6 Steps to Win Over Your New Manager
In the course
of their work, employees face challenges and difficulties related to their
ability to cooperate with others and deal with their manager or employer. These
challenges can affect their self-confidence and their sense of job security.
The
relationship with one’s manager, in particular, is a major factor in the
workplace and a key determinant of how successfully a person performs their
assigned tasks. It can even determine whether they remain in their job, and it
also has a significant impact on the level of their salary and employment
benefits.
Changing
managers is considered one of the most sensitive transitions within an
organization. According to Atlassian, a platform specializing in team
management, it can either increase or decrease an employee’s desire to remain
in the organization, depending on their relationships with the team, the extent
of their influence, and their concerns about the policies of the new manager.
Psychologists
say that employees tend to compare the feelings they experienced under their
previous manager with those they experience under their current manager, such
as feeling valued and appreciated. As a result, they may perceive a change in
management as an indirect threat to them.
In any case,
there are several things you can do to earn your manager’s trust at work:
First: Be punctual and perform your tasks with
professionalism and excellence. This
strengthens your manager’s confidence in you, gives you an advantage over
others, and makes you a valued employee in any organization—someone known for
competence and success. It also brings you the love of Allah, as the Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah loves when one performs a
task with excellence.” (Sahih Al-Jami`)
Second: Accept change and engage positively with the
decisions made by the new manager. This
transition is not necessarily a threat to you; rather, it may simply reflect a
different working style and a new approach to managing the organization. This
can help the new manager succeed, as their success depends largely on their
ability to understand the dynamics of the team and recognize its capabilities.
Therefore, it is wise to listen to the new manager and approach the
relationship positively.
Third: Understand the new manager’s need to achieve results
and establish a positive reputation with senior management. The first few months in any leadership position are
considered a critical period. Therefore, employees should understand and
accommodate the pressure the new manager is under and help them make an early
impact. Achieving something tangible that demonstrates your own value can help
establish your reputation in the manager’s eyes while also giving them an
opportunity to succeed, according to a study on leadership management published
by IMD Business School, based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Fourth: Focus on understanding your new manager’s priorities
and preferred communication style. Make an effort
to communicate effectively and deliver clear, tangible results in order to
build trust with the new manager.
Fifth:
Avoid excessive criticism, complaining, and creating
unnecessary problems. Instead, work to build and
strengthen trust, foster a team spirit, cooperate effectively, and provide the
expertise and advice needed when appropriate. Allah says: {Help one another to do what is right and good; do not
help one another towards sin and hostility.}
[Al-Ma’idah 5:2]
Sixth: Be
patient and take your time. Do not rush to judge your
experience working with a new manager. The situation may become clearer over
the course of several months, providing indications of whether the relationship
and working environment are likely to succeed or fail. Although the beginning
of a new management relationship can sometimes be difficult, this does not mean
that every experience with a new manager is destined to fail. Some managers
succeed only after a period of adjustment and experience, and the time required
varies from one person to another.
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