Fastcompany suggests there are few career moments as exciting — and these days, as perilous — as taking over the top job at a company, business unit, or department. But what exactly do you do once you’re in charge? This online guide provides 18 tactics – and case studies — to help you take the reigns running.
- Begin your transition before you start the job.
- Travel widely within your organization, listen carefully, and look for patterns in everything you see and hear.
- As you ask questions, look for the rising stars whom you want as part of your team.
- Identify the kind of people who will flourish in the environment you want to establish.
- After you’ve identified the ideal individual, identify the ideal group.
- Acknowledge what you don’t know. Identify those around you who are the experts and don’t be afraid to lean on them.
- Don’t be afraid to listen to people who disagree.
- But clean house if you have to.
- Establish a way to communicate with — and listen to — your entire team.
- Don’t trash your predecessor, but don’t be shy about promoting your own agenda.
- Settle on a few major priorities. You can’t fix everything at once.
- Meet the customers. Balance the big picture vision with-front line views.
- Target a few early wins. Momentum counts, and nothing succeeds like success.
- Keep an eye on the clock. Faster is almost always better.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes but be sure to fix them faster than you make them.
- Be wary of reckless re-engineering.
- Don’t be afraid to look for ideas in unusual places.
- Finally, ask yourself who do you really want to prevail, you or your organization?