4 Dangers of Digital Communication and 8 Tips to Avoid Them
Team Alignment Is For the Birds!

First-Time Manager

Are you ready to be a first-time manager? Perhaps you’ve had some bad managers in the past, and you think this is your chance to do it right.

Well, it IS your chance to do it right. But you can’t wing it.

Research reveals that nearly 60 percent of first-time managers underperform and often end up leaving the company.

Here are six tips to start off right and avoid finding yourself alone on the edge of a precipice.
 

1. Approach your new role with humility.

You might have an idea of what a manager does. You might have had some bad managers and think you know how to do it better. The truth is, it’s not as easy as it looks. It takes time to get it right. If you act like you always know what you’re doing, people won’t believe or trust you. You will earn much more respect by being open, asking for help when you need it, and making changes when you’re off track. Recognize that you will make mistakes (it’s inevitable), and when you do, own up to them. Be open to feedback and be willing to make adjustments.

2. Change your focus.

You might have been promoted to a management position because you were great at doing your job. But you now have an entirely new job. The jump from the role of individual contributor to first time manager is one of the biggest leaps you can make. Instead of doing the work, you now need to work through others to get the work accomplished. Your focus should be on building your team and supporting them in doing their work. On of the most challenging things you will need to do is to delegate effectively – to be willing to delegate and to know when to delegate.

3. Learn the skills of management.

Becoming a good manager is not simply a matter of attitude. There are skills that are essential to managing others. In addition to learning effective delegating, you need to learn communication skills like how to hold difficult conversations. You need to be able to set SMART goals and the RIGHT goals. And you need to know how to adjust your management style to the specific needs of each direct report. One of the best ways to learn how to adjust your style is through Situational Leadership® II.  If you can’t take a workshop, I recommend reading Leadership and The One Minute Manager.

4. Understand the big picture.

At times you will need to provide a rationale for the things you are asking your direct reports to do. You need to have a good understanding of where the company is going and how your team supports the company’s goals. Don’t just wait for your boss to fill you in. Be proactive and read information on the company website and ask your boss and other leaders strategic questions.

5. Acknowledge your changing relationships.

One of the most confusing aspects of being promoted to a first-time manager is figuring out your relationship with your former peers. You need to find a place in the middle – not aloof and not just pals. You can still be friends, relax, hangout and laugh with them, but you need to be clear about your boundaries. You can’t gossip about others or confide confidential information. It’s important to be fair to all and not let your personal relationships cloud your decisions.

6. Find a mentor.

Ideally your new boss will coach you as you grow into your new role. But if not, find someone, ideally who knows the company’s culture, to give you advice and act as a sounding board. Knowing something in theory and in reality are two different things. In the beginning especially, you need someone you can talk with about some of the complicated situations you are actually facing.

 

Photo Credit: Bigstock/passiflora70 | First-Time Manager Tips
4 Dangers of Digital Communication and 8 Tips to Avoid Them
Team Alignment Is For the Birds!

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