Making the Move to Boss: Three Phases of Transition
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In Sunday's Corner Office column, Adam Bryant interviewed Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer of Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants. Partway through the interview, he asked Ms Leondakis about her first job as a boss.
She said she tried to be everyone's friend. Then she said this about the transition.
"I think people fall into one of two camps. I think very few people become a supervisor or a boss for the first time and know exactly where the right balance is. Both with myself and all the young managers I see, people seem to swing to one end of the pendulum or the other -- overzealous with power or, I'm everybody's friend, and I want them to like me, and if they like me maybe they'll do what I ask and then it'll be easier."
That's exactly what I found when I researched the transition from individual contributor to boss. Not everyone makes a successful transition. The successful ones go through three phases.
There's the Boss Phase. The new boss gives lots of orders. After all, he or she is in charge. It doesn't work. People prefer to be led, not driven.
There's the Buddy Phase. The new boss tries to be everyone's friend in the hope that they'll pitch in. That's what Ms Leondakis tried first. It doesn't work, either. Some people will exploit you, and most want you to do your leader's job so everyone succeeds.
Either of those phases can come first. Some new bosses get stuck in Boss or in Buddy. When that happens, the result is two varieties of jerk.
But new bosses that make a successful transition move on to a Balance Phase. That's where they work out the basics of their personal style. Here's how Niki Leondakis describes her experience.
"It was frankly just a long road of mistakes and learning and watching and trials and tribulations, really, about managing people, counseling people, hiring people, letting people go and learning through the actual process of doing all those things over and over again that there’s a middle ground that makes sense."
A successful transition takes between 12 and 18 months. You try things. You learn from experience. You take advice. You get feedback. You try more things.
In time you develop your own style. Every good boss is different. Your challenge is to learn how to be effective in your own way. There are some things you can do to make the transition easier and quicker.
You'll have a quicker and more effective transition, if you've tried on the role. That usually happens in temporary assignments.
You'll do better if you have identified role models. Pick men and women who are good bosses. When you face a challenge, ask yourself: "How would she (or he) handle this?"
You'll do better if you have a support system. At work that means mentors. It may also mean friends, but the transition to boss is a time when many work friendships get tested.
You'll do better if you've developed a habit of seeking and using feedback. Try keeping a journal of what you do every day. Write down how it worked and what feedback you got. Then write down how you'll do things differently next time.
Boss's Bottom Line
The transition from individual contributor to boss is one of the toughest in life. Don't try to force it. Give it the time it needs. Revel in the personal growth.
Additional Resource
From BNET: My Biggest Mistakes as a Rookie Manager
"Last year the Institute for Corporate Productivity surveyed hundreds of employees to determine how well their companies helped people make the switch to management. The results were dismal: More than 60 percent rated their firm’s performance as “fair;” 16 percent said it was “poor.” So that leaves managers to learn from their mistakes, which is, of course, often the best way to improve. Here, five seasoned managers tell us in their own words some of their most painful lessons as newbies"
Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.
Categories: Promotion, Transition, Boss, Leadership
Tags: Promotion Boss Leadership
I'm a very big fan of Linda A. Hill's research on the topic. In her book 'Becoming a Manager', she quotes a first-year manager: “The pressure was intense for the first six months of the job.”
She further writes: “Many managers commented that were reluctant to mention the extent of their upset, even to their spouses. Some spoke of insomnia, low-grade headaches, back pain and increased arguments.”
“[…] The managers eventually realized that many stresses would not be short-lived, but were here to stay. These pressures were built into the managerial job and could exhaust and paralyzed if not confronted. To be effective managers, they had to learn how to cope with them and the attendant emotions.”
To succeed as a new manager, Linda A. Hill suggests to 'Replace Myths With Realities'. For example--
Myth: Managers wield significant authority and freedom to make things happen.
Reality: You are enmeshed in a web of relationships with people who make relentless and conflicting demands on you. (view the complete chart at http://www.whatdoyouwantfromthem.com/members/blog_view.asp?id=560366&post=101998)
After college, I was recruited by Waffle House to manage one of their units. The first six months were definitely an emotional roller coaster and I wished the company would have provided additional coaching, training and/or support during the transitional phase.
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Thanks, Anna. I agree with you about Linda Hill's work. It's superbly done and well presented. My hope is that she'll update it to take account of some of the challenges of a "connected" workplace and the challenges of virtual teams. Her original research was published almost 20 years ago now.
The other excellent treatment of this topic is by Art Petty and Rich Petro in their book Practical Lessons in Leadership. They wrote an especially helpful section on deciding if a leadership role is right for you.
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"They wrote an especially helpful section on deciding if a leadership role is right for you." Most low-level managers I know who work in the hospitality industry never decided to become leaders. Instead, they decided to take the pay raise and career opportunity that was offered to them. But that's probably not the norm... I love your 'bottom line': "The transition from individual contributor to boss is one of the toughest in life. Don't try to force it. Give it the time it needs. Revel in the personal growth."
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Thank you, Anna. You nailed one important problem with the quality of supervisors. Since there are no other options, many people who are unsuited for the job and who don't like it accept boss jobs anyway because it's the only way to increased pay and preferment.
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I think a stint as a project manager is very useful. People don't actually report to you so you have to learn to lead.
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Thanks for those thoughts, Laura. From my perspective a project manager's job is too long, too complex, and too important to use as a "trial" assignment. But it's a great assignment for a more seasoned manager to develop influence and persuasion skills for the very reasons you mention. In addition to the people participating in the project, the project manager also needs to deal with their bosses.
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Hi Wally. I need to reccommend this book: The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels by Michael Watkins. I bought it before I got promoted, and you need to read it before you do too. It helped me a lot in my transition.
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Thanks for calling our attention to the book, Frode. It's one of the few that addresses the transition from individual contributor to boss.
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Excellent post Wally! The transition from individual contributor to management can be a major risk for both the organization and the employee. If things go bad the company is both out of a high performing employee and also has to find a suitable replacement. Of course the experience isn't great for the employee either who is likely left to find employment elsewhere.
I have shared your post with my readers in my weekly Rainmaker 'Fab Five' blog picks of the week (found here: http://www.maximizepossibility.com/employee_retention/2010/06/the-rainmaker.html) to provide them with some great food for thought when it comes to making the transition into management.
Be well!
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Thanks for the mention and kind words, Chris. It's always an honor to make your list.
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