5 Critical Tips to Single-job Success
Thousands of business leaders are promoted each week. It’s an exciting time and it’s also a terrifying
time. It’s even more terrifying for Managers who get promoted but still have to do some, or all of the work from their previous job.
As crazy as that sounds, there are many organizations that have not developed the internal discipline and processes to promote effectively and have the resources in place to make seamless transitions.
When poor transitions occur and you are stuck doing two jobs, the organization technically “gains” because it’s effectively paying one salary for two jobs. In my experiences, most successful organizations don’t do this by design to try to optimize profitability, but rather end up doing it by mistake through poor planning and talent strategies. Regardless of the intent, if you are that Manager who must do two jobs indefinitely, this blog presents five critical tips for successfully dealing with this challenge.
The information shared is based on research, observations of best practice companies, and my own experiences over the past 25 years working with some of the best and worst leaders in the world.
Give a Reasonable Timeframe for Transitioning Out of the Old Role and Stick with It
Tip number one is based on the premise that it is impossible to do two jobs and be good at them both for a long period of time. I think 4-6 months is pushing the limits. Using your best influencing skills, you must identify the key stakeholders in the process including your new boss, your old boss, and any other immediate leaders and convince them – without sounding like you are whining – that you need a reasonable timeframe for transitioning from the old job to the new one. When you position the conversation, be very positive and focus on things such as the future and the impact that being “half-present” will have on the new team and new customers in the ecosystem of your new role.
Once you’ve been able to do that, you need to stick with the timeframe. Giving in and extending the timeframe shows tremendous weakness and ultimately is not good for the old job or the new one. A secret to success here is to schedule regular reminders that “the end” is coming so that the people responsible for replacing you are being held accountable and are doing their jobs.
Train Others from Old Job to do the Old Job
If you are still doing the old job, you should not be doing it alone. It is imperative that you identify people from the old job to help you. You should do everything possible to train others to do the tactical tasks and slowly but surely delegate as much of the non-strategic work as possible to others. The benefit here is that you are not only easing out of the old job, but you are building skills of the people you used to work with which will pay off in the long-term.
Nurture your New Boss to Support You
Remember this; it’s usually not in the best interest of your new boss to share you with your old job. In most organizations the new boss will see their performance drop if your role is in transition and not fully effective. You must do everything possible – again without sounding too whiny – to let your new boss see that you are not being as effective as possible because you are still doing two jobs. If your new boss has any power, then they will do whatever it takes to get you out of your old job. If your new boss has no power, then I must politely suggest that maybe this was not the right move for you.
Ask for Additional Compensation
If it’s been more than six months of you doing two jobs, nothing will stimulate activities toward filling the open job like asking for additional compensation for doing both jobs. It is a perfectly reasonable request and the way you ask will have an immediate impact on the situation and possibly your career. As you’ve picked up from my writing, nobody enjoys a whiner. Use sound business logic and data to present your case for additional compensation based on the extra work and accomplishments.
Don’t be Afraid to Quit if it Drags On
Being a good soldier is one thing, being a foolish one is another. In this robust economy where talent is at a premium, the more marketable you are to other companies, the more leverage you have. If it’s been more than six months of doing two jobs and there is no light at the end of the tunnel, don’t be afraid to start looking for another job. You were promoted for a reason and the simple fact is that if you’ve been promoted, you are very desirable on the open market. Most people are jumping jobs every 2-3 years so this is a card to play that will judge your perceived value and worth.
In summary, doing two full-time jobs within any organization is not sustainable and will eventually have a negative impact on all that are involved. There are positive ways of addressing the situation without coming across poorly that will end in a positive result. Focusing on the future in a positive way, and the current in a negative way is the right balance toward having key stakeholders to hire your replacement.
