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I am returning to work in September after 10 months of maternity leave.  During my maternity leave our annual performance reviews took place and I was happy to receive the news that I had been promoted.

In my old role I was primarily lab based but was inviolved in some of the planning and project work within my group.  When I return I will be in a primarily office based role and managing people for the first time.  All the projects etc are the same although they should (!) have moved on considerably in the last year...

My request is advice about the following

- how do I make my return to work as smooth as possible - showing my employer that not only am I back but I am capable of taking on this new role.

- how do I start a management role with people that were previously my peers when I have been out of the loop for so long.

I have requested meetings with my boss (this is the same person as before the promotion) so that I can be up to date on day one but no response so far.  My role will also involve project reporting to the manager above him - should I meet them too???

Many thanks for any thoughts/experiences you have returning or having one of your staff return to work,

naraa's picture
Training Badge

I cannot give advice on all of your doubts, but i hope i can Share with you some of the things i have learned. 1- first do listen to and do apply the things you have learned here on management tools. 2- second, you do not have to prove anything, you have already proven or you would not have gotten the Job. The key here is to understand That when you move from an executers to a managers position your performance changes from being the result of tour own work to being the result of the work of the people That work for you. If you try to do all by yourself you Will collapse. You must master asigning tasks and delegation. 3- your work starts the day you are back, they Will give you time to get up to date, and you Will be surprised as not as much as you think actually got done in 10 months.  Your baby has changed far more than your work. Talk to your boss on advice on reports to the managers. I was also promoved coming back after my first baby was 6 months old. It was not easy. The hardest thing was adjusting what i could now do to what i could do before, simply because i had less working hours.  If i were to Live the same experience again i would stretch my own deadlines a bit and to be too hard on myself. Congratulaciones on your baby and your promotion! All the best!

mfculbert's picture

Congratulations Tribop!

My guidance comes from John Lucht's wonderful book "Insights for the Journey." 

The most important thing to do is fit in. Meet weekly and listen to your team. Let them all tell you what happened during your maternity leave. Ask them for their insights to the company and your new position. Ask them how the prefer to be managed (but make no promises that you will act that way). Listen, learn, care and be open. I also recommend listening to every podcast on the trinity and SLOWLY implementing it over the first year. It has revolutionized my managerial technique.

Best of luck. Keep us posted.