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April 2007
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The key is to build on the relationships you have as buddies while
setting clear boundaries for what is now inappropriate as boss.
You now have new accountabilities, so previous relationships rarely
remain the same.
Here's a list of items you
might want to discuss with your former buddies:
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The change in your role and
relationship: How you plan to balance the relationship from the
past and the relationship for the future? You may separate the
overly social from the workplace and restrict it to after hours
and weekends to help delineate the roles. This might mean that
you don't talk "shop" during off hours and don't talk
personal during business hours, so the lines are clear.
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How you will be acting differently:
Define how you will be supervising them, how often you'll meet,
what your performance expectations are, etc. You may be establishing
new rules - changes from the previous supervisor. Give them the
heads up on your intentions.
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Confidentiality 1: how you
plan to handle the personal information you acquired previously
as their buddy and the boundaries for personal information in
the future.
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Confidentiality 2: that you
cannot share everything with them about other employees, confidential
decisions, etc.
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Accountability: Your job is
to make sure all employees perform to their maximum. That means
if your "buddy" doesn't meet your performance expectations,
you will inform him/her of the facts. This won't be easy, but
it's a must for you and them to succeed.
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Communication Style: Buddy
comments may not be appropriate with the Boss. So, bring these
out into the open. Let them know that you'll be cautious in how
you make the transition. Additionally, remind them that conversations
need to be respectful and perhaps less playful - depending on
how you "played" previously.
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Ask for their patience as
you learn. You will be establishing yourself and perhaps will
make a mistake or two. Ask for their feedback to help you succeed
and don't forget to apologize when you've made an error. Genuine
apologies along the learning curve go a long way in building honest
relationships with your new employees.
Good luck!
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If
you're not
having fun
with your
human resources,
call Arlene today
at 952-996-0975 |
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The
Organizational Perspective
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 I
recently conducted a half-day training seminar I call From Buddy
to Boss. We deliberately kept this public seminar contained
to a small group of attendees to allow for more interaction
and were pleased when weeks ahead of the program, we had a waiting
list for the June 6th repeat session.
The attendees at the seminar
comprised a wide variety of industries, from non-profits, to
public sector, to for-profits. But they all had one thing in
common – they’d been promoted to supervisory positions
and needed assistance in making the transition.
So what is it about our
organizations that promote employees into management roles yet
fail to help them succeed? We assume that just because employees
are good at performing their job and are ready for a greater
challenge, that they innately possess supervisory skills. Basically,
we make it hard for our fledgling supervisors to succeed.
So let’s start with
how to transition our new bosses. Think back to the most recent
internal promotion in your organization. Once you selected the
best candidate, how did you announce the promotion? (a) Did
the person quietly slip into the new role unobserved? (b) Did
you announce the promotion formally to the team/department?
(c) Did you announce the promotion throughout the organization?
If you answered “c,”
you’re on the right track. It’s important that the
organization celebrate the success and promotion of the new
employee. Not only does it further the reward, it sets the stage
for the person’s role. It clears some of the barriers to
a smooth success because the organization has shown support
for the person and their new responsibilities.
So you’ve made the
announcement. Now, what have you done to pave the way in the
employee’s department? Were there other coworkers (buddies)
who also wanted the position who are now upset that they were
denied the opportunity? This is typically ignored but can be
somewhat resolved if the exiting manager or the next level manager
communicates openly and clearly with the rejected and non-rejected
employees. Let them know that it was a difficult decision, but
that you fully support the new manager and expect them to do
the same. Reinforce the strengths of the individuals and the
team showing how you value them and how important they are to
the organization’s and team’s success. More often,
we merely make the managerial change and forget that the employees
also have recognition and informational needs related to the
change.
Copyright (c)
2007 Arlene Vernon, HRx, Inc.
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Now
for the Manager
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Ready, set, go!!!! It
seems so easy to get the new manager off and running, but
we all know that’s not the case. The first thing the
Buddy, now Boss, needs to do is make a re-entry into the department.
I recommend the Boss meet one-on-one with each former buddy
to discuss what the employees need from their new supervisor.
The Boss needs to play consultant and make sure he or she
is not making assumptions about the department’s needs
or the individuals’ needs.
Even if you know all the
answers, if you ignore the input of the new team and fail
to ask their opinions, perspectives, professional objectives,
recommended changes, etc, you’re missing out on a huge
opportunity to build new relationships and set the stage for
supervisory success.
In this discussion, you
should also discuss how you plan to supervise and manage.
You should have an image of your intended style and a plan
for implementation. For example:
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Individual Meetings: How often will you be meeting 1:1 with
each employee? Weekly? Bi-weekly? Monthly? It’s important
that you develop and strengthen these relationships with “formal”
update meetings. Not only will rapport be enhanced, but it
will also make performance review time much easier. Be sure
to create a routine agenda for these meetings so everyone
knows what to expect.
• Department Meetings: How often are these meetings?
What is your objective for these meetings? What wasn’t
communicated when you were buddy, that now you’ll communicate
in a timely manner? If your predecessor didn’t conduct
meetings, this is your time to shine. But only if you structure
them wisely and productively. Most importantly, don’t
brush them off. We’ve all seen managers who schedule
meetings, but then find something more important to do. While
something else might pop up periodically on your schedule,
if you view this as sacred time with your team, so will they.
This is just a start.
There are so many more steps Buddies need to take to succeed
as Boss. Make sure you have a clear understanding of your
responsibilities, the expectations your manager has for you,
and knowledge of your role in the organization. Frequently,
organizations assume you know all this. Don’t make assumptions.
Also, ask for help. Is
there someone in the organization who’s been through
a similar experience who can mentor you? Don’t let your
boss assume that you can magically succeed without some guidance
and education. Of course, if you’re looking for a great
program with other new bosses, call or email me so I can add
you to our attendance roster for a repeat of From Buddy to
Boss on June 6, 2007.
Copyright (c) 2007 Arlene
Vernon, HRx, Inc.
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| About
Arlene Vernon |
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Arlene Vernon,
PHR, partners with small businesses as their Human Resource Xpert
to create their HR systems and solve their HR problems.
If you have gaps in your HR operation, have an employee problem
to solve, or want to enhance your managers' skills, call Arlene
today. Learn how HRx can save you time and help you avoid costly
HR mistakes. HRx, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN 55344, 952-996-0975,
www.HRxcellence.com.
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