Especially when you take on a new position with more responsibility, you often feel a little nervous before the first days of work. Doubts about your own quick perception, the acceptance of colleagues and employees and the assessment of superiors are caused by possible uncertainty. The faster and more convincingly you accept the new challenges and are open-minded towards your new colleagues and the new tasks from the very beginning, become involved in the company, listen and get feedback early on (so that you can take countermeasures in case of emergency), then nothing more stands in the way of your further career. Make yourself indispensable in your new position - this is the best way to master and secure your own job. It may take you days or even weeks to do this, but then you must be profitable for the company in your new position.
The expectations are high: managers should move their employees in a goal-oriented manner. One of the most effective ways is to inspire the team. The goal of the manager should be to bring a team to peak performance with enthusiasm. You should use the commitment of your employees to drive projects and the tasks you have set yourself forward. Unfortunately, however, mistakes also happen in the first few days. The manager makes decisions that are not comprehensible to the employees. This can lead to defensive reactions, even among employees who had a positive attitude towards their new supervisor(s). The consequence can be that the manager loses credibility in the first few days and will fail in the short term.
Our tip: approach your tasks with a positive basic attitude. We show you different forms of positive thinking:
What is the "job" of an executive? He or she must ensure that each member of the team contributes to the success of the department or company. Discuss with your employees how this goal can be achieved and define their area of responsibility. Do not discuss every step of the work with him, but leave it to him to organize himself. On the one hand it relieves you as a manager and on the other hand it increases the self-motivation of the employee.
Certainly there are also situations in which work instructions make more sense than pure target setting, e.g. under extreme time pressure. Then it is important to give short and precise instructions. Intelligent employees accept this approach. A manager should therefore always adapt his leadership behavior to the respective situation. If an employee does not perform as required on his own initiative, he must be kept on a "short leash" - i.e. by means of work instructions.
To ensure that your new position is successful, we give you 10 practical tips for the first 100 days, which you should take to heart as a manager when you start a new job.
1. assume that in your new position many things will be different from your previous employer. The old success strategies do not necessarily have to be successful here. Find out from your employees, colleagues and supervisor how work in your functional area has been structured and organized up to now and which maxims guide your employees in their work. Communicate to your employees what goals they need to achieve in their future cooperation and what role each individual plays in achieving the common goals.
2. acquire as quickly as possible a great deal of knowledge about the company, the products, the departments, markets, customers and colleagues. There are many sources of information (e.g. Internet, Intranet, employee brochures, company presentations).
3. analyse the initial situation in the company in general and in your department in particular. Derive your action plan for your employees and projects and develop your personal strategy and the management style derived from it.
4. ensure rapid success. This will not only strengthen your credibility, but also increase your own motivation and the motivation of your employees.
5. develop a goal-oriented and motivated team. Analyze the strengths of your employees and check whether they have worked in the right positions. If not, change the task assignments according to the employees' inclinations.
6. show your willingness to help! Your helpfulness will earn you plus points from your colleagues and create trust.
7. examine how you can best organise yourself and your environment. The top priority is communication. Which technologies are available and how can you communicate most effectively? Successful managers lead with targeted information. Inform your employees about your approach right from the start.
8. bring employees on board. Who can best support you in your personal strategy? Find employees with whom you can quickly achieve your goals for the company together.
9. deal constructively with mistakes. Nobody is perfect and in the first few days, mistakes simply cannot be avoided. The important thing is that you accept and admit the mistakes; and do not pass them over in silence. If you have made a mistake, ask about the best way to proceed and correct your mistake as soon as possible.
10. develop a good relationship with your supervisor. Find out his priorities and what his expectations are. Take them into account in your own approach.
All in all, it is crucial that your core competence becomes visible quickly. Show what benefits the company gets from you. This will help you secure your own success and your position in the company.
Author: Christian Männlin, BESTMINDS GmbH Executive Search
