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Energy and a tested framework for planning and prioritizing actions play critical roles in accelerating transition to a new job. There is no single way to manage a leadership transition.
However, there is a disciplined framework for dodging vulnerabilities as well as capitalizing on the opportunities that come with a new role.
Consider the case of two leaders of different divisions in a firm who had very similar personal reactions to being promoted into new managerial jobs. To complicate matters, their firm was undergoing a resizing. Both had the usual apprehensive reactions to the unknowns and changes, including stress, frustration, and some insecurity. One of the recently promoted leaders passed his frustrations and uncertainty on to his new reports, focusing on the most pessimistic scenarios and giving vague but forceful directives. The other executed his transition plan, managed his own reactions, and didn't transfer his negative personal emotions to the firm.
The first is an exceptional operator when things are clear and the road ahead is open. But when there is uncertainty, he gets frustrated and blames his staff. His new reports are running and hiding: they're avoiding him, hoping that with time he'll settle down.
His counterpart recognized that he has a tendency to feel insecure in a new position, and that the restructuring environment would exacerbate his insecurity. So he took steps to smooth his transition to the new leadership role. He used a transition coach from Moravec and Associates to define the imperatives of a successful transition and incorporate them into a strategic take charge from the start transition plan to guide his actions. He keeps tabs on his mind-set, recognizing when he's in a slump, and takes time to reflect with his behind-the-scenes coach and focus on what can be accomplished in the situation. He uses the framework developed with his coach to focus his energy so he can bring out the best in himself and others while countering the problems and moving forward.
The latter manager's division is doing much better, in terms of its climate and performance. In fact, the combination of the use of a transition coach, disciplined transition tactics, and the creation of a healthy climate can account for 25 to 35 percent of the variation in business results during transition to a new leadership role.
(The names of the persons, company and certain situations are disguised due to a confidentiality agreement. The actual client approved the case study)