• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

People Equation

Leadership Development and Career Success Tips

  • About
  • Services
    • Leadership Communication Coaching
    • Leadership Messaging
    • Writing Services
    • Thought Leadership
  • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • Contact

Career Advice – Will My New Boss Believe My Bad Press?

by Jennifer V. Miller

Here’s a note from a reader with a career question:

I just learned that I’ll be getting a new boss at the end of the month – someone from outside the company who doesn’t know me. This is a good thing, because, frankly, I’ve made some bad choices in my current job and I think my professional credibility has taken a hit. I’ve made some enemies . . .my once solid work relationships have suffered. How can I start off on the right foot with my new boss?

What are your career headlines?
What are your career headlines?

There are times in our career when we screw up. If we’re lucky, we’re working for a leader who believes in redemption. But sometimes, a string of bad choices morphs into a bad reputation, if left untended too long. Your instincts are right to want to make reparations and to set a positive tone with a new leader. First of all, you must repair relationships with the people (the “enemies”) you reference above. Possible ways to address this:

  • Meet privately with individuals who you believe will be receptive to an apology. Say, “I screwed up. What can I do to make things better?”
  • Start every day with this promise to yourself: “I will make choices that keep me in integrity and build positive business relationships.”
  • Pay attention to how people are responding to you after you’ve made the apologies – are those who were previously “cool” to you now “thawing”? Be sure to express your gratitude for giving you a second chance.

In tandem, you can do some things to get ready for your new boss’ arrival – see my Huffington Post article on New Boss? Six Steps to Starting Off Right. When you meet with the new boss, be upfront: let him/her know you are working to improve some challenges you have been experiencing. No need to go into great detail (someone else probably already has!); just acknowledge that there have been shortcomings and you are committed to working through them. A few final thoughts – forgiveness can be very difficult for people. Don’t expect everyone to sing your praises right away. It may take awhile to redeem yourself, depending on the severity of the “choices” you have made along the way. With luck, your new boss will see your sincere efforts to improve and will give you the chance to do so. Image credit:bloomua / 123RF Stock Photo

Jul 10 2013 · Categorized: Communication, Personal Effectiveness · Tagged: Career, choices, honesty, transparency

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Master the people equation.
Elevate your leadership.

Tips for how to make the most of interactions with your boss, peers and colleagues; show up in a way that’s positive and respectful.

Topics

  • Bad Boss Diaries
  • Book Review
  • Business Management
  • Communication
  • Food for Thought Friday
  • Guest Blogger
  • Human Resources
  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Office Politics
  • Personal Effectiveness
  • Social Media
  • Team Effectiveness
  • Training Delivery
  • Weekend Reflections
  • Workplace Issues
  • Zen of Jen

The People Equation blog by Jennifer V. Miller is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Footer

Follow the People Equation

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Statement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Sign Up

Copyright © 2023 · People Equation