Tips for New Managers

I remember my first management role… vividly. Because I was scared out of my mind! I had no previous experience managing people and although my boss and others obviously felt I was ready for the role, I wasn’t quite as confident as they.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, here’s some “hindsight is 20/20″ advice I can share.

First, get to know your new peers - i.e. the people with whom you’ll be working. Try scheduling informational meetings and interviews with other managers and peers. This will give you the opportunity to ask them what they think it takes to succeed within the organization. Don’t forget to schedule a similar meeting with your boss to find out the departments’ togals, company goals, etc. Then, set up more meetings (are you sensing a theme here?) with each of your new team members to discuss their individual goals.

Review their prior performance appraisals and make a note of their strengths and weaknesses. Discuss their career goals and let them know that you are there to help them succeed. And remember to keep goals and expectations realistic and don’t make any promises you can’t keep regarding future merit pay or other rewards.

Instead, make sure you provide ongoing rewards and recognition. Employees want to feel valued more than once per year. Do things like find out what your team members like to do outside of the office and provide gift cards or time off for them to pursue their hobby. Or, distribute a note to the entire team acknowledging a team member’s recent success.

Delegate, delegate, delagate. Enough said.

One of the most important tips I would offer is to establish office hours. Make yourself accessible to your team as often as you can. If you are regularly unavailable due to all day meetings or business travel, set up office hours for your team members so that they know that you are available to mentor and support them in meeting their goals and objectives.

Lastly, listen and learn from your team. Although you are now serving as the teacher in many instances, don’t underestimate the value of listening to different points of view to solve problems and improve processes. Your team members may have been around longer than you and could have valuable historical information to offer.

As the saying goes, first impressions mean everything. Giving a first impression to your new subordinates and co-workers that you are prepared and qualified to do the job will go a long way in building respect, loyalty and productivity from your team. Good luck!

Originally
from Spherion Career Blog - The Big Time

by Brent Short

Posted by Jeff Bosco with no comments.
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