Pop the champagne because you’ve finally received that promotion you’ve been waiting for! Your hard work has paid off, and while you might be quite excited about getting started in your new role, you need to prepare yourself for what lies ahead.
A promotion usually comes with an increased salary and updated scope of work, but those are not the only things changes it brings.
Expectations
Now that you’re one step up, you will be expected to take more ownership of your projects. People will be looking at you to drive results, and you’ll need to prove to your bosses that their decision to promote you was prudent.
Find out their expectations, not only in terms of specific deliverables and KPIs, but how they see you growing with them. Work towards upskilling yourself – focus on developing better communication and decision-making skills.
Work Relationships
Whether you like it or not, this step up is going to change your relationship with members of your team. Be prepared a few bumps along the way as you move from working alongside your peers to overseeing their work.
There are chances you might face some issues when you first make this transition. If you feel like you’re being taken for granted or that your team is not taking your decisions seriously, be firm and push back. Have a team meeting shortly after you settle into your new role – communicate openly and don’t hesitate to ask for support if you need it.
Personal Life
As you grapple with the changing dynamics of your work relationships, don’t forget about those relationships outside of the office. Your new role might have you feeling all fancy, but the extra responsibility might eat away into your personal time as you find yourself travelling more often or responding to urgent emails and taking calls at odd hours.
It might be hard to find the right balance between work and play for the first few months. In the meantime, make a conscious attempt to integrate the demands of your new role into your personal life. Have a chat with your family, friends or significant other about the changes in your workload. This will help to manage their expectations, and once they’re on the same page, they will be able to support you better through the transition.
