Managing is no cakewalk. It’s more like a marathon, and all too often, organizations promote someone to manager but give that person little support. It would be like if Jill were a decent runner, so the company signed her up for a 26.2-miler next week, without providing training, strategy or even running shoes.
In the workplace, it plays out more like this: Jane is a proficient software developer, so the company promotes her to manage seven other developers — a few of whom are her go-to happy hour buddies — without coaching her on how to effectively oversee them.
The scenario is daunting at best, doomed at worst and fairly common at many organizations. Gary Winters, leadership coach and author of “What Your Boss Never Told You: The Quick Start Guide For New Managers,” says managers need technical, political and people skills to be effective. But many companies promote people based only on their excellent technical abilities — like Jane’s software development — without teaching them the other two skill sets.
And so these new managers have to wing it. “They don’t even know half the time what they’re really getting into until they get there,” Winters says.
Fortunately, while this is your first go at managing, plenty of others have run the race, stumbled and lived to tell the tale. Avoid these five common mistakes typical of new managers, and you’re sure to cross the finish line:
1. They think the transition is about them. Take pride in your new role, of course. “Make no apologies for it,” Winters says. But he adds that new managers often underestimate the impact the change in management will have on the rest of the team. “It’s not going to be business as usual for a while,” he says. “They need to start focusing on their people rather than their own terrific promotions.”
2. They try to do too much, too fast. Rather than transition to a new role, new managers often dive into it headfirst, guns –a-blazing — eh, policies-a-changing. Lofty goals-a-setting. Direction-a-diverting. But here’s the thing, Winters says: “You’re not going to change the world in a day or a week.”
To ease into the role, tap advice from your boss and, if possible, the outgoing manager you’re replacing. Read up on managing and leading, too. (Winters is partial to author William Bridges’ books about transitions, and check out these classic texts on leadership.) And slow down until you get your bearings. “Don’t throw your weight around until you get a feel for what’s going on,” Winters says. Speaking of which …
3. They overlook the small stuff. New managers often get so excited about carrying out their grand vision for the team that they overlook the specifics of how everyone operates to work together effectively. A few examples from Winters: Do you prefer email communication, phone calls or in-person chats? What’s the policy for after-hours queries? Should members set up a meeting to talk with you, or is your door always open? Do you have any pet peeves? “We figure that all out over time, but we usually figure it out by doing it all wrong,” Winters says. So hash it all out in a transition meeting with your new team.
4. They ignore the elephants in the conference room. Specifically …
— Former managers: During that transition meeting, also bring up the ghosts of bosses past, who may still be lurking among the cubicles. Maybe you’re replacing a leader beloved by the team, who might as well have hung an oil painting of her in the conference room and commissioned a sculpture of her likeness for the lobby. Or maybe you’re stepping in for an awful boss who’s been fired, but not before she brewed distrust, disarray and dissatisfaction among the team she left behind. In either case, stress to your team that you are not the former boss and that, naturally, you’ll operate differently, says Kevin Eikenberry, co-author of “From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership” and chief potential officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a leadership consulting company. That’s why it’s all the more important to figure out the operational stuff and also speak frankly about the expectations and boundaries among you and your team, he adds.
— Friends and peers turned subordinates: If you’re now managing a buddy or former team member, that elephant in the room might as well be a Brachiosaurus. Eikenberry suggests having a straightforward discussion about boundaries, expectations and the fact that you’ll dole no special treatment. Address these issues now, rather than when you have to awkwardly call them out on something in a few months. (I can’t ignore the fact that you stayed home “sick” today, when I know you were partying last night.) “The reality is it’s only going to be harder when there’s a real issue,” Eikenberry says. Here’s more advice on how to manage a team of your former peers.
— Co-workers who tried for the same promotion you received. Again, Eikenberry stresses that you have a one-on-one talk with this team member. Be empathetic, he says, suggesting you say something like: “I’m guessing if I were you, I’d be really angry or frustrated about this. But neither of us made the [promotion decision], so let’s not let that get in the way of being able to work together.” And point out that you’ll help him or her snag the next promotion, he adds.
5. They’re afraid to make mistakes. “Don’t be immobilized by the worry that you’re going to make mistakes,” Eikenberry says. “If you’re not making any, you’re being too timid.” Leading is tough, he adds.
When you make mistakes — and you will — look at them as learning opportunities. Specifically, Eikenberry says: “Take a deep breath, and reflect on what actually happened, why didn’t it go the way you wanted and what do you need to do differently or better the next time?” Then, he adds, “you dust yourself off, and you move on.”
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