Laying the Groundwork for Success in Your New Job

Congratulations!  Many of you in the Healthcare IT world have taken on new roles as a result of the incredible demand for your skills.  Some of you have even moved into executive roles for the first time.  I am sincerely happy for you!

However, here’s an unnerving statistic that I read recently and perhaps will give you a daunting feeling if you just accepted that new promotion for which you’ve been striving for years — 40% of executives who change jobs or get promoted fail within the first eighteen months.  Whoa.  And, this difficulty is not a result of the struggling economy and the instability of jobs in general.  This figure has held steady for the past fifteen years.

Many of you who are called upon to be leaders in the Healthcare IT field enter the situation without the tools that you need to succeed.  You move from one position into a new one that you think will offer you the professional fulfillment that you’ve been needing (and hopefully it will!), but you need to take some time to educate yourself, make some plans based on what you’ve learned, and go into your new office ready to make a difference on day one.  This isn’t just learning how to use the department’s fancy copier; it’s taking the time to know the culture and the personalities and the shortcomings of your new environment inside and out.

Anne Fisher shared the statistic above in a recent article and also pointed her readers to some tips from executive coach George Bradt to help you be part of the 60% of new managers who do succeed in their new positions.

For example, go to a variety of people of influence in the company and ask for their feedback on the current issues of importance in your office.  Are there some common themes of concern?  Where do you see you can make improvements right away?

Also, as I recommend in my book, make a plan for your first 90 days… and the next… and the next.  The President does it, why not you?  If you envision yourself succeeding at your new position in three months and have a plan to get there, you are less likely to have days of floundering and doubt.

Check out the whole article and get ready for that inevitable promotion now!

Are you surprised that so many executives struggle to succeed in new leadership positions?  What do you suggest to improve chances for success?

About the author

Joe Lavelle

Joe Lavelle is the Co-Founder of intrepidNow. Prior to that Joe was an accomplished healthcare IT executive and career coach with a record of successfully meeting the business and technology challenges of diverse organizations including health plans, health delivery networks, health care companies, and several Fortune 500 companies.

Joe is also the author of Act As If It Were Impossible To Fail, available on Amazon.

   

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