My 7 most common traps to avoid during your career transition

Thinking you know it all and coming in with all the answers that will solve all the problems. This is the quickest way to p*ss people off and create a poor first impression - not only with your new boss, but also with you new colleagues and team.

Acting like the proverbial ‘bull in a china shop’, trying to do too much, implementing numerous initiatives and generating a lot of noise with little chance of any success, will only get you noticed by your boss for all the wrong reasons.

What got you here won’t get you there. By continuing to do what you used to do, won’t work in your new role. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and operating differently can be… uncomfortable.

Particularly relevant if you have been promoted within the same department and you are struggling to let go and trust that your replacement will do as good a job as you did.

Your peers are your number 1 team and are best positioned to offer you the best support - they have all been where you are now. By ignoring them, and only focusing on your boss or your direct reports, is a common mistake that will hinder your ability to get up to speed fast.

Prioritising only one aspect of your new role can be a costly mistake. Perhaps you have a lot of technical knowledge to learn, focusing purely on this could come at the cost of neglecting your new team, ignoring new partnerships, learning about company culture or business objectives.

By failing to prepare, we are preparing to fail. By setting your sights too high, you will create unrealistic expectations of yourself, and of your team - resulting in failure.