Promotion and other disasters…

BlueLulo
BlueLulo
Aug 9, 2017 · 2 min read

Promotion is a bit like having a baby, things will never be the same. It is supposed to be all rainbows and unicorns, but it isn’t quite. On the long, and somewhat commonsensical list of things that contribute to stress, you will find happy events like e.g. getting married. Surprised? All things have two sides (yep I graduated from the Academy of Obvious). And while promotion means recognition of your hard work and more money, it also means that your friends will no longer be your friends, that you no longer can bitch about the company and have to start throwing in corp slogans every second sentence to prove your loyalty.

Let’s face it, it is going to be tricky. Promotion means pressure to perform, responsibility, scrutiny and at times loneliness, but that’s what you get paid extra for. Human nature is such, that people get their feelings hurt when someone decides that you are smarter and more deserving then they are. Here are few damage control techniques that may assist you in your hike up the ladder:

· Humility — the fact that you became a boss overnight does not mean that your IQ suddenly doubled. Try not to change the way you communicate with others, recognise and maybe admit to yourself that although you got the job this does not imply your superiority. Don’t discount the luck, yeah you maybe a be a genius, but also you might have been just more lucky…. because you look like boss’s son.

· Heart — get it in the right place, if you got the job because you are more competent than others, in caring about and managing people, show it. What makes you a better person makes you a better leader, so being considerate is a win / win for everyone.

· Hold on — do not start to reinvent the wheel and move desks around on Day 1. Obviously, it is very tempting to pee in every corner and slaughter lion cubs to mark your territory, but…just don’t. Stop, breath, settle in first, get a better appreciation of the situation and the people from your brand-new point of few. Be respectful of your predecessors and the decisions they have made, make yours with time and reason.

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