I believe that one of the most difficult transitions is to move from a support role into a management role. Any time you move above your peer group, there can be difficulties but I view the support to management transition as being one of the most difficult.
The reasons to me are clear. When bosses and co-workers are used to you being delegated work, it's very difficult to be accepted as the one now delegating the work.You must be able to move from the "can you please do this?" perception of others to the "can you please find someone to do this?" that you are now in. This can be made even more complicated if you are still in a role where you are transitioning out of support and into management at the same time. Still assisting but also managing!
I have found that having a firm but cooperative stance has been the best approach. When I'm asked to "fill in" for minute-taking, I decline and suggeste an alternative very capable administrator. When I schedule training sessions for various in-house items, I choose which ones I'll attend. I don't feel the need to hold hands nor do I want to be the "go-to" person for all administrative tasks in the building.
Further to that, having another cooperative administrator to take tasks off my desk has been a key transitional piece. Little things can be moved off quickly, larger heavily detailed items take more time. In my case, I have plenty of time. I assist the CEO until he retires. That's the deal that I happily agreed to. After all, part of the reason I wanted to transition to a new role was that I didn't want to be anyone else's assistant. The level of respect, authority, and decision-making leeway he has given me is part of the reason I can move more successfully into a management role. He has allowed me and encouraged me to learn critical thinking skills and to think more "linear". He has coached me in my relationships with other senior members of our company and has allowed me to grow and make mistakes. How could I leave a boss like that with no support?
Being firm and having assistance are only two pieces of the puzzle. Flexibility has also been key. Getting former peers to trust that I "have their back" and ensure they understand the reasons why this is a really good idea. Getting across that my goal has always been to elevate the perception of abilities of administrators has been helpful. And developing a strategy for the team effort that is well thought out and logical in its approach develops trust. Gaining the trust of people I formerly took direction from has also taken time. It took me a year to work towards having all branches turn to me for hiring, terminating, and training issues. And now to stay ahead of the curve!
My new role has been very rewarding and I wouldn't change it to reduce the challenge of the transition piece. I have found that I have more skills than I knew and that I have a keen ability to recognize appropriate candidates for the department or person I'm hiring for. I am much more patient in training my team than I ever imagined I would or could be. I can more often deal with the crappy stuff in an appropriate way. And I learn daily that my new role has interesting and diverse challenges and that I have much more capacity to learn and grow. My chosen path has been to continue to move towards progressive management roles. My goal has always been to elevate the status of administrative staff and work with managers in our company to help them see all of the hidden potential that exists in our team. That being said, administrators who excel at and are happy in their role as an administrator should be encouraged to stay where they are and "shoot the lights out". I firmly believe that excellence at all levels from reception to CEO is what keeps the wheels turning.
No comments:
Post a Comment