How to Excel When You Get Promoted: Part 1

Leading Well During Transition

• 🚀 Leaving well is crucial when promoted, ensuring your old team and their new manager have a smooth transition.
• 💡 Prepare a key project report file detailing team activities, status, and future plans for the next 90 days to support your successor.
• 🗓️ Create a PDF document of your calendar for the next 60 work days, one page per day, to help your replacement understand your established cadence.
• 📝 Prepare performance files for each team member, including strengths, successes, and areas for improvement, using a one-pager format.
• ✍️ Write interim reviews for your team members to cover the period since their last official review, ensuring their successes aren't overlooked.
• 📄 Develop an interim successor document for your boss, outlining why a specific team member is best suited to manage the team temporarily.
• 🤝 Make yourself available to your replacement or interim successor by providing contact information and scheduling time to go over shared materials.

Understanding New Responsibilities and Boss's Cadence

• 🎯 Learn about your new responsibilities by scheduling introductory meetings with your new boss, predecessor, peers, and key stakeholders before you start.
• 🗣️ Schedule a first-day meeting with your direct reports to set expectations and signal your commitment to a strong start.
• 📈 Understand your new boss's cadence by studying their calendar, identifying recurring meetings, and understanding their involvement in organizational meetings.
• 📅 Request a weekly one-on-one or boss update meeting with your new boss to stay aligned on goals and expectations.
• 🔍 Study your boss's calendar for the next 20-50 work days to identify recurring meetings, meetings with superiors, and interactions with key customers.
• ✈️ Look for patterns in your boss's travel schedule to anticipate visits and prepare your team for potential meetings or briefings.

Communicating with Your New Team

• 💬 Tell your team how to work with you by clearly communicating your preferred communication methods and expectations.
• ❓ Be curious and ask questions about your boss's meetings and deliverables, even if you feel unprepared, to gain clarity and avoid surprises.
• 📢 Inform your team about your boss's schedule and potential upcoming tasks or changes, helping them be more prepared and understanding.
• 📊 Prepare your team for executive visits by having them create concise summaries of their work and being ready to brief your boss on team activities.