July 12, 2007

Business Rule 14: The New Boss

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 11:49 am

I’d Like You to Meet . . .

Business Rules Logo

Whether you work at home or in an office, some changes that come from the top — new client, new boss, new owner — might not seem like changes at first, but they are.

Enter Commander New . . .

When a new “boss” enters your job life, change happens in one fell swoop. No matter how nice, how good, how competent the new entity might be, he, she, or it, isn’t the one from the past. This is important to know.

Doing what worked with the last “commander” could be exactly right again or it could be the most wrong thing you might do. For the sake of making the conversation easier, lets call the new arrival Commander New, a guy (to avoid having to use him, her, or it continuously.)

Everyone will meet Commander New several times in his or her business career. You might play the role a few times yourself. Whenever Commander New comes on the scene, change is the deal. That’s the way it is. An experienced Commander will manage change to a positive end, but every Commander knows that he is a de facto change just by being there. Some will try to share their priorities fast. Some will try to get to know yours first.

What Happens First

When Commander New arrives, you can expect these events.

  • The Commander will share a vision and try to find out who you are.
  • Fast adopters, optimists, and people who didn’t like the last commander will get on board with the new commander.
  • Slow adopters, cynics, and people still loyal to the last commander will stand back and watch.

Some folks don’t realize that any commander who’s been around knows that people are doing this.

What Happens Next

Commander New has been asked to assess the new team he has. That means everyone is on a kind of preliminary probation again. New clients of home businesses do this too.

  • The Commander evaluating your skill set; determing what responsibilities he can delegate your way; deciding whether you can do the job and do it well; and assessing how comfortably you fit the team and the new vision.
  • People who respond well to change listen and ask questions to make sure they’re looking in the same direction that the commander is.
  • People who don’t understand that’s what’s happening try to do what served them well in the past, whether it fits the new vision or not.
  • People who respond poorly to change try to teach the commander how the company is supposed to work rather than learn what he has in mind. Not a good move for their personal brand. I know I’ve made that mistake myself.

There is no cure for youth, but experience.

The Environment Adjusts

Eventually Commander New isn’t new anymore. People know him and what he expects. He knows them and what they’re good at. If you’re still working with The Commander and thriving, you might have a new role with more exciting responsibilities. That would be because you understand.

When the change is a new boss, new client, new owner,
you have just started a new job.

The desk that you sit at and your coworkers might look the same, but the job description is not.

Have you ever gotten a new job in this way, only to find you had to look for a new job? Yeah. Me, too.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.


Filed under Business Life, Successful Blog |



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28 Comments to “Business Rule 14: The New Boss”

  1. July 12th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
    Mike said

    Liz,

    How fun that you have these last two posts back-to-back, because the answer to your question is yes, because Commander New wanted me to be to be someone I knew wasn’t me!

    Mike

  2. July 12th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
    Chris Cree said

    Have you ever gotten a new job in this way, only to find you had to look for a new job?

    Um, I’m pretty much there now…

    Great post Liz!

  3. July 12th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
    Mike said

    Chris,

    Sorry to hear about that. I can’t wait to hear about the much better position you find!

    Mike

  4. July 12th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
    Advice Network said

    Liz,

    I’ve been admiring your blog for many months. Now I’ve got my own, and I have tagged you with an 8 Random Facts About Me tag. I hope you reply, as I’d love to know more about you, but if you don’t of course I understand.

    Thanks for all of your heartfelt blogging.

    Alex

  5. July 12th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
    Chris Cree said

    Mike, Oh we’ve got plans, yes we do! ;)

  6. July 12th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mike!
    I know. I know. I’ve met the same Commander New that you did! :)

  7. July 12th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Chris!
    I was wondering whether you might find yourself in this one. :)

  8. July 12th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Oh Advice Network.
    I hope I have time, I hope. Time is of short supply these days . . .

  9. July 12th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
    Advice Network said

    Liz,

    I understand completely! Please don’t feel pressured. One thing I noticed, writing the post was easy and fun, fulfilling the chain letter like obligations was annoying. If you’re too busy for the latter, I’d still love to hear your take on 8 random facts about you.

    Your friend,
    Alex

  10. July 12th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Alex,
    How gracious of you. Thank you. I’m not one who much likes those kinds of things. Though I do find some value in those that reveal more about the writer to readers. I enjoyed reading about you. :)

  11. July 12th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
    Dan Schawbel said

    It’s all about flexibility and the adjustment period. How you can adapt to your new manager is important and in large companies the chances of being moved around are greater.

  12. July 12th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
    Chris Cree said

    Dan, that’s the decision we have to make, isn’t it? Do we want to adapt to move up in the same company? Or would we rather move up by moving on to another opportunity?

    Day was when loyalty meant something in the corporate world. I’m not so sure it does anymore, unfortunately.

