You've just been promoted. Now what? Your boss has congratulated you and directed you to your new chair. Everyone has made a fuss over your new job. Your career is on the rise. All the work you've put into your career plan, all your study and hard work has paid off, now what's the next step?



Here are 10 ideas to get you off to a running start in your new job:

1. Make sure you spend time by "showing up." You can't learn everything from written reports and emails. Be accessible, and the best way to make that happen is to frequently be out and about talking to your employees, getting their ideas and really communicating.

2. Make it a point to become a better listener. The best ideas come from the employees as they know more about what is going on in their "100 square feet" of working world than you will ever know.

3. Be positive and proactive in performing the administrative aspects of your new job. How well you handle these details will figure prominently in any assessment of your future career potential.

4. Plan on helping all your people develop to their greatest potential. This is a critical area on how your superiors will judge you and your overall job performance.

5. Do the best job you can in gathering information. The make the decision. Remember it's rare when you have all the information necessary in making a decision. Your judgments have been good in the past or you wouldn't have been promoted. So make the decisions required, be flexible and don't be hesitant in making the required decisions.

6. Be open to new ideas. Get in the habit of giving both sides a fair hearing.

7. You now represent the company, its policies and procedures. Don't apologize for company's actions as it will only dilute your authority. If the company's action is a problem do your best to have it changed. Be careful on picking your battles, some things are not worth wrecking your career over.

8. Set high standards in everything you and your people do. Don't accept mediocrity. Most employees will work toward a high standard; expect the best from all your people.

9. Put in an extra effort to master the new job. Focus your attention on the new jobs priorities and work hard to get them completed.

10. Take the time to review your career plan. What needs to be updated and changed? What worked in the past and needs to be continued? Don't let the demands of the new job let your career plan gather dust. Now is the time to analyze what worked in the past and build for your future.

Career planning and career developments are the culmination of a series of small positive actions that over time result in career progression and advancement. You've reached this step and with additional work and attention to your career plan there is no reason why you cannot continue to grow and progress in your career.