Unleashing Your Full Potential After a Promotion

Welcome to the Quick Take podcast, the show where you get targeted advice and coaching for executives by executives. I'm Suzy Tominczuk.

And I'm James Capps. Give us 15 minutes and we'll give you three secrets to address the complex topic of issues that are challenging executives like you today.

Welcome, James. Welcome to Quick Take. How are you?

I'm super great Suzy.

I am fantastic. I just flew in from being out of town so I'm a little, you know it's gonna be a funny show, I can tell.

I'm super excited.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I know we kind of you have an idea of what we're gonna talk about today, but I had a coaching client who has been recently promoted.

Oh yeah.

And he is working with me now because he really needs to show up differently, because he is seen in the role that he's in, and so he's asking me what I do. And when I say seen, the same way I think about some of the comments he gets from different leaders. He's, you know, always thought of it in this very specific situation that he was a part of, and so the CEO, every time he sees him, and I think it's just out of being familiar and not knowing what else to?

say, always brings up this particular thing. And he also has noticed that even in his current peer group before he was promoted, that he's not ever tapped on the shoulder for like that special project or presenting for the leadership summit, those kind of things. And so he was like I want to be seen, I need to do something differently, because whatever I'm doing isn't working.

Now that's a really interesting situation. I think that happens to a lot of folks, especially with you. Don't rub elbows with leadership On a regular basis. You know, I know people whose offices are just down the hall from other execs. And then there's people you know, like in my case, where you know my entire senior leadership team is in New York and London. So you know you have to, you have to address that in a formal way, I think, if you're going to make it make a difference.

Yeah, yeah, and so and be real, intentional, about how you move into it and I think also sometimes people I know this happens with me the day I show up with my promotion I just feel a little bit like I have imposter syndrome.

Oh, sure, because.

I'm like I feel like everybody's looking at me. It's like when you first get your license. I remember when I was first 16 and you were driving down the street and you feel like everybody in every car is looking at you because this is the first time you've been solo.

Well, you were probably driving on the sidewalk, so that could be true.

It was really true.

Right, maybe not a great store. It was super applicable, but the gist of it is kind of there.

I leave it to you to make me feel like no, so take it then. Take it from there, James. How are you all that in?

Well, look, I think the truth is that that awkwardness, you should turn that into a powerful situation because you are recognizing that you're in a new situation and you are in a familiar ground. So the way you become more familiar in a situation like this, if you're driving, what do you do? You practice, but in this case, if you're getting promoted, you should have a strategy, and what we're going to offer today is three things that you can do to give you confidence and to allow you to look beyond that kind of self-insacrity and be excellent at that promotion. So when you are walking in and people are looking at you, you're feeling like, darn right, you should be looking at me because, this is what I'm going on, and so it's a different.

it's just a pivot, but I think it's an opportunity.

Yeah, and I want to highlight, you should feel a little uncomfortable. If you don't feel uncomfortable, then it's not a stretch for you, so it's not the best.

Next, step for you.

And so that's an important attribute of those first days.

No, I think that's exactly right and I think part of the way that you can feel better about that and I think this is my really first number one there is set the expectations, clarify those expectations on maybe day one. So many times a promotion is in the works forever and it is a casual conversation between a few people and you finally work that and then this gets signed and then this happens, and then he retires and it all happens and then you are promoted. But the expectations may have been set months ago. People's visions have changed and it's so important for you to go back and say look, this is what this role is.

Yeah, I think that's really good. I think I would add to that as well, as when you're setting expectations, it's okay to frame it too, like if you now your peers are reporting to you or people that have known you for a long time say, listen, in this new role, I'm showing up differently. And so I'm setting expectations, and so this is these are my expectations for you, and also articulating to your peer group or anyone around you how you're going to do this differently, because then that makes you accountable to do it.

I totally agree, and I think one of the things that we should have mentioned at the top is this is about a promotion. This is you moving up. Perhaps Maybe you are keeping your current responsibilities and growing into additional ones, so maybe some of your direct reports are staying as your direct reports or, to your point, some of your peers are now your direct reports, and so I think it's so important that you set that expectation. But equally, the second one is I really think you need to quit doing your old job Now what do I mean by that?

Oh it's hard.

So it's super hard in the sense that in many cases you are still responsible for that work.

Yeah.

Right. So you got promoted and now you just have additional responsibility. But by old job, I mean, let's take this opportunity to your point to be different, show up different, quit being the old version of you and now be the new version of you, and I think this is a great opportunity for you to do that.

Yeah, I think too, even if it means something that you can feel like dressing just a little different, or doing something just a little different so that you do feel even if you keep the same office? How do you reorganize something on your desk, that's so good. Right, so that you can see, so there's evidence to you that keeps it really top of mind, so that you really move through it and stay up. Yeah.

