YOU’RE THE NEW BOSS!

David K. Lindo

You've just been called into your boss's office. "Congratulations!" she says, "You've just been promoted to supervisor. You're the new boss." The problem is that no one has prepared you to succeed in this new role.

You're now responsible for the output of the entire department not just the work you have become proficient at. Yes, there is much more to becoming boss than the old "just get the work out" requirement. As the leader of a work group you must develop your most precious asset — You! And need to do it soon.

When you become supervisor your first concern is to "learn the job." If you are replacing someone else, you'll probably get briefed on what he or she did, and get some help in becoming familiar with those activities. Your time and energies will also be devoted to hiring staff, defining duties, implementing practices, and procedures, and expanding your grasp of control.

Don't stop there. Continued career progress may very well be dependent upon your ability to perfect managerial skills. It turns out they are different than those required to adequately perform in a subordinate role. Let's take a minute to examine eight of the elements of performance that can make the difference between success and failure.

First, evaluate your job performance to date. What were the key components in the decision to select you? How will these components help you succeed in your new position? As supervisor you need to be a leader. You must either generate productive ideas, or the enthusiasm that inspires others to create ideas for you to sponsor. What are you doing "off the job" to improve this leadership skill?

For example, Bob Brother volunteered for the role of coordinator for his firm's United Fund campaign. Although generally recognized as a hard worker, his efforts weren't that visible to top management. However, feedback on his enthusiastic and effective handling of this campaign led to his selection as company representative to other community projects. Through his community involvement he developed and showcased leadership skills that were critical to continued advancement.

Second, create a career strategy. To climb higher you'll need to have a plan to prepare you for each upward step. What's your time schedule for each step? Is two years in each ascending position the proper timing? Some positions require a longer time interval. Without this time orientation, a career becomes a life of wishful thinking and lost opportunities.

Third, find people whose judgement you can respect and advice you will follow. Search them out both within and without your organization. Ask them for advice on what you need to do to be successful in your career plan. A mentor can provide a valuable sounding board for your ideas. Meeting people who get things done, the significant achievers, and establishing personal relationships with them is vital.

Fourth, get involved at the planning or development stage of new projects. This is when you are most likely to have an influence on the outcome. Participate in seminars outside your organization, preferably out of town. Use them as a beta test to determine if you have parochial values or are really open to new ideas and techniques.

Fifth, develop your social and public speaking skills. Are you a good mixer in a group? Does your mode of dress and personal appearance befit your position? Charisma is a skill that can be developed. As you speak to a group, are you and your remarks well received? Of course, toastmaster is a place to practice public speaking, and opportunities at church, school or at professional society functions abound.

To be effective at higher organizational levels you need to develop "recreational" skills. This can't be left to chance or assigned a low priority. To become proficient as a golfer, or at tennis, handball, or bridge takes time and money. Whichever you do, getting a personal trainer to help keep you physical fit, and competitive may be necessary. The adage "a lot of deals get made on the golf course" is true.

Sixth, build your personal image. By now you have developed a matrix of data sources to help you monitor your departmental output, and you have defined yardsticks to measure expenditures in time and costs needed to meet organizational objectives. Have you done the same for your career objectives?

How frequently do you measure your progress? Get some help to determine if your measuring stick is properly calibrated to organizational needs.

Seventh, talk to your boss about his or her goals. Find out if your personal development program is complimentary to theirs. Seek out areas of mutual interest. This will help you get acquainted with his or her circle of associates. Find out all you can about activities he or she is involved in. What is he or she doing to grow both individually and organizationally? Offer to help.

Eighth, analyze members of your organization's management team. Take note especially, of those who got promoted from within the organization. Identify their strong points, special job skills, effective personal qualities, social interests, etc. In addition, discover the interests of your organization’s key customer representatives. Learn how to better serve their needs — this often leads to promotion.

Articles, books, classes define career advancement activities. Passively reading or listening is no substitute for action. Involve yourself to develop yourself. Seek out mentors and sponsors, both within and without the organization. Use their insights for action. Then set priorities and get to work.

Solely concentrating on work assignments, to the exclusion of investing in personal growth objectives, can leave you obsolete, with tunnel-vision, out of the main stream, and relegated to the bench. Instead, be proactive. Invest time and energy developing yourself. The fact that you have been promoted to supervisor is a big step up. Take advantage of this opportunity to develop yourself to better serve the organization. The payoff might just lead you to the President’s office where you can lead your organization on the path to success too. You can do it. After all, you’re the new boss.