Count down for the working days of your previous boss is finished and his place is being taken by a new man. You do not know him, he does not know you, you have to learn to get on well together for everyone’s benefit. Without taking responsibility on your side, it cannot happen. Therefore, Chery Gelgeman, consultant, writer and president of the Giana Consulting, advised in the Smart Blogs website how to prepare properly for the expected change in leadership.
There many more things happening in your working life than a "mere" change in top management. You and your own team are just trying to finalize the project. Everyone is tired and stressed out and it is getting harder to stay positive and responsible. So even though you may have heard that your new boss is know as a "charmer", nerves are stressed.
Put your cards on the table
As with any meeting, it is important that each side understands the other. However, this will not successfully happen, if you do not have the proper attitude and desire to do it. If you are a leader and changes are made in the line above, be the first to make contact and give a friendly handshake.
Suggest a meeting with your new supervisor, as a friendly gesture, and prepare the following information:
- performance of your team;
- team history, work style and methods that you use;
- organizational charts;
- metrics that you use;
- information on the current status and plans on which you are working.
Be completely honest and straightforward in terms of strengths and weaknesses of the team. Your new boss will welcome you taking the first step and helping him to:
- understand his work and determine the functioning of the company;
- integrate into the team;
- see colleagues instead of human resources;
- develop his own potential within the functioning of the team and the organization.
Thanks to these steps, you have just created an ally who can more quickly and more efficiently tune into the rhythm of your team. He will be more likely to offer you a helping hand and give ideas when you need them.
Keep your open attitude during in the following weeks, months and years. It definitely pays to “educate” your boss rather than discover later that his approach is not helpful and he has no idea what the problems are. Keep your channels of direct communication open with regular updates about what you are working on and your results. Let him know when you are successful and when you may need his help.
Congrats. You have just welcomed your boss into your world. How well does he orientate in it?
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