I think you're helping the people around you understand that things are different in a very non-confrontational way. Right, the worst thing you want to do is go and say, hey, I'm the boss now. We're not doing lunch anymore. Yeah, right, that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about just setting boundaries, explaining and being honest and straightforward about how these things are. This is a real good fences make good neighbors my favorite phrase and by drawing that line and making it really clear, crisply and cleanly, in the end, everybody will be happy.

I think that's great. I don't stomp on your third, but I think the other thing is don't get in your about that, Don't start self-doubt about, well, what are they going to think if I show up differently? Oh, sure. What are you, what are they going to think if I do this differently, if I'm saying I'm in charge now, you wouldn't say it like that. But don't worry about what people are saying. Get that out of your mind. As much as you can Deal with that, just don't allow that to cloud your confidence.

You're absolutely right. I mean, I think it's like episode 27. It's lonely at the top, and this goes to some of that. Don't hold me quicksters to that number, I just made that up. But there is. We talk about how it's lonely at the top and how you do create that. You do kind of create that separation, and I think you're exactly right. Though, and while you can do it in lots of ways, I think the good leaders and the good managers acknowledge hey, you know, susie, I know we were peers and you worked for me before. This is uncomfortable. I want this to be cool. I want us to still have a great relationship, but I am going to have a different set of expectations, and if we can work together, this will be great.

Yeah.

Right, and that kind of just honesty and transparency in this particular situation will pay huge difference.

Totally, and they can. They can blame us, they can say I was called I was advised. My executive called this my smart people.

But I think and the third thing, what I want to really highlight, because I think this is so important, is put together a plan. You know there's many books that talk about a 30, 60, 90 day plan and I am a big believer in this plan. I know a bunch of the people listening today have heard me provide that as good advice. I know my son and I talked about putting, after he graduated, to put together a plan. But if you sit down and say, look, I'm going to have a 30 day plan, a 60 day plan, a 90 day plan about what you're going to accomplish in that timeframe, I also encourage you to take that plan to your boss and say, here's what I'm where I'm heading, yeah.

Because of that again, what to do. It sets your clear expectations right, it helps you quit doing your old job and it codifies it in a way that you can be successful. Yeah, we all know that 60 days and then 90 days are probably garbage by the time you get to them. But boy, putting the framework together and having a plan is so important and so valuable in this type of situation.

I love it. You know how you'll know it was really effective. Is that when you see somebody around you get promoted, they do the same thing, absolutely.

Absolutely.

They'll be like that was cool. We think they're like oh, look at them. They're just trying to make it look like you know, whatever, but that clarity and that purpose you're showing, that you're proud and you're worthy of that and you need to step up.

Well, and I love the idea of I think you said there take that plan to your with your new team and say here is my 3060, 90 day plan. This is what I am planning on doing in this new role. We together are going to execute this and that kind of you know that creates the good cohesion for the team, sets direction. There's nothing that that that I can well, obviously, if your plan is horrible and mean it's not going to be well received, but I don't recommend that. But good, there's nothing that that can come bad out of having a plan, an effective plan, and a plan that that you can share with your team.

I think there's just so much value there, yeah, and get your buy-in from your boss first make sure it isn't horrible and mean, and mean, and mean, and then that way that gives you that confidence to go to the, to the team and say this is this is how we're doing. This is what we're doing.

Yeah, I love it Okay, give us the three, bring it back home.

Right and then we'll go ahead and get our expectations upfront. Kind of like many things in life, it takes a lot of planning and getting to the end state. People forget and lose focus. So clarify those expectations in one way or another with your boss. Secondarily, you know, make sure that you quit doing your old job. This is the time for you to quit being your old self. Quit doing the old things. You know, I got promoted in one job and I just started going through a different door every day. That made a huge difference in the way that I thought about work. So quit doing your old job. And third one, put together a plan. Have a 30, 60, 90 day plan. That'll help you craft your role and put some of focus and direction as to what you're going to accomplish.

Yeah, well done, well done. I love it so good for our quicksters.

Yes, so good, so good. Thanks to all our quicksters out there who've been pinging us. My inbox is quite full. My LinkedIn is on fire, which is great. I do appreciate it Awesome.

And so if you want to connect with us, be one of them and reach out to us. Let us know what's on your mind. Comment, tell us a question you want us to talk about. We love, love, love to hear from you. And if you listen to this and you know somebody that just got promoted, share it with them. Let them do it. And then, if this is you because now we're talking to that person that they shared it with if that was you that somebody shared it with you because you were just promoted, share with us what you used.

Right. Pass it forward. There's a lot of homework here.

I'm just saying there's a lot of homework, it's really it's complicated.

There's a diagram in the notes in case you got lost on that. Terri, get right on that Well.

we appreciate you. Thank you so much for being here. Until next time, quicksters, we appreciate you. Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Quick Take, where we talk about the questions that are on the minds of executives everywhere. Connect with us and share what's on your mind.

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