Placed with a team of high achievers: Find a mentor if you feel you need one because it’s important to demonstrate that you intend to learn what you need to in order to do your best. Be upfront with your manager about help you need rather than wait for him or her to intervene due to underperformance.
Handling unexpected promotion: Promotion is a good thing but can leave you on the back foot if are you not well placed to make a success of it. If you have promotion thrust on you, especially earlier than you were prepared for, first realise that you’ll probably be expected to work in a different way from what were doing so don’t expect to do more of the same at a higher level.
Secondly, quickly develop a strategy to rapidly build higher level competencies.
Thirdly focus on the right priorities, do work that matters in order to affirm the confidence placed in you.
Line managing smart people: Don’t panic thinking they will outshine you. Profit from their brilliance. Smart people are usually self motivated and need no hand holding. Don’t cramp their style by insisting on managing them if they don’t need it.
Engage them in helping solve problems and doing what they are great at. Don’t let ego get in the way; you don’t have to be necessarily smarter than your people, but you definitely need to be a better manager of people and results.
Now take action: Identify three ways you can start to develop your versatility.
