Three Counterintuitive Things to Do After a Promotion
You just found out that you got a promotion and you feel both extreme excitement and dread of your new responsibilities. You think you have what it takes and you know that others believe in you. But as you climb the corporate ladder, you need to evaluate the changes you need to make in order to be successful in your new position.
This post was originally published on Fast Company .
There is probably still a hint of uncertainty about whether you can succeed at this next level. To counter this, you invest yourself in learning what you need to do next and who to impress.
If you only think about doing more work and making more people happy, then you are setting yourself up for potential failure, burnout … or both. Working with time coaching and teaching clients around the world, I have learned that in order to be successful after a promotion, you need to go beyond conventional strategies and go for exceptional ones.
Here are three counterintuitive truths that will increase your chances of success after a promotion:
Determine what you will no longer do
This is simple arithmetic. If you spend more time in one area, you need to spend less time in another. This means that in addition to determining what you will do after your promotion, you need to determine what you will no longer do. This can mean reducing the number of projects you are responsible for — instead of creating reports, models, or proposals, just browse through them. This could mean transferring some of your direct reports to another manager. This may mean that you will be responding to fewer emails that the assistant can reply to.
It is important to clarify what you will not do for a number of reasons:
- It helps you understand when you need to delegate rather than do it yourself.
- This allows subordinates to take full responsibility for their work.
- It forces you to really do your new job.
In the beginning, you will be worse off at your new tasks than at the work you did before. But if you have the courage to master these new skills instead of clinging to the familiar territory of your last position, then you are giving yourself a great chance to become a master on the next level.
Rely more on others and feel free to delegate
Yes, you were promoted because you were recognized for your skills, hard work and potential. It can make it tempting – especially if you’re feeling a little insecure about your progress – hordes at work. You want to show that you can do everything yourself – and well.
The only problem is that every time you get promoted, you need to depend more, not less, on others. This means that there will be a team around you in the office that can remove responsibility from you so that you can carry out higher-level strategic and managerial work.
It also means getting more support outside the office – be it a cleaning lady, nanny, cook, or someone else you need to get things done so you have more room to recharge when you’re not at work. It also means finding mentors and coaches who can help you improve your leadership skills, from time management to communication and everything in between.
You’ve never done your job before, so it’s okay not to know what to do . However, you won’t do well if you don’t master the skills you need to succeed at the next level.
Stick to your core priorities
The higher you go in your organization, the more important the basics are. You don’t need less sleep, you need more – and to be more strict, make that a priority. Lack of sleep dramatically reduces your emotional control, decision-making ability, and productivity. You cannot afford to compromise them on the next level.
You don’t need less exercise, you need more – or just maintain a rigid physical grooming schedule if you’re already in shape. Regular movement improves your health, mood and energy levels.
You don’t need to spend less time with family, friends, and just relax – you need more. It will give you resilience to the stresses of the ups and downs in your business and give you an idea that there is more to life than work.
After your next promotion, use these strategies to be successful at work and in life.
3 Illegal Things to Do After a Promotion | Fast Company