‘Mind The Gap’ in your Career Transition

Posted Under: Blog, Leadership Development, Leadership Skills

Dec 16 2015

Most people that I coach are looking to improve and progress their careers, a natural enough goal. So it is interesting to note that when a promotion comes, most are ill prepared.

I am very often called in to work with leader who is finding the ‘career transition’ tough –but why? Surely they got what they wanted (the promotion) so what’s the problem?

This reminds me of the phrase ‘what got you here, won’t get you there!’ In other words you will probably have to do things differently. You have progressed in position so why shouldn’t you progress in other areas? With each promotion there will come the expectation of a different approach to leadership and a different set of leadership behaviours.

You have gained your credibility and your reputation by doing certain things, by achieving, by getting things done! As you move into leadership you are expected to achieve in a slightly different way – through others.

The term ‘delegation’ becomes the Holy Grail – but how do you do it? How do you give up doing and that great feeling of satisfaction when you complete the next task? To date your personal validation, your sense of self worth has been based predominately on what you have done.

There seem to be two main traps that leaders fall in to:

  1. They initially try and do all of the work they normally did and then manage a team, a department and strategically plan on top!
  2. All of the above, and then feel guilty asking others to do tasks for them.

Both of these traps lead to the leader being stressed and overworked – there are only so many hours in any one day!

I fondly remember a leader saying, “You mean I have to make time to think? But if people see me sitting at my desk not ‘doing’ anything they will think I am wasting time!” Amazingly he didn’t believe that his company had paid him to think.

The ‘transition’ period is tricky and it can take time to figure out how to navigate the changes in mindset and behaviour. Some get there on their own, others need some support and some flounder and fail and then both they, and the organization wonder what went wrong?

To understand more about how coaching can help with the ‘career transition’ contact me. In the meantime – Mind The Gap!

 

  • “Annie is an exceptional coach, mentor and trainer/facilitator. Having attended one of her courses on coaching and mentoring I was fortunate and privileged to be able to join her as co-coach for further training and saw for myself the dedication and attention to detail she puts into her work. Her heightened sense of perception ensures that everything she does meets the needs of those around her. Annie is highly motivating and always shows an innate belief that each of us has the potential to achieve our goals, especially when we think we can't! She is professional and a role model for a "can do" attitude and continues to inspire me in my coaching.”

  • “Annie is the consumate professional. She provides measurable Executive Coaching interventions in a very personable style.”

    MD of Utilities Company

  • “Annie balances a professional approach with a warm and caring attitude, and this is evident in the workshops we have run together. She is fun to work with and focuses on generating great results for her clients.”

    Development Consultant

  • “Annie is an engaging, authentic and warm hearted workshop leader. She is the consummate professional in that she delivers to the brief, exceeds expectations and has boundless energy and enthusiasm that captures the attention and interest of the participants. As an executive coach, Annie truly connects with her clients and brings her wealth of knowledge and experience to the sessions which ensures clients leave feeling that they got great value and are able to achieve exceptional results.”

    HR Director IT Company

  • “I have worked with Annie as a client both professionally in my capacity of Learning and Development Director at Centrica and personally as a professional, personal to me on a coaching programme. Annie is empathetic, professional and a great coach, I would recommend her to any client or company.”

    Learning & Development Director, Centrica

  • “The coaching was excellent and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to grow in their professional environment.”

    Director at Open University

  • “The coach was very relaxed and could immediately empathise with any given situation, whilst being able to give constructive help. Annie very quickly grasped where my strengths and weaknesses lay and could gauge challenging situations very well – only an experienced coach can do this.”

    MD Financial Services

  • “Annie’s challenges enforced reflection on my thought processes and therefore my behaviour patterns. A very satisfying experience.”

    Director Open University

  • “Quantum have provided a very professional and friendly service. The requirements we have requested have been very specific and individual to our companies needs, and Quantum have gone out of their way to understand these requirements and organise and develop the training accordingly. Annie Richardson is always very professional and is also well received by all those who attend her courses. Quantum is a delight to work with and I would strongly recommend their services to anyone wishing to develop their company’s development initiatives further.”

    ICRH Group Leader, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
Download Now

Your tech experts, do they have what it takes to lead?

Get the Free "Developing & Broadening Specialists" white paper

Connect With Us: @QuantumDP Quantum Corporate Coaching Limited