Nothing has changed.”
The same rule applies in any role. People will make quick decisions about whether you can perform the job. So do whatever you can to be positive, professional and deliver peak performances. Starting well is essential – and so is maintaining the momentum. Be crystal-clear on your aims and make a road-map for the first six months. Get some early successes in the bank, because these will buy you time. Then press on with encouraging other people, doing great work and helping the organisation to achieve success. People are then more likely to see you as an addition to the business. Try completing the following sentence.
The specific things I can do to move
into the new role successfully are:
*
*
*
posted by Mike Pegg at
17:20
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