Managing directors also need superiors

New managers are often left to their "fate" without an induction period. A predecessor who could familiarise you is no longer there and the line manager is very busy with their own tasks.

Don't be too ambitious as a manager. You don't have to work flawlessly and believe that you have to have everything under control on your own! Realise in good time how much responsibility you can, want and need to take on and be aware of the situation regarding tasks, responsibilities and competencies (AVK) in your company. In principle, the tasks, responsibilities and competencies are formulated in organisational regulations and in the CO.

But let's be honest: in the hectic construction industry and especially when there are changes in management, you don't always have time to solve everything according to the rules. Your subordinates are demanding decisions from you that are long overdue, the customer is pressing for a quote for an important major contract and there is the daily flood of emails from suppliers and customers who want to resolve one or two pending issues with your predecessor as quickly as possible. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a backlog of orders and decisions appears that were signed and made by the previous job holder and about which no clear information is available. This would be the right time to talk to your line manager about all these challenges so that you can implement your proposed solutions with their backing.

Unfortunately, however, managers are still considered to be weak when problems arise and many managers sooner or later build up a protective shield in such moments. They try to talk the problems away by appearing competent or use skilful negotiation tactics to find the "weakest link" in the chain, which then remains stuck with the problems. But caution is advised here, as such problems come back more quickly and on a much larger scale and can lead to complete overload. There is also a great danger at such times that you may overstep your authority in one way or another, which could soon be your undoing.

Another stumbling block for over-ambitious managers is when they take refuge in "excuses" if they are unable to demonstrate any qualitative development of the company. In any case, you should not use the arguments below too often in such situations:

  • Your industry would be in an extremely complex market with unfair competition from home and abroad
  • You are in a difficult economic environment with many competitors and extremely low margins
  • The competitors would "buy" the orders below the cost price
  • Etc., etc.

Another popular phenomenon of over-ambitious managers to conceal a lack of innovative strength is exaggerated sales growth and constant reorganisations. With annual reorganisations, you make yourself suspect that you don't actually understand the business and that you want to elegantly evade the previous year's comparisons in order to "pull the wool over the shareholders' eyes".

Before you have to use all these tricks and gimmicks, be humble and go to your line manager and look for more constructive solutions together.

As a manager, it is not a sign of weakness to involve your line manager in finding a solution. No, on the contrary: it is a sign of respect for the responsibility you have been given and it is a sign that you have understood the rules of the game laid down by the AVCs. It also shows that you know how to handle the capital contributed by the shareholder in a sustainable manner and that you want to leave your successor with a company that will function in the long term.

We wish you continued constructive cooperation with your superior and innovative and entrepreneurial solutions for your tasks as CEO.

For the sake of simplicity, only the masculine form has been used in the text. Of course, all genders are included.