You're now the boss, what next?

June, in her mid 30s, had a flourishing career that she was passionate about. Having nabbed her biggest achievement yet — a big promotion with an impressive title to boot — she found herself in a quagmire. While the congratulatory messages were doing the rounds, she heard from more than one quarter that since she was now playing in the colloquial ‘big boys club’, she needed to walk, talk and act like the boys.  Herein lay her predicament. In her whole career, June had relied on softer communication — conflict diffusion, and the ability to listen and connect deeply — to get results from her peers and juniors. Now though, she was struggling with the idea that she might have to adopt a completely new persona to fit better in this new stage of her life.  You would be hard pressed to find a woman who does not agonise over how to best communicate effectively, striking a balance between being assertive without being too overbearing. Here are useful tips:

Sponsorship

Sponsors are individuals in the organisation who are senior to you, support your growth and advocate for you. They are a bit like mentors, only that they have the capacity and access to tools that you need for career growth. Being able to approach a mentor with a specific concern, such as the perception that your contributions or ideas are not getting the attention they deserve, can give you invaluable feedback on the power dynamics that you may not be aware of and how to tackle them.

Confidence and presence

Body confidence and poise, especially under fire, can make or break your success in the workplace. More than ever, true leadership emerges in crisis. We have all heard stories of women who burst into tears in the workplace: that becomes the only thing they are remembered for from that point on. Do not be that woman.

Be firm and concise

Always take a firm approach whether it is in demanding that a task is completed or negotiating for what you think you are worth. Listen to the other point of view but keep your reasoning clear and concise with facts and figures. Avoid waffling or filling in silences with words.

Tips

• Recognise that in whichever position you are, you have value to offer and strive to always communicate this value.

• Identify your power gaps — areas where you feel ‘less than’ — and work on them, but do not let them hold you back.

Photo: www.healthyblackwoman.com