Transformation is what it’s called now. I’ve heard it called many different things….reorganization, realignment, the pursuit of operational excellence. Most of the time, it means you have a new boss. This is one of the most stressful situations you can have in your professional life. I’ve been fortunate to have some really great leaders. I’ve had a few not so great leaders. In IT, most in leadership have held a technical role at some point in their career. Some have been able to hold on to that technical skill but many have not. Your new boss might be new to leadership, which presents a different set of challenges. I would like to share some advice that might make dealing with this situation a little easier:
1.) Be genuine. When you meet your boss for the first time, make sure you show them who you really are. Part of developing a rapport with people includes letting your guard down a little. You are both human beings with goals, strengths, weaknesses, dreams, hobbies, etc. Everyone is unique. Don’t be afraid to show what makes you unique.
2.) Learn their expectations. Ask questions. Ask your new boss what their expectations are. What they value. What frustrates them. This can be very valuable in the long run. Managing people is hard anyway. If you give them an avenue to share what their expectations are, they will be grateful for that.
3.) Setup weekly sync-ups. This gives you even more one on one opportunity to develop that rapport. Always prepare a list of things you want to discuss or go over in these sync-ups.
4.) Ask them if you can assist them with any issues or challenges they are facing. Maybe they’re under the gun and need to put together a quick slide deck. Maybe they just need to get additional information from someone. This shows them that you care about what their challenges are and understand that ultimately, their challenges are your challenges.
5.) Be attentive. Yes, this means that if they send you an email at 7pm. Respond quickly. Even if you don’t have the answer, a simple “I’m not sure on that but I’ll do some checking” is better than nothing. You won’t see this in any HR manual but most leaders subconsciously value this high level of attentiveness.
I hope these things help the transition you might be facing.
-Cheers
