Are Special Projects Getting in the Way of Doing Your Job?

Leadership Connections Blog

Derek was a natural problem-solver, who brought tremendous energy and creativity to his work.   These talents led him to be promoted very quickly, and he was soon promoted to General Manager while he was still relatively new to the organization.  The challenge was, the position to which he was promoted was a newly created role in the organization—and unfortunately, it had little formal structure or definition and was not in alignment with his peers.  Moreover, there was an apparent conflict in his priorities, making it difficult for Derek to maintain focus on assessing and building his team with the constant flow of “special projects” his boss kept giving him. Derek needed to gain clarity about the function of his new role—and fast—so that he could demonstrate his effectiveness as a new leader.  

Before Derek could succeed in his new role, he needed to take an active role in defining what success would look like for this particular position. 

• Define the role:  Why were you chosen for this job?  What is the purpose of your new role?
• Assess expectations: What is your manager’s perspective of the role?  How does your role align with the expectations of the larger organization?
• Spell out the impact:  For every decision to take on more work or shift in priorities there is an effect.  It is critical that you keep track of these, because your manager won’t.
• Set up a system of regular communication:  We recommend a one-page update/agenda template for all regular touch-base meetings with your manager

Leader’s Reaction: 

Derek was willing to try the new communication approach, but was a little skeptical that things will change.  

Outcome: 

Derek noted that, while communication is still not perfect, it has definitely improved.  His manager was more aware of the conflict in priorities that he and the organization were creating and was better able to support Derek’s focus on managing his team and delivering results.  Derek finds that there still is a bit of a push-and-pull for his time and energy, but feels that he is learning to manage it better by communicating with his manager and pushing back when necessary. 

Need more? Click here to view our Role Clarity coaching tool.