Promotion - Handle With Care, Caution

When promoted to a management position for the first time most of us tend to go overboard in assuming responsibilities, supervision, of subordinates and general high handedness. These can prove to be drawbacks that undermine our position.

Many first time managers get promoted to that position by virtue of their ability to do well in their jobs. They carry the same attitude when assuming managerial roles and this can be a setback for their career.

Some first timers tend to assume more control or responsibilities than what they are liable for and this can get them caught on the wrong foot. For instance one such manager proceeded to implement cost-cutting measures without consulting his supervisor and ended up being dismissed as part of a cost-curbing measure. Besides overreaching like this can rattle your superior and close the options for any future promotion.

If you believe that once you are a manager you must get better at what you were doing earlier because that is what got you here, then you cannot be more wrong. Being a manager entails acquiring new skills while enhancing the previous ones. You may have to do bit of unlearning too. In fact, in your new role you should be training people to do what you were good at earlier. If you try to do your earlier job and also fulfill your managerial responsibilities you will end up being over stressed.

When promoted as a manager, remember that your earlier peers or friends will now have to work under you and both of you may the shift in relationships a little difficult. Do not make the mistake or decline in productivity in your subordinates and try to cover for it just because they are friends. Besides your pals may tend to take it easy just because one of their earlier colleagues is their new manager. Covering for your friends may land you in trouble with the management because ultimately you are responsible for the performance of your team. After a promotion spend the first few days on how the relationship with your earlier peers and now subordinates is going to change and how best you can get work done from them and maintain balance in the relationship. You have to draw the lines to establish your authority and credibility. Do not start assuming that your decisions are the most correct and you know the best. Your highhandedness will make you unpopular with your team and they may refuse to cooperate with you. Your arrogance will let you down.