Imagine you are a hardworking employee, you put in hard work and extra effort to complete all work with utmost perfection. You are famous among your team. And boom! You get a promotion. A managerial position!
Will you celebrate this achievement?
Will you start learning the skills to be a “good manager”?
Or will you just copy the characteristics of your predecessor?
Every step that you take after becoming a manager will have several eyes watching. You are not a team member with the ability to make mistakes and cover them up easily. Obviously, becoming a manager is worth celebrating, but it is necessary to understand the responsibilities that come along with the role.
Overall, there is a general perception of people getting into managerial roles and then learning the process. There are hardly a few people who become managers with full preparedness. So, if you are aspiring to become a manager, or have become a manager suddenly – Do Not Panic.
Learning is the key. In this article, I have tried to provide insights into the thoughts of various managers who were once new but grew up to be wonderful leaders.
Here are 11 Tips for new managers
Becoming a manager is not easy, but it is not difficult too. You just need to understand and accept a few important prospects.
“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.” – Vince Lombardi
Let us take a look into the key attributes as expressed by other leaders which create an impact on your performance as a leader. This article will prevent you from the regret of not knowing the basics of leadership beforehand.
1. Understanding people
It’s a rainy morning, and you are on the freeway heading to work. But your car breaks down. You get help but reach late. Your manager does not believe your story. You are frustrated for the rest of the day.
What will you do if your team member comes up with the same story?
Will you accept this as a fact?
Or Suspect this to be a cooked-up story?
Managers should have a very critical bond with their team. You need to instill confidence in your team members. That does not mean that you start accepting all their stories or excuses.
Do not live with the misconception that your technical knowledge will make your managerial journey smooth. Gordon Tredgold, a Global Gurus Top 10 Leadership Expert, Trainer, and Speaker revealed in an interview the importance of understanding your team members.
He states “Technical skills are great, but it’s people skills – your ability to inspire and motivate – that will help you the most. The higher you go, the more critical they become.”
When it comes to managerial responsibilities, more than 90% of the issues are people related. There are hardly 10% of issues that have requirements for technical knowledge.
2. Realize it is a continuous learning process
A manager doesn’t need to know everything right from the word go. Continuous improvements and learning result in making a better manager. It is just not possible to know everything before taking up the position.
It is hard to take theoretical classes and improve knowledge about leadership. Growth is practical and learning is a continuous process that helps in becoming a better manager.
3. Be an example
Do not start establishing authority. If you want to see a change, start with yourself. Setting an example is the best way to keep the team motivated. This will be a motivation for your team. In case of any problem arising in the team, take responsibility and work on rectifying it immediately.
A simple example is reporting on time to the office. Unless and until you are not punctual it is just not possible for you to tell your team to report to the office on time. This does not apply only to time but to any other activity in the office.
4. Do not poke your nose – Don’t be a micromanager
It is not essential for you as a manager to work on all projects. The team has the capacity to complete things on its own. You do not want to get the tag of “micromanager”. Excessive supervision and follow-ups create frustration. You do not want your team members to be unhappy.
Before getting into action, just put yourself in the shoe of that employee and imagine how you will feel if your manager says that to you. This is the best way to introspect and lead a healthy team.
Megan Anderson, former VP at Hubspot says that at the start of her role as a manager, she was worried that her team is working on their own. “My job is to manage these people, but they are managing just fine,” she says. It is important to understand that hiring and building a team plays an important role. Once you get that right, the team works on its own.
If your team does things without your interference, be proud of how strong your team is. Do not let a sense of insecurity come in. After all, it is not only about your team managing well, aim for excelling.
Know how to build a great team- Hiring The Right Talent: All Aspects Covered
5. Learn to Appreciate
Just like you expected appreciation, remember your team will also expect the same. Remember the day when you were just a member and your manager appreciated you? Maybe, you wanted appreciation but did not get it. It is very important to appreciate your team for every achievement. People crave recognition.
When a team member performs exceptionally well, make sure that you appreciate the member openly. Appreciation plays a very important role in further development. Motivated teams show higher rates of success in comparison to others.
6. Making your team accountable
Assigning responsibilities to team members does not make them accountable. You need to embed the spirit of accountability in your team. There is a huge difference between responsibility and accountability.
You need to encourage your team to take ownership of the outcome. This will make them stay committed to achieving success. This is possible by ensuring that the team has all the necessary tools for working. Also, having an affirmation that mistakes would not result in fatal mistakes will make the team work with more confidence.
7. Be clear when it comes to feedback
Just like appreciation, make sure hard feedback is not delivered softly. Maintaining a strong relationship and understanding with your team is essential for the proper delivery of hard feedback.
Most managers soften the ‘hard feedback’. This is an attempt to prevent the member from feeling bad. However, soft feedback is known as couching. And couching is not good for the development of the individual. Good managers do not mince words. They convey their message with intent.
