Managing the Expectations of a Move Up
I have written and spoken much on the topic of career timelines and transitions. In those writings, I shared the general flow of a career in CAD or BIM where you move from tech worker to tech superstar, then on to tech manager. Many times this happens within the same firm. You hire in as one thing and advance within the company to other levels. It is a natural progression. This career path can and should be managed and not just allowed to happen on its own. Too many times I have seen people stall at one level for too long because they are waiting for management to recognize their talents and “give” them the next opportunity. They just sit and wait for it. I encourage a more proactive route of looking for opportunities and seeking out projects.
For you, it has worked out well. You finally made the move. You have been offered and accepted a promotion from within your firm. You now embark on the desired career move that you have sought for some time. No matter how you make a move, whether it is given to you or something you strive for and achieve, you have to make a transition in order to succeed in the new position. It is beyond the scope of this article to trudge through the issues of having the position forced upon you and you reluctantly take on the role. That is a whole different topic. In this article we will take the stance that you wanted and sought the position of CAD or BIM manager.
First, let’s assume that you were offered the position after proving yourself at your firm. You have worked hard, thought it through, and accepted the promotion. There may have been a formal process or an informal one, but you weighed the options and decided that taking on the new role was a good thing.
Manage Expectations
Everyone is going to expect something from this transition. Your boss and the firm may think that you will clean house and make things hum within six months. Your coworkers may think that you will tell management to stop making ridiculous deadlines and cut them some slack. You have your own expectations on how it might work and so do others. I encourage you to start off by finding out what you and everyone else expects. This is done via individual conversations with each party. Some of this may have happened in the process of defining the role, but you should circle back and get more details now.
Manage Yourself
We all have expectations. They usually are derived from unspoken assumptions. We may assume something that was not explicitly stated. When something is assumed, it may or may not have roots in reality. We set our sites on hitting a target that others may not have defined and wonder why we are not celebrated when we hit it. We expect authority that we are not granted. We outline parameters that are not shared, work within them, and then are puzzled by the lack of agreement on outcomes. All of this has its beginning in unstated assumptions and expectations that need to be managed.
To begin with, you need to understand your own framework that surrounds the move up. Are you thinking that you will have greater financial rewards, more authority to make things happen, get invited to management meetings, etc.? The list could get quite long. I suggest that you define your expectations and then validate them by asking others for input. Even before you start asking questions, you can consider other situations that you have observed. Have others at your firm taken on greater roles and gotten the recognition for their efforts? Have you seen staff move from one division to another and get the respect they deserve? Has there been a track record of the firm asking way too much from staff that moves up the ladder?
You should define the scope of the job prior to taking it. Is there a formal written job description in place? Make this “job one” prior to taking on the role. This will define so many areas of oversight. Do not assume that others share the exact same framework that you may have in your head. Get it in writing.
Beyond the job description, discuss staff interactions, meeting attendance, reporting, project workload, and CAD/BIM production involvement (how much CAD or BIM design will you still be doing?).
By getting these things out in the open, you can adjust your expectations to be closer to what others might be thinking. During these conversations, you can also adjust their expectations of what you think should happen. I encourage you to keep your expectations as low as possible, plan on how to garner more impact and influence, and then move in that direction.
The Boss
After reviewing your own point of view, your boss is next. If the position came in with a whimper (no announcement, no title change, no pay increase) then ask questions to find out why such a low-key approach. You may find out that a coworker was quite upset with the offer going to you and your boss does not want to upset him or her. You may have to ask some tough questions. Do not shrink back from asking and be ready for disappointing answers. It is better to get a clear picture of the entire landscape of the decision and the expectations than to sit around and guess.
You may find out that there is a gigantic new project coming that was not announced yet and they expect you to make it run smoothly. There may be layoffs on the horizon that will impact production. There could be so many things that were left unspoken and now is the time when you can and should ask for more info. As a manager, the management team should embrace you and share more information than what is given to the line workers. It is not something that they may do easily until they know they can trust you with confidential data.
When talking to management about your new role, ask them why they chose you. If they have encouraging words of respect and how your efforts have been noticed, then you have a good foothold on making progress. They hopefully will reinforce the items that made them select you. Items such as organizational skills, integrity, drive, and diligence are great traits to build a career on. Be prepared, though… they may also say that “no one else would take the job” or “you better get things done or you’re out on the streets.” I would not think that would be the case, but don’t be overly shocked if you hear something like that.
Defining what is expected is partially done, but you need to add the “when” question. You probably have the best vantage point to define timeline expectations, and management may have accelerated thoughts. Find out what they think needs to change and when they think it will take place. Then bring some facts to bear if they are expecting too much. Do not say that what they are asking cannot be achieved; just that it may not be completed by the deadline they have in mind. Then work your tail off to make it happen.
The Coworkers
Next talk to your coworkers. Things have changed. Do not think that your relationship to your coworkers can continue like nothing happened. Everyone will have a new framework in mind for the way you will act and none of them may be spot on. You may not share the same openness and critique of the company with coworkers now. By becoming a manager, you take on a company role that differs from other employees. You will have access to more information that should not be shared with everyone. You may share more insights with management that your coworkers may not appreciate. You are not turning your back on them, but you now have a foot in both camps. It is not the same. Your individual situation, staff attitudes, and company demeanor will define the playing field. It is never the same from one transition to another.
Your coworkers may pick on you and say that you are a turncoat. They may think you have sold out and do not think like them any longer. Hopefully this is all in jest, but there is always some truth behind the words. They will see you going to meetings with management behind closed doors. They will know that you have information and they will try to find out what you know. They will make jokes and may even leave you out of some conversations. You may start feeling like an outsider. Some may support you, some may be ambivalent, and others more negative.
Let them know that you will share as much as possible, but there will be some confidential information that is not open to share. Let them know that you are still concerned with their troubles and issues and hope to make management aware of those concerns.
By keeping open conversations going and talking to all involved you can stem the tide of negative impressions that may not be warranted. By managing expectations—your own and those of others—you can and will succeed in your new position. Work hard, play fair, make a plan, and move forward.
