Transitioning from an individual contributor role to that of manager can be exciting but also somewhat daunting.
There will be multiple management challenges, but they can all be summed up in 3 main hurdles that you will need to overcome on the path through new manager training. Get these right and you’ll earn the respect of your team and fulfill your new responsibility to improve and sustain your team’s performance.
- Change your mindset.
As a new manager, you are now responsible not just for accomplishing your own tasks but to see that your team members accomplish their tasks. This means that, first and foremost, you must make your expectations, standards and behaviors crystal clear. Your employees cannot fulfill their roles successfully until they understand what they are to do and how their contribution fits into the team and company goals. Metrics for success must be established so you can monitor performance and create individual plans for improvement.
And if you were promoted to manager internally, you also need to figure out a way to shift from being a co-worker to managing those who used to be your peers. It can be awkward. The best advice is to recognize that at the workplace you are the manager but off work you can still be friends. The key to shifting your role successfully is to be absolutely fair and transparent with the way you handle personnel issues on your team…no favorites nor targets.
- Take time.
Be easy on yourself. Take the time to think about how your behavior as a new manager will and should change. Overall, your communications with your team need to be open and honest. Never pretend to be someone you are not. If you don’t know how to do something, ask. If you try to fake it, you will lose credibility, your most important asset as a manager.
Be thoughtful about how you spend your time. You want to be available to answer questions and concerns, but you also need to set aside chunks of time to plan team goals, strategize, manage your budget, and track progress.
Organize your time so that you can meet regularly one-on-one with your team members. This is the best way to deal with performance opportunities and breakdowns. Invest the time required to develop the personal relationships that will let you know about problems before they become too big to handle.
- Pay attention to your own development.
Learn all you can about how to lead and manage well. Take advantage of any new manager training opportunities and find a mentor who can coach you along the way.
Now get started…you can do it!
Learn more at: http://www.lsaglobal.com/new-supervisor-new-manager-training/
