Your first management job is a big deal – a major indication that you have (unwittingly or otherwise) done something right in your career. On the flip-side, it’s also the first time that your success or failure hinges on the performance of others.
More often than not, those around you are your former colleagues, perhaps even your current friends. Naturally, everyone feels just a little weird: you have replaced the bygone boss you and your peers used to collectively bemoan and begrudge. It’s quite possible some of these colleagues and friends are older than you, more experienced, and longer tenured at the company. In all likelihood, at least one of them chased your promotion and isn’t overjoyed to be your subordinate.
It’s a tight spot. So what is a first-time manager to do? With any luck, your own boss is the good-natured type, the company commands a limitless training budget, and a wise mentor is at hand to sagely help. You can dream, after all.
These four strategies, often overlooked by first-time managers, will help you hit the managerial ground running and set you ahead of the game.
1. Promptly provide feedback to staff
It’s not complicated: employees perform better when they get feedback. Studies by Gallup and Globoforce, found a whopping 98% of employees will fail to be engaged when managers give little or no feedback! More so, 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were being better recognized. (see info-graphic below)
Often, many first-time managers turn a blind, perhaps timid eye to non-desirable behavior until it’s much too late. Bad idea. If you see members of your team acting or working in ways other than you directed, address it immediately and reset expectations. But if you often struggle with handling difficult conversations then I encourage you learn how to get better at it. Check out Amy Jen Su’s recent article in the Harvard Business Review titled “Giving Feedback When You’re Conflict Averse.”
In a more positive sense, this also holds true for praise when employees perform well. Your promotion represents a fresh start for them. Your team wants to be seen in the best light and positive feedback that reinforces expected behavior will only encourage their desire to perform well. Remember, communication is key to productive working relationships. Oh, and buy a copy of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, the grandfather of all people skills books and a must read for first-time managers!
2. Delegate! Delegate! Delegate!
More often than not, a first-time manager tends to have a hard time letting go of those things in which they excelled; it’s what mostly like lead to your promotion. Can you do the assignment faster and with a better result? Probably, yes. Should you do the work anyway? No, absolutely not. Your team will never learn to do new tasks if you don’t delegate work to them. Remember, your success now depends on the accomplishments of others. So, instead of sitting down and going through the process with each member of your team time after time, delegate such that you clearly articulate your expectations, then provide each person the opportunity own the task at hand. Providing your staff with ownership and accountability along with a safe environment to “fail” is just as important as providing a path to succeed. Even if their work isn’t quite as polished as your own, learn to let it go and instead provide feedback that is both prescriptive yet pragmatic. The next time the task comes up, your team members will have a better handle on it.
Bottom line, you needn’t be a martyr and bear the workload single-handedly. Share it. Don’t worry – there will always be more work for you to complete.
3. Stop what you are doing and actively listen
According to Ben Simonton, listening “is what the boss’ job actual is. Listening is probably 80, maybe 90% of it. Not anything else. It’s no more difficult than that.”
With their new-found authority, a majority of first-time managers fall within two buckets when it comes to decision making. They either makes decisions too fast or too slow. The former group frequently feels the need to act quickly and flex their managerial muscles by making decisions in a silo. This practice is a surefire way of alienating your team. The latter group, procrastinates and tries too hard to build consensus from staff before making a decision; ultimately delaying what needs to be addressed in a timely manner.
Take the middle road, actively listen then proceed. “Active listening” allows your team members to talk uninterrupted while you make a sincere effort to fully understand what he or she is saying. When you actively listen, you effectively pay attention to listening. You do not cut in mid-sentence, absent-mindedly scroll through e-mail, or take calls. As the cornerstone of good communication, active listening helps break down departmental silos and creates inter-dependency between people – thereby forging strong workplace alliances. Developing these alliances allows for and encourages your new team to contribute, to provide their input as part of the process and to support and get behind your decision as manager. Ultimately, you’re not there to win a popularity contest, but it is nonetheless essential that the folks who work for you sincerely believe and know that you are considering their views when making decisions.
4. Risk a risk from time to time!
You’re wedged between a rock and a hard place. All eyes are on you. Your decisions are the subject of scrutiny and sometimes even skepticism. Those above, those on par and those below are quietly (and not so quietly) measuring up your management. More than ever, playing it safe is surely the best bet to success.
No so fast! As Daniel Kahneman writes in Thinking, Fast and Slow, when assessing risk, potential losses tend to loom larger than potential gains. We’re neurologically hardwired to focus more on what may go awry than what may go right (i.e., risk adverse). The reality is that the odds of unwelcome repercussions are often not nearly as high as we estimate.
The trick here is to identify quickly those things that you can address that are safe plays and those that have big impacts but greater risk. Allow yourself a settling in phase, but remain on the lookout for the “big opportunity.” Understand that in order to take on new work and projects, you will be exposing yourself and that failure is a real outcome. So if or when you do decide to go for it, it is imperative that you clearly and carefully document your thought process behind your decisions. Should your decision not work out, more often than not good management will consider your rationale and how you approached the situation; which will ultimately be used as a learning experience.
With great power…
Your ascension from humble underling to influential manager was no accident. Your accomplishments have been recognized and rewarded. Remember to take solace from that success as new challenges await. Though the first forays into management may not be easy, everyone needs to start somewhere. Make those first managerial steps in this giant career leap much smoother by keeping in mind from day one these four (feedback, delegate, actively listen and risk taking), straightforward strategies. Good Luck!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Iacona has 20+ years’ cross-industry experience within large multinational companies, works with start-ups and earned dual Masters degrees – an MBA from Columbia Business School and an MS in Information Systems from Pace University. Having built, led and managed small and large teams, Michael continual evolves his management style. He leads by example and fosters open communication and enjoys coaching team members, capitalizing on their unique talents.
[INFOGRAPHIC]
