Starting over: Same job, new owner
Q: I started a new job as sales associate this last June and went through extensive training to learn about the product. All the he company’s owners and managers were the most wonderful people I have ever worked for, going out of their way to offer every type of training available to get me up to speed professionally. I got along with everyone — my bosses, my coworkers, the office assistants, and the clients. I appreciated every day at work because of all the guidance I was given. It was unlike any job I had ever been in.
Unfortunately, it is coming to an end; the company is being sold to new owners. We’ve been told we will be doing the same thing only for new management, but I know it will not be the same. How can it be with a complete change in ownership and upper management? The new owners don’t personally know the sellers, so they can’t know about the many incredible things management has done for its employees. I’m also concerned how these new owners and managers will evaluate me at year-end since I just started several months ago. They may say they will take advice from the
previous owners, but we know when new owners take over, they have their own ideas about the way things should be run.
How do I prepare myself for the transition to make sure they want to keep me, and if they do want me, how will they determine my bonus? If I think their decision is not fair, how do I respond without seeming defensive or entitled?
A: It’s good to be prepared with the facts, so don’t start by assuming these new owners and managers will not be of the same nature as the previous ones you like so much.
It’s true many new owners think they know better than the previous ones. That doesn’t mean, though, that the new ones will ignore information provided by the sellers. New owners often keep a key person from the company for at least a year or two to ensure a smooth transition of ownership occurs.
Too many changes soon after a takeover — personnel, policies and procedures — can cause many good employees to defect, taking their knowledge and experience to competitors. Non-compete contracts can prohibit employees from taking client lists and other confidential information, but many agreements don’t hold up in court because a contract can’t eliminate a person’s livelihood.
Everyone at a company in transition should be prepared with facts on their jobs and their job performance. Create a
Through experiences of the late Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and more, plus practical workshop assignments on how to find your inner voice, you will learn how to make use of the two most valuable assets — your mind and your heart — so your career path will not be left to chance.
personal file on your overall performance, your sales, new clients, clients the company turned over to you, and a comparison report of sales figures before and after joining the company. Learn the information so it becomes common knowledge for you, even if formal memorization is required. If you’re asked questions at any time, you don’t want to seem unaware, uninvolved, or come across as someone with a poor memory.
Because of your extensive training and time with the company, the new owners will likely review your performance history to decide bonuses, as well as whether they will keep you in your position. This isn’t to make you nervous, they can make their own conclusions separate from the sellers’ recommendations.
Another factor to guide you when meeting with the owners is to follow your inner voice. All top leaders combine facts with intuition for decision-making. If you haven’t yet acknowledged its power in keeping you on track, author Lynn A. Robinson delivers proof of its value in Put Your Intuition to Work (Career Press, NJ, 2016). Through experiences of the late Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and more, plus practical workshop assignments on how to find your inner voice, you will learn how to make use of the two most valuable assets — your mind and your heart — so your career path will not be left to chance.