The sun is shining, you’ve woken up bright and early, you’ve even managed to get gym time in. This morning, for all intent and purposes, should be a good day. But no, there is a persistent sinking feeling of apprehension and concern. What’s different today? Ahh…yes, your new director starts their job today. We’ve all been there; we aren’t sure what to expect from a new leader. I can help; let me share the not-so-secret strategy that will help you know how to cope with a new boss.
Let’s dive in!
Coping Strategy No.1: Don’t be Hung Up on the Past
As a Leader in the Middle (LIM), it is your job to prepare and lead your team through change. While you may have your apprehension, it is important that this doubt in your company’s executive team, should not bleed down to the floor workers.
I get it, your old boss may have served as a close mentor or even a friend. It will be tough to immediately fill that void, it may or may not even be possible with the new boss. But let’s unpack this some more.
At some point your old leader would have been a new boss to you, too. Whether you joined the company, or they too were brought in during your tenure, they would have been an unknown factor that called on you to have an open mind.
My strong recommendation is to avoid getting stuck on reminiscing the past. Be a true LIM and that sees the merit in adapting a new and potentially exciting direction.
So,
“Be the managers your new boss can count on as that happens—the leaders that own their leadership roles and responsibilities. The new guy is not coming in here to get rid of strong and committed leaders. Play the victim and hurt his success, and thus the organizations, and he will help you succeed elsewhere.”
Nathan Jamail, Serve Up, Coach Down
After all, if your old leader was worth his salt, I’m sure he’d also have done the same thing.
Coping Strategy No. 2: Forget the Excuse, “But They Stole My Job!”
Ok, right out the gate, let’s establish something; if you applied for that post but the new boss got it instead, they didn’t steal your job. They don’t know, it wasn’t personal, and they are not at fault for the outcome. Chances are you may not have been selected because you are not yet ready for that role.
Yes, that sucks to acknowledge, especially if you had already started to plan the layout in your new corner office. But would you prefer falling flat on your face in front of the entire company because you bit off more than you could chew? Yeah, I think not.
Instead, accept that this may be a new learning opportunity for you, a chance to add another leadership perspective to your arson. Remember,
“Great leaders and their teams focus on how to
succeed through change while others focus on what and why
the things happened.”
Nathan Jamail, Serve Up, Coach Down
When you take this approach, you’ll establish respect from your new boss (and their bosses too). They may also be more likely to coach you and come to rely on you as a capable, dependent, and strong employee.
The other option? Welllll…you could show your resentment and take a more hostile approach. But…that will only leave you out of a job and/or losing the respect of your team and peers.
Coping Strategy No. 3: Serve up, Don’t Shut Down. Coach Down, Don’t Coach Up.
When you step outside of your role as a LIM and forget to serve up and coach down, bad things happen. It creates a culture of fear, doubt, unrest, and dissent within your team.
To be fair, who would want to stick around in a job where your immediate boss is at odds with his own? That will never end well. Even more, you can end up losing strong team members due to the emotional upheaval. This is an unnecessary outcome that will negatively affect the output of your team.
Let’s be clear, a new boss does not need to change so they can measure up to their staff. They are the head honcho, so you adapt to them, or you leave. They may not know the company culture, but they may also not need to grasp it. Many times, organizations bring in new leaders to improve or change the existing culture.
So, what do you do to cope with a new boss? Adapt, yeah, I know I keep saying it, but it is the truth. Play it smart and serve up to your new boss and coach down to your staff. Step up and help both through the new change. Remember the long game and don’t attempt to predict the future. This could be the best thing that could ever happen to your career.
To learn more about how you can advance your career and survive the corporate world, checkout my book, Serve Up, Coach Down. Available on my website and Amazon.
