Ella was the controller at a successful marketing company. Having been recently promoted, she was scrambling to keep up, and her bosses were starting to notice. She was having a hard time managing her new influx of direct reports, which had nearly tripled. She felt disorganized and found it hard to stay focused. The new position challenged her ability to think strategically, but she seemed unable to get enough control over her department to attend to the visioning and future-oriented aspects of leadership. She was just trying to survive.
Ella's situation is common among rising leaders. When oft-promoted stars hit the fast track, it can feel like someone's speeding up their treadmill before they have a chance to get their footing. They have two
options: to get in step (and quickly), or face a painful disaster.
Whether sudden success means a promotion, a surge in business, or a new set of responsibilities, leaders need to learn to adapt. Below follow a few ideas for surviving success.
Prioritize learning
You can be proactive about learning by reading books and asking questions. You can also learn on your feet by taking on new experiences and reflecting on them. Either one is productive, as long as you take the time to harvest the lessons. Here's how.
Figure out the context
What are you learning about? Running an efficient meeting? Delegating more effectively? Communicating successfully with busy colleagues?
Determine what you already know
List the things you've learned from an experience. This not only builds confidence, it focuses your attention on new skills.
Generate new ideas. The very nature of your success shows you to be talented and creative. Use your brainpower to answer your own questions about what to do.
Find out what else you need to know
Actually write down list of questions, like, "How do I get out of the details and be more strategic? How do I manage my time better? How do I determine what I do and don't need to do?"
Search for opportunities to find the answers
Ask other colleagues. Watch them work. Read. You will find that once you know the questions you want answered, the answers themselves are close within reach.
You can increase your chances of keeping the pace with fast-coming changes by prioritizing learning and being proactive about climbing the learning curve - however steep it may be.
Develop systems.
Anything can feel chaotic when you do it the first time. The second and third times, you may start to get the hang of things, and down the road, they become second nature. But you may not have that kind of time. Instead of simply waiting for things to become easy, it helps to devise systems early on that help you know what to do each and every time.
For instance, you might create a system for delegation. Where do you keep track your team's various projects? How do you remember who's doing what? When will you be updated on progress, and what form do you want this to take? How much lead time do you want before a deadline, and how much before the deadline do you want to see a final product? These kinds of questions can help you figure out steps one, two, three, and so on, for any process you go through as a leader, from managing the job to conducting reviews to keeping track of your day-to-day responsibilities.
Find a pattern
Just as you organize your desk, your time, and your closets, you can organize your work a vital step when you're feeling overwhelmed.
One of the issues plaguing Ella was that she couldn't find time to work. If her phone wasn't ringing, an urgent fax was coming through, an important email was arriving, someone was walking through the door, or she was rushing to a meeting. The pace with which she shifted gears was almost dizzying and not at all productive.
Some people live their whole lives this way. But you'll find life much more manageable if you take control of your time.
* Set aside blocks of time for phone calls, and use that time to return all messages.
* Set aside time for quiet productivity, and turn off the phone and email while you work.
* Set aside time for meetings, and turn off the phone and Blackberry while you give those meetings your full attention.
* Set aside time for email; do not allow it to interrupt you every minute throughout your day.
* Set aside time for getting prepared for your day in the morning and putting away your day at night.
Once you establish the pattern that works for you, you will feel much more focused.
For Ella, prioritizing learning, developing systems, and finding a pattern for her days brought significant relief. She felt much more in control. Her stress level decreased, her effectiveness increased, and her quality of life shifted in a more positive direction. The changes impressed her bosses, who noticed her to be visibly more calm and confident. Within a year, Ella was promoted again, with a significant boost to her salary.
Although rising stars are promoted because of their talent, they must use their talent to make the most of the opportunities presented to them. Make the time to get your footing in each new position, and you'll become more comfortable running the road to success.
Joelle Jay is an executive coach, speaker and author and owner of Pillar Consulting, a leadership development practice based in Reno. Contact her at Joelle@pillar-consulting.com.
