Being the boss, or becoming the boss, is a big step in anyone’s career. Now’s your chance to shine, to ensure people look up to you as the natural leader you’ve got the potential to be. And yet, this is also the time when the most pressure is on. You need to perform, and you need to do so from the get go, and that’s a hard task a lot of people aren’t ready for.
It’s why understanding the challenges that are about to come your way is so important. You need to know what you might struggle with from day one, as soon as you know you’ll be promoted, or as soon as you get the idea to start a company of your own. With that in mind, here are some of the elements that typically take a new boss by disguise.
Your First Day on the Job
Yes, the first day on the job is really going to be the hardest. Whether you’re a new team leader or you’ve got a business to establish entirely on your own, the first day is where you test your mettle. Are you up to the challenge? Learn to breathe through the hard parts of the first day, make sure you have grounding techniques on your side, and focus on getting the job done.
Remember, some lucky people have nothing of note happen on their first day. But while you might think that’ll set them up for an easy ride, it’ll actually make it harder. So thank the challenges for showing you what the worst day might look like and preparing you early!
Getting Constructive Feedback From Your Team
Your team might find you hard to talk to in the early days. If you don’t stamp out this behavior as soon as it presents itself, you might find you never quite get the office talk that goes on around you. Sure, there needs to be a sense of level between you and your employees, but they need to see you as approachable in the least.
If they don’t, you’ll never be able to receive actionable feedback that’ll inform the way you do your job. Without a bit of constructive criticism, you’ll find it hard to progress, and you might just stagnate in your position. So open your day, be present on the working floor, and work amongst the team you’re keen to positively influence.
Tracking Employee Progress
If you don’t know what your employees are up to, you might find it hard to speak openly with them. You lack a sense of clarity about what they do, and you only get updates during the progress meeting you like to hold at the end of each week. And while you don’t want to keep tabs on grown adults who are capable of doing their job, it’s good to have a more regular progress update on your side.
So don’t let yourself get frustrated. Instead, use more project managers, as well as company wide CRMs to allow everyone to be transparent within the team. Tech such as BuildOps hvac software would be good for both big and small scale contractor or technician companies, but you should be able to find a form of this kind of software for whatever niche you’re operating in.
Structuring the Pace of the Work Day
How do you want the work day to go? What do you want people to focus on? How will you ensure everything gets done by close of play? This is where many managers fall down. You want to structure the work day to suit everyone involved, but you also need to focus on your actual job. This is a very fine balance, and it’s OK to miss out on a few little tasks while you find your feet.
However, don’t let it go beyond this. Make priority lists, ensure your team knows the impotence of their assigned tasks, and don’t be afraid to send out messages to hurry people along if need be. Popularity is crucial, but it’s nothing next to a job well done on a regular basis.
When you’re the boss, you’ve got a lot to prove. Because of that, you’re going to push yourself to be the best you can be, and that might be where you start making mistakes. Take your time, use tips like these to help acclimate yourself, and get to work doing your part as the leader you’ll soon shape up to be.
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