Advice For First Time Managers
Managing a team of employees for the first time can be very intimidating and full of challenges. In most cases, there’s no set approach to leadership, which means that many new managers don’t know where to start. While becoming a manager for the first time can be a very intense learning curve, it’s also a great opportunity to grow into becoming a good manager.
Here some tips to help first time managers better their chances at successfully managing a team of employees.
Have Clear Expectations of Your Team Members
It’s going to be impossible to achieve your team goals if you don’t inform your team members about all the expectations you have of them. Make sure that you are clear on what you expect from all of your individual contributors, including communication, productivity, outcomes, and etiquette.
Manage Your Time Effectively
Now that you are a manager, you will discover very quickly that you just don’t have as much time as you used to have. This means that you are going to have to make sure that you become more organised than ever. If you want to remain organised you must be consistently planning ahead, time-blocking in your calendar, and setting realistic expectations for yourself with the time constraints you’re now working with.
Make Sure That You Give Your Team Members High Quality Feedback
It is super important to give your staff members frequent and high-quality feedback. This is mutually beneficial, as your team members will feel more aligned, more productive, and more effective. As a manager, you will feel confident knowing that your team is clear on their instructions and that each team member feels comfortable coming to you for your feedback.
Acknowledged That Relationships Will Change
Workplace conflict can often occur when your relationships start to change. If you were promoted from within, it’s possible that the person you routinely gossiped with is now a direct report, or that you’re managing employees who were once your peers.
Finding a balance between friend and manager can be difficult but it is super important. Some information is too confidential to share, and you can’t allow your personal relationships to influence your judgment. That’s why it’s best to proactively address any changes. It could be as simple as saying, “I value our friendship but, as a manager, I need the team to trust me and see me as fair and consistent.” Although this won’t be an easy conversation to have, it is an essential conversation that must occur.
Find A Mentor To Guide You
This is why it is important to find mentors you can turn to for advice or support when issues arise. By learning from their mistakes, you can avoid making missteps yourself.
Be A Leader for Your Employees Not a Boss
It is important to make sure you have a clear direction towards the future. Good leaders let employees know where the company is headed. Bosses don’t share information and leave employees wondering if there’s good or bad coming down the pipe and if they should be concerned.
A leader also believes in the importance of people. A great leader considers employees their most important asset. Bosses are more focused on numbers.