  13. July 12th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Dan!
    Sometimes adapting is an option. You’re right. Sometimes it’s not. :)

  14. July 12th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Chris!
    That’s a great point. What DOES loyalty mean these days in a corporate culture. It doesn’t seem to hold up much against the failing bottom line. :)

  15. July 13th, 2007 at 9:17 am
    Claire Celsi said

    Liz: Great post about the new commander. I am about to get a new boss, so I paid special attention. Thanks!

  16. July 13th, 2007 at 9:34 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Claire!
    I’m delighted that the timing worked out so well for you! Yea! for tht!

  17. July 13th, 2007 at 9:54 am
    Chris Cree said

    Liz, I think that whole corporate loyalty subject is a topic for a whole post of its own!

  18. July 13th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
    April Groves said

    When I was in the Navy, I had the opportunity to training the new sailors becoming electronic techs. When it would come time for them to pick their first orders, they would ask whether a duty station was “good” or “bad.” Some of the folks would tell them. Not me. I would tell them that every duty station changes whenever the chain of command changes. You just have to bloom where you are planted.

  19. July 13th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
    Mike said

    Chris,

    Thanks for that blog post idea. I’m going to take a crack at it this weekend. My grandfather worked for the phone company for 40 years. He’s been drawing a defined-benefit pension for 31 years. That’s the epitome of corporate loyalty, both ways. Today things are a lot different.

    Mike

  20. July 13th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Chris,
    You bet on the loyalty thing. I think you should go fot it!

  21. July 13th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi April!
    I love the metaphor — bloom where you are planted. :)

  22. July 14th, 2007 at 6:30 am
    Pug At The Beach said

    In another lifetime I had a low paying, low level, dead end job. When the new guy came on board, he took to taking me aside and verbally trashing everyone in the company. He either didn’t get that management wasn’t supposed to behave that way or he didn’t care. I did, however. I left that job. The best part of that job was that I learned what not to do - by example. I’ve never behaved that way to my employees but it was a good reminder of Pug At The Beach’s humanitarian commitment to offer strength, encouragement and triumph to everyone! http://www.pugatthebeach.com Because sometimes all you need in life is the wisdom of a good dog.TM

  23. July 14th, 2007 at 7:39 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Pug,
    Welcome. You know, that new guy boss probably didn’t think (we know he didn’t think) that he was trashing folks. He might have thought he was teaching you. The sad thing is that we don’t teach very well by pointing out things that folks do wrong. I know I’ve made that mistake myself.

    The problem is that when we talk negatively the chemistry that goes of in us is a bit addictive. So with each word it gets harder to stop. That’s why it’s good to listen to how we physically feel when we’re mad or talking mean things.

    That’s some courage you have to leave a job over that. I admire you. I wonder if I could have done that. I’m so quick to forgive, I bet not. I think you made the better choice than I would.

    Thanks pug.

  24. July 15th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
    Pug At The Beach said

    It’s funny, but I never saw leaving that job as courageous! I just knew that I didn’t belong there. This guy was the catalyst. I’ve done remarkably well since I left, too!

    It’s like what Mike Wallace said about his decision to leave his job to join the 60 Minutes team:

    “I was 45 years old and starting over. But every time I’ve taken a chance on myself, given up a job, turned something down for the right reason, it’s always worked out.”

    I agree. You just have to have faith and that can be hard sometimes but if you ask yourself the following question, it changes the level of difficulty:

    What do I really want?
    A future where I’m always struggling to make ends meet or a lifestyle of prosperity, joy and fulfillment?

    And if that doesn’t work, ask yourself:

    What would Pug do? :-)

  25. July 15th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
    ME Strauss said

    You know, Pug,
    I think most courage is just doing the right thing. And that most of it only looks that way from afar.

    Boy I agree if you’re not yourself in a job, it’s bound to work out badly in the end and if you stay with who you are, you’ll end up where you belong.

  26. July 15th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
    Pug At The Beach said

    Ain’t that the truth!

    Now, how can we help other people fin their rightful paths?

    Maybe it’s just encouraging them to continually explore their “selves”, to first pay attention to and then listen to the inner voice.

    I know that I wouldn’t be where I am in my journey had it not been for my mentors.

    And maybe it’s just leading by example.

  27. July 15th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Pug!
    Sorry it took so long to get back. It’s my son’s last day in town. . . .

    I’ve got some ideas and a new series starting tomorrow about how to begin looking our business with a care for ourselves and building a foundation on concrete not sand.

    Leadership by example is always a good one. Pug, you seem especially good at that. :)

  28. August 14th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
    Advice Network Founders Blog» Blog archives » 8 Random Facts about me. said

    [...] • Liz Strauss at Successful Blog • Make Money with Super Affiliate Zac Johnson [...]

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