When you hire a new supervisor or switch an employee to a new department, everyone must make adjustments. It can be hard for your employees to navigate the new management style, department behaviors or job expectations successfully, though. Give your employees the tools they need to succeed in their adjustment to a new boss when you implement these tips.
Make a Good First Impression
Your employees may struggle with their new leadership, but first impressions make a big impact on their success with the new boss. Encourage your employees to be on their best behavior. Their new boss will appreciate and remember that early support, attitude and actions.
Remain Professional
Despite reservations about the new boss, employees must remain professional at all times. Remind them to set aside their personal feelings and remain committed to doing what’s right for the company.
Avoid Gossip
Complaints and negative comments around the water cooler, via email or on social media can affect office morale, and employees can face disciplinary action for gossiping about their new boss. Instruct your employees to avoid gossip in all forms even if they don’t fully embrace their new boss yet.
Act Civilly
Remember that the new boss is a human. Treat him or her with kindness and as a valued individual and team member. This friendly, accommodating and civil attitude makes a good impression but also helps the boss feel welcome and ready to start strong.
Work as a Team
Whether the new boss is promoted from within the company or is an outside hire, your employees must work as a team. Together, they can welcome and support their new supervisor, including the agenda, actions and communications he or she wishes to implement. This teamwork mentality allows the new supervisor to get to work right away to make improvements that benefit the department.
Study the Boss’s Working Style
Every boss has a unique personality, behavior and preferences. By studying their new boss’s working style, your employees can discern if their boss prefers to communicate via phone calls or email, embraces an open or closed door policy, or likes direct or indirect confrontation. Then, employees can adjust their routine and activities to support their new boss’s working style and promote his or her success.
Offer to Help
Instead of waiting for direct orders, employees should step up and offer their services. They can show the boss around, introduce him or her to the team and assist with marketing, app or sales projects as they prove their value.
Do Great Work
Employees should show up each day ready to do their best work. Whether the department prepares taxes, produces videos or builds guitars, now’s not the time to slack off, slow down, rely on past successes, or try to tell the boss how to do his or her job. Willingness to follow directions, tackle new projects and follow through with objectives secures the employees’ position and supports the changes and strategies their new boss wants to implement.
Be Open to Change
Even if your employees have done their jobs the same way for years, realize that a new boss will bring a fresh perspective. Your employees will navigate the changes better if they can be open to change, including new processes, procedures and ways of getting the job done.
Don’t Bring up the Past
Conditions under previous supervisors may have been negative, and employees may feel unheard, mistreated or frustrated. The past can poison the present, though, and prevent healthy corporate changes. Employees must address their feelings about the past and prepare to move forward under new leadership, which may include a brand new, positive atmosphere.
Be Positive
Maybe your employees do feel concern about their new boss, but ask them to choose positivity. As they focus on the benefits of change and choose to believe that their new boss will be good for the department, they are more likely to offer support and help their boss succeed from day one.
Prepare your employees to welcome a new supervisor when you implement these tips. Together, you can launch a new chapter in your company’s story and prepare for a successful corporate future.
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Rhiannon
April 2, 2018I love the Act Civilly tip, I just wish more people would follow it. I have seen some employees treat new bosses as an almost alien species, and the relationship hardly every improves from there.
Linda Macy
April 3, 2018I have seen this too Rhiannon, and I’ve also experienced this for myself. I often wonder what would happen if employers introduced bosses in a different way or if they went in undercover beforehand as just an everyday employee!
Rhiannon
April 3, 2018I imagine sparks would fly in most companies, but boy would you find out who the real workers are!
Trent
April 4, 2018Linda, I think you may have just stumbled across a great idea!
Linda Macy
April 5, 2018Trent, I think a lot of employees would learn how to be on their best behavior from there on!
Trent
April 9, 2018Well, if you’re doing your job correctly and treat everyone with respect, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about!