What I have found in coaching and consulting people who get promoted to new levels of leadership is that it seems overwhelming for them. They drop some of the things that could support them while they sort through a new role, new responsibilities, new people to meet, and new and often unclear expectations. There is a lot of pressure getting up to speed with so much change.
Along with the excitement of the promotion, many underlying things can be triggered, such as feeling that one has surpassed their level of knowledge, expertise and know-how, and a sense of wanting to prove oneself.
Often, when I coach a person who has just been promoted, I find that their coaching slows down or drops off for a month or two. When we reconnect, there are many things that the coaching could have supported them with if only they had created the space to have a coaching session or two. It is like they have gone into a deep dive with no chance to come up for air. Once they surface, they can see the bigger picture again. And, with that, some course adjustments may be made.
Creating the space for coaching at these times can seem impossible even when people logically know it would support them. To create the space, one or two hours of space in a month, for a supportive, forward-moving coaching conversation, here are some simple tips:
- Breath, breath, and breath
- Remember what is essential – your perspective, your prioritization, and your well being
- Use your Coach as a sounding board, to think aloud, to organize your thoughts, gain more perspective, and find a practical path forward being strategic and prioritizing what will save you time and energy in the long run
- Focus on the big picture, what key things to address, getting to know your people and new stakeholders and what is important to them, building relationships, collaborating, creating a strategic plan with the latest information (if you have not already done so) with input from others, creating an action plan that also supports the development of your teams, and, then, support the implementation
- Remember that the transition will take some time and will benefit from consistent reflection
Start on the right foot. Keep support at the top of your plan. I’ll see you there!
Jamie
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