I have become a manager for the first time of a team of five. I realise I will learn through trial and error but what key tips would you give me at this stage that will help me succeed? BV, Abu Dhabi
When you initially become a manager, it can be a rewarding yet intimidating experience. Managing others is not easy, it requires a completely new skill set and a different approach to when you were performing as an individual contributor. No longer can you just do your job well, you are now responsible for the satisfaction and performance of others. You will have to develop your capacity to motivate, communicate, coach and make decisions.
There is also the added complexity that you could be managing former peers and even friends, those older to you or with a greater tenure in the organisation. This is why it is important to lay the groundwork early and build your credibility, so you start on the right foot.
Everyone, even the most successful chief executives, have been in your shoes and there are certain things you can do to make this transition smoother. I will share with you three critical skills that should serve you in good stead.
Firstly, you have already done what many managers struggle to do and this becomes harder and harder as you progress in your management career – asking for help and advice. Lot of people move into management roles with the assumption they should automatically know all the answers. The fact is you will have many more questions and concerns than answers and as you said you will be operating by trial and error. Also you will find yourself facing more complex problems without right or wrong answers as all the pieces of the puzzle don’t often fit neatly together.
To succeed, you need support and guidance from those around you, especially your own boss. There is also no reason why you cannot seek advice from other potential mentors both within and outside your organisation. There are also plenty of books, courses and online content that can further support your thinking.
The next step is more difficult. You must start forgetting about how you personally provide value to the organisation and spend your time understanding and ultimately driving the performance of others. You were probably promoted because of your own performance, yet what got you here is not enough to help you succeed as a manager. You now need to consider how you help others perform. Learn to move away from your own needs, interests, skills and preferences, to that of others. This mindset shift will go a long way towards working through the challenges of your new role. You will now be measured by the success of five other people so it is distracting to be solely occupied with yourself.
Many say that management becomes like parenthood. Your choices before children were primarily selfish around your own needs and that of your partners. Now they must move to more selfless: where you still need to take care of yourself, but you also have a family of five to think of.
Finally, as a manager of people, you will now be looked to as the example of how to act when people need answers or inspiration. You are the model others will seek to follow and you need to ask yourself a famous leadership question – “Why should anyone be led by you?”.
The values you demonstrate, the way you relate to others, manage situations and your understanding of the business will be considered the reference point for how others behave. Therefore, be mindful of yourself and your effect on others. This requires you to slow down and think through your decisions; use your intuition to time actions by making sense of situations. You also need to strike a balance between opening up about yourself; they should see you as approachable and maintaining a distance so they respect and listen to you.
A successful leader I once knew described management and leadership as a constant dance, where you often found yourself making up the moves as you go along and sometimes you unknowingly, even through the best of intentions, end up stepping on other people’s toes.
Doctor’s prescription:
The first move into management can feel like your first performance in front of a real audience, without the luxury of a dress rehearsal. But remember that every leader has been at this point on their journey. Many will admit that it is just a skilful version of trial and error. Set yourself up for success by asking for help, thinking “them” over “me” and being mindful that others will always be looking up to you.
Alex Davda is a business psychologist and client director at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is based in the Middle East. Email him at business@thenational.ae for advice on any work issues.
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