The hazard is stress, but it’s not the work-a-day kind you had before you were promoted to a new job or started a new business.
Almost one out of five business leaders said in a recent survey that their “most challenging” life event was a promotion. It was so scary they ranked it above life-changing events like the death of a loved one or a divorce.
A promotion can shake your confidence for several reasons:
* You were not actually prepared for this particular job. To get support, have a meeting with the person who moved you up. Say you are pleased and excited about the new opportunity, but in order to live up to expectations you will need help in some areas. Be specific.
* It’s important to recognize the trade-offs of moving up and deal with them. You lose the comfort of a familiar role, and you may think you have inadequacies that could be revealed.
* You’ll also have to deal with a certain degree of guilt, says author Kerry Sulkowicz. Writing in Business Week, he says the promotion means you’ve defeated other contenders.
* If you stay in the same area, old friends might now report to you. The relationship changes, and you will feel a little lonely in your new responsibilities.
These feelings will pass over time. Before that happens, you may want to share them with an external confidant, a former colleague, or a professional.
Be sure to recognize your feelings. And you should realize from the start that you don’t know all you need to know about the new position.