Page 54 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

Entering the Organization 39

5. Deliver presentations that match the audience’s needs and interests. Pre-
pare, prepare, prepare—giving yourself enough time to feel confident.
Put yourself in your audience’s place. What is it that they need or want
to hear from you? Tell your story, and be clear on what messages or
points you want to convey. Use PowerPoint or other visual aids only if
they add to your message, and if you do use them, don’t lean on them
as a crutch.
6. Write clear and concise memos, e-mails, letters, and reports. Outline
your main points for yourself prior to drafting your memo. Then begin
to write. Be mindful of the tone you are trying to achieve. E-mails espe-
cially can be misinterpreted so avoid writing them too quickly or in a
style that the receiver may perceive as negative or abusive. Before send-
ing important or difficult e-mails, memos, or reports, go back and edit
your work. Make sure that your message is conveyed with both the
information and tone with which you want them to be received by
the reader.

You can focus on these important relationships while your direct reports
continue getting the day-to-day work done. Managing the work means, first
and foremost, managing the people. This is where you should begin.

CONFIRM YOUR MUST-DO PRIORITIES, AND
RECONFIRM YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Establish ground rules and communication with your boss about the transi-
tion process. Throughout the preemployment interviews and the hiring
process, you should provide a broad overview of your process for getting
started in your job. Review the process with your boss again when you actu-
ally begin work. Make sure you both understand and agree to the process and
the timetable. Mutually establish your ground rules, such as the following:

■ Your boss should expect no significant changes for a specified period
(usually one to three months) while you are fact-finding.
■ Your boss should understand your change process. Explain thoroughly
each step so your boss will support it and can handle inquiries or com-
ments about the process. Good communication will stem your boss’s
impatience.