New manager training helps you understand the many different roles to play as you learn to officially lead others for the first time. The better you are at flexing from one role to another, the better able you are to connect with and positively influence your team.
The best new managers know how to act as:
- A teacher rather than a commander
As a new manager, you are only as successful as your team because your success now depends upon the success of others. Acting as a dictator will alienate you from your followers. Instead, influence their performance through supporting and developing them. It is your responsibility to help your team members learn and grow…to facilitate their success and, in so doing, your own. - An investigator rather than a judge
When something goes wrong, you need to find out what happened and why. Talk to your employees and then listen well. What was the root cause…lack of resources, lack of training, unclear expectations, unclear picture of a successful outcome, lack of support? There could be any number of reasons…some of them may be owned by the employee, some by you. Take the mistake as an opportunity to learn and do better next time. - An explorer rather than a settler
Challenge your team members to push themselves beyond their current boundaries. Give them support to expand their skills, go beyond the tried and true, and break out of their comfort zones. This is the way new managers help their team reach new levels of success. The complacent employee is a drag on the potential of the team. - A coach rather than a ruler
When decisions are made as a team, your followers are more likely to support and abide by them. Truly collaborative teams share in defining their goals, planning a strategy to achieve those goals, and pull together in the same direction. As a coach, you can keep the team on track and working as an integral group.
