What not to do after being promoted

Everyone aspires to get a step up in their career, everyone will have a higher position in mind to target for. However, once that promotion is achieved, there are several mistakes that we usually do which will hinder our progress in the new position and disrupt work. The first mistake is to hold tightly to every little task and chore we used to do before being promoted. And this should not be surprising at all. It is quite often the reason that a worker will be promoted to a manager is that he or she are doing their job with perfection and dedication. What often follows is that the new manager would think that since he or she used to do their job very well, they would have to continue doing the same job, neglecting the fact that a manager has new and bigger duties than before. And the end result is that they eventually burnout. While this burnout is underway, the people who report to them fail to grow and eventually wear down and feel unmotivated too. They persist in doing their old job rather than the new one.

How can this problem be solved? The solution lies in one magical word that is often ignored or misunderstood. Delegate! Not only is it more efficient, it also motivates the staff and allows them to grow and reach their full potential. It will provide an opportunity for the subordinates to learn new tasks and grow, and it will free up the manager to look into new higher level tasks that a manager ought to focus on, especially strategic and long term plans and initiatives. That, in return, boosts the overall performance of the team and proves that the new manager is competent and capable to perform his or her duties as a manager and not as the previous worker.

One of the misunderstandings that managers have about delegation is that by giving away authority to others, he or she are giving up control and power. With a resourceful manager, quite the opposite occurs. With delegation, a manager must make certain that his or her employees apply the same criteria or reasoning that he or she would use to solve a problem or make a decision. In that sense, the manager actually spreads his or her knowledge and wisdom throughout the department more effectively. Hence, rather than losing control, the manager steadily gains control, earns the respect of his or her subordinates and other colleagues, and ultimately impresses the higher-level management.

Another misconception is when the new manager would think that his or her subordinates might not do the tasks as well as the he or she used to do them, or that it is easier for them to continue doing those tasks rather than teach others from zero. This is a grave mistake and has many consequences. It is one of the new managers’ responsibilities to teach and mentor their subordinates, if this is not done, frustration will grow in the team, and resentment will ensue. 

Additionally, some new managers might think that if they teach others what they know, eventually they will become redundant and might lose their job or be put aside while one of their subordinates will be promoted in their place. Hence, those managers will purposefully hide information and will keep their team paralyzed and fully dependent on them. We all have seen many individuals like those. What they fail to realize is that nothing is farther from the truth. Actually, it is only when managers teach and mentor those who are around them and share their knowledge, they can actually take the next step higher in the managerial ladder.

Good practices for new managers should be instilled in every organization in the Kingdom of Bahrain. These practices will motivate the teams and the young generation to aspire to higher levels, and will pave the way for managers to take bigger roles within their organizations.