One of the motives for me in obtaining my MBA is to learn more about managerial best practices and apply what I learn in the classroom to the workplace. This is why I’m especially looking forward to taking ‘Managing Groups & Teams’ in the fall. Currently, I have only had the opportunity to supervise student workers and have yet to manage other full-time professional staff members. Many of you may be in a similar boat, as you find yourselves only a few years out of college and still trying to establish your place in the office hierarchy. As we continue to move up the chain and are promoted to management positions, we will be entrusted with increased responsibilities, and with this comes its challenges. Our success now is not only dependent upon our own performance, but also of those we oversee.
In order to be a successful manager, I believe you must be a leader first and foremost. Here are some guidelines to becoming an effective leader from Bill Gentry’s article 3 Tips For Surviving As A First-Time Manager:
1) “It’s not me, it’s you”
Schedule an individual meeting with each of your direct reports as soon as you move into the new management role. You need to figure out what motivates them, how they like to be led, and what questions or concerns they may have. Communication is critical in every (work) relationship, so this is the best place to start. Using the Birkman Method Assessment may be a very useful tool to utilize here as well.
2) “Mentor others for a win-win”
Mentorship is also a big factor in a successful supervisor/supervisee relationship. Research has shown that it not only benefits the person being mentored but also helps the manager doing the mentoring become a more effective and efficient leader. Regular check-ins and providing feedback (both constructive and positive) will help both parties involved.
3) “You are 100% the boss, but only 50% of the relationship”
This is something first-time managers struggle with the most. You must accept the fact that you are only responsible for your own actions, behaviors, thoughts, etc. You cannot control other people’s opinions or feelings about you, so you must learn to let it go. It is impossible to make everyone happy 100% of the time. Just focus on being the best leader and manager you can be, and the rest will fall into place.
From my personal work experience, I feel like I’ve learned what not to do as a manager. I value this Forbes article because it’s provided me with some actionable takeaways or “To Do’s” rather than “Don’ts,” which we too often focus on.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ccl/2013/05/10/3-tips-for-surviving-as-a-first-time-manager/
Couldn’t agree more with you about learning what not to do first. My first job was one that I’ll definitely never forget, but for all the wrong reasons. I’ve been fortunate to move from a role where I felt completely micro-managed, into a new one where I’m given the flexibility to manage my projects and use my manager only as a sounding board for support. It’s wild what a difference the person you report to can make in your professional happiness.
I like these 3 rules and agree that it’s very important to find out what works for the person you’re managing upfront vs. diving into it assuming that you know how they prefer to be managed.
I cannot agree more. I had a similar experience as Nancy’s, where I was continuously making mental notes of what not to do in the future.
While that is beneficial to a certain degree, it only left me avoiding several behaviors. I appreciate the “To Do” mindset of this article. I strive to remain someone that those I manage can view as a mentor. I want them to feel comfortable coming to me with their strengths and weaknesses, knowing that I am there to help them succeed.
The role of a manager is so much more than running a department, a project, or a meeting. They are there to facilitate the growth of the individuals on their team. This article helps put that in perspective, both for first-time managers as well as seasoned professionals.
Sarah, I like this article and find it to be a great reminder of what TO do instead of what NOT to do. I also have a randomly recurring reminder on my calendar in which I drop various things in that I want to either incorporate or remember not to do as I shift to a managerial role.
We host sessions regularly at work on managing teams and how to do so effectively, and one of those is to take notes when you have a very effective manager and take notes about what that manager does. Likewise, when you have a manger you don’t mesh well with, take constructive (that’s key!) notes on what doesn’t work and how you would handle or manage it differently.
I’ve managed to do both and not only find myself being a more effective manager, but also a more effective employee!
I think it is also important to note that although you may not be formally designated as a manager right now, there are a lot of things that you are doing that involves leadership and motivating your team. “Management” doesn’t just happen over night the moment an employer puts you into a management position. A lot of the skills and experiences you are developing now are helping to mold you into that future leader.