Kim Scott, an author, who has worked with Twitter, Apple, Google, and Dropbox credited her success to her mentor who used the term “unintelligible” and “stupid” in one of the feedback sessions.
Also Read This: How to Master the Art of Giving Feedback
8. Be ready to embrace change
After becoming a manager, you will not be able to have lunch with the same colleagues. Even the behavior of your co-workers will change. However, you need to be very careful with the choice of your words, especially in messages, emails, and group chats.
Also, it becomes important for you to change the people you interact with. Saying NO will have to become a part of your routine. Getting along with other managers, who are your peers now is essential for gaining knowledge and skills.
9. Meetings are the key
TEDx has a fixed time of 18 minutes as the average time for most people to maintain their concentration. Several researchers also agree with the fact that 18 minutes is neither too short nor too long.
You need to get a feeling of “exceptional” after a meeting. Extra long meetings dilute the essence of the meeting. Utilizing every minute of a meeting to complete productivity is a skill that requires learning and additional effort.
10. Understanding individuality
As a manager, you need to understand that every member of your team has different aspects. You cannot expect similar behavior from everyone. Different team members intend motivation in different ways. Understanding each of them would take time, but would prove to be beneficial in the long run.
There are different personality tests and training that can help you in understanding your team. Over time, you develop skills that help you in understanding your team members during discussions and interactions. Another simple method to understand your team members is by direct one-on-one interaction.
11. Work in 360 degrees
The team is not the only thing on which you need to concentrate. More than focussing only on the people reporting to you, build a healthy relationship with your peers. Also, have regular interactions with the management to avoid a rift gap.
Building a solid relationship with the boss, and managing upwards is essential. Interactions with other team managers help in understanding management responsibilities quickly. A good bond between teams also helps in effective work and better results.
Is being a manager worth it?
Being a manager brings a lot of responsibility and a lot of accolades as well.
If your focus was only the thought of commanding a team or huge paychecks, then you are probably mistaken.
A manager is independently responsible for the performance of the team. The growth of the company is also directly dependent on the performance of the manager. This position comes with responsibilities as well as benefits. It is a matter of how you use the powers at your disposal.
“Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.” — Steve Jobs.
When you are a manager you can inspire people. This not only helps your team in achieving success but also inspires members to put in their best efforts. A manager proves his worth when they inspire the team to work toward success.
What does it take to be a good manager?
There are no special training programs that can churn out high-quality managers, it is all about mindset. A good manager adapts to the situation, can take good decisions instantly, and leads the team from the front. Most importantly a manager must have a mindset for continuous learning and self-improvement.
There is nothing so terrifying about becoming a manager. Every person who joins a team member aspires to be a manager one day. Who does not want the role to lead? Or who would say no to a big paycheck?
Must Read: A Day In the Life of a Product Manager
As per a survey by Gallup, more than 82% of existing managers do not understand their roles properly. The main reason is that they get the designation based on promotions. Being good at the workplace does not necessarily mean that one can be a good manager.
Apart from the technical skills, mastering these skills will help you in your journey as a manager.
- Interpersonal skills – for building strong relationships with your team members and successful growth.
- Communication skills – Both verbal and listening are important. Regular interaction builds up trust and confidence level with your team.
- Organization and delegation – It is essential to have the ability to juggle multiple tasks as well as assign responsibilities to team members.
- Strategic thinking skills – Having the ability to encourage innovation to bring about an increase in productivity in the team.
- Decision-making skills – Taking immediate decisions, but making sure that there will not be any long-term impact because of that decision.
- Mentoring skills – Providing an impact on other members. This can be in the form of inspiration or uplifting.
Overcoming daily challenges: Feeling Exhausted, Drained? 10 Ways To Beat Decision Fatigue At Work
What are the qualifications of a manager?
One of the primary requirements is having a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 2-4 years of experience in that particular field. The qualifications and requirements vary as per the industry. No hard and fast rule applies to becoming a manager at the workplace. It is essential to display exceptional high technical skills and knowledge in that particular field.
If you are working in a team, and want a promotion to become a manager, then your work must stand out from the rest of the team. Soft skills such as communication skills, leadership skills, and management skills are also equally important. Certifications and experience play an important role in the selection process.
However, if you become a manager at a time you never thought of, then learn with the flow. Be open and absorb knowledge and skills as and when you get them. On the other hand, if you are aspiring to become a manager, then you can start preparing yourself for the role early on.
Bottom Line
Becoming a manager out of the blue is a challenge. You cannot continue doing things that you used to. You will not be aware of the latest gossip going around in the office. The behavior and interaction of your coworkers will change. There will be a change in the peer group. However, it is important to look for the fun moments even in this position to have a steady growth environment.
Managers are also humans. Good and renowned leaders were also once freshers. So unless you look up to this position with challenge and the intent to learn new things, you will not be able to do justice to the position.
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