Consult a coach: How do I prepare to step up at work?

Dear Jo,

I’m a senior manager at my company and have been asked to take on an acting-director role while my boss is on maternity leave. This is a great opportunity for me to work with all the other directors, as well as the CEO who is really inspiring, but I’m feeling extremely overwhelmed.

I don’t want to let myself or my boss down. How do I prepare to step into their shoes?

Seema, 34

Jo says...

Dear Seema,

Thanks for writing in, and may I say many congratulations for earning this exciting opportunity. Even though you feel overwhelmed right now, your boss clearly trusts you to do the job, so let’s make sure you feel relaxed and ready.

It’s completely understandable to feel anxious when embarking on any new challenge. Nerves are a normal human response to the unknown, and they show us that you really care, and that doing a good job is important to you. The feeling of overwhelm that you describe could be related to over-thinking, which is something our fear-based brains love to do when we don’t have all the answers yet. I would always recommend facing these messy and unhelpful feelings head on before they get out of hand, and the best way to do that is to take action.

Firstly, it's in the best interests of everyone – you, your boss and your company – for this temporary transition to go well, so you need to make sure you get as much constructive time with her as possible before she heads off. If you’ve not done so already, discuss how she would like to structure the handover, decide how much time you will need together, and schedule it in both your diaries straight away. When the workload is busy it can be easy to leave these things until the very last minute, but this is not going to help you build the confidence you need to succeed, so make sure these sessions are a priority.

The second thing your boss might do is invite you to join her in a few senior-level meetings. If she doesn’t, you might want to suggest it. This is a great opportunity for you to observe the team dynamics, understand the role you will be playing in meetings, and take any notes.

To help with some of your feelings of overwhelm, do a regular brain dump of everything that’s on your mind – that means keeping a notebook and writing all your thoughts down as often as you can. It doesn’t matter if some of these thoughts don’t make sense, it’s just better to have it all down on paper than whirling around your head. You can organise your thoughts into priorities or lists, and add to them at any time; these are the notes you want to bring with you to your handover sessions.

Finally, you didn’t say it as such, but it would be understandable if the thought of regular meetings with the other directors and the CEO didn’t make you feel a little apprehensive. It’s a big step and a great opportunity, but before you go out and buy a power suit, remind yourself that no-one is expecting a new version of you. They will be looking to maintain continuity with a reliable representative from your department who can help them make strategic and informed decisions. The key to success here, like everything in life, is to be prepared; read meeting agendas well in advance, bring any information with you that may relate to the discussion points, be present and engaged, and, most importantly, be yourself.

Good luck!

Jo Glynn-Smith is a transformation coach, speaker and personal-brand expert from London who works with leaders, entrepreneurs and businesses to help maximise their team or individual potential. Before becoming a coach, she spent most of her career in the fashion industry working at the highest level with some of the biggest global brands. You can follow Jo for more coaching tips and advice on Instagram (@jojoglynnsmith) or visit her website, joglynnsmith.com.

Lead image credit: Hearst 

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