Page 65 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

50 Just Promoted!

Another source of information about your job is your predecessor’s admin-
istrative assistant. He or she will know the whereabouts of vast stores of infor-
mation—files, reports, and procedures—and will offer a ground-level view of
how the work gets done, and how well. That administrative assistant proba-
bly has access to more confidential information than anyone else in the organ-
ization. Consider hiring this individual for yourself, if feasible.
As you mine these sources of information about your job, don’t tire of ask-
ing the same questions over and over. Even if you think you already know the
answers, ask the questions anyway. Knowing the right questions to ask and
hearing the range of responses will help you gather valuable information about
your job in an efficient manner.

BECOME AN ORGANIZATIONAL ADVOCATE

You must become an advocate for your organization’s people, resources, and
mission. Working with your boss, you have to fight for what your new organ-
ization needs to do the job.
Being an advocate also means communicating your enthusiasm and opti-
mism to your organization. Being positive about the organization raises the
morale, energy, and confidence of the entire group. High performance is often
a self-fulfilling prophecy. You tend to get what you expect. If you expect a lot,
you often get a lot.

An Example of Advocacy
A physician leader who was vice president of a clinical research and develop-
ment department was handed a big task from the senior management team of
a global pharmaceutical company. The company had decided to opt for an
early Federal Drug Administration (FDA) review of a drug that they were
developing. The company wanted an early review because if the FDA were to
approve the drug, it would mean millions of dollars of revenue for the com-
pany at a time when it was experiencing a revenue shortfall. Under normal
circumstances, preparation for an FDA review can take up to a year.
The decision to ask for an early review meant that the preparation had to
be completed within a four-month period. And in addition to the FDA
approval, the senior management wanted the review prepared for European
approval as well. Knowing the inherent difficulties and risks involved in such
a short time period, the vice president selected the very best cross-functional