How to successfully handle the transition to Manager

Whether you have recently been promoted to a managerial level role or you have changed companies and have been given a new team, you want to make sure that you are being the best manager you can be from day one. It’s important to know how to handle your team and understand the fundamentals for being someone’s manager. If you weren’t capable of being a good manager, it’s unlikely that you would have been given the job in the first place. However, with a new role can come nerves and other challenges, so we have some tips on how to show up on day one and be the best manager you can be.

Good communication

A very important skill for managers to have is being able to communicate appropriately and effectively with their team. You need to be able to communicate tasks with your employees and make sure they understand at all times what is expected of them. Your team should always know what they are meant to be doing and what they are working towards. It’s about being able to give the team feedback, whether it’s good or bad and being able to tell them in a way that they will understand and appreciate. No one likes giving negative feedback, but it will allow your employees to grow and learn from their mistakes. Good communication also helps you gain trust. A trusting employee is more likely to come to you when there is a problem.

Good communication can be learnt. You should be talking with your team every day, outlining their daily tasks if needed. If you struggle with effective communication, there are lots of training courses you can have a go at to improve this skill. Many companies won’t give a promotion to you without giving you some support, so be sure to ask your HR team what they have to offer you.

Acknowledging that you can’t do everything

You may be in charge of a team of people, but that doesn’t mean that you can do everything. A team needs guidance and that is what you are for. Different people bring different talents, skills and experiences to a team. No one person can do everything, so make sure that you are acknowledging everyone’s individual talents and abilities. It can be very easy to try and take-over some tasks, especially if you are trying to show them how good a manager you can be. But sometimes this can come across as patronising. Share the responsibly and work as part of the team, not just the boss. You can learn something from each member of your team.

Patronising managers can be the worst. Most of the time they may not realise how patronising they’re being because they simply want to help. But, have you been in a situation with a manager before and felt really micro-managed and/or patronised? Trust that your employees know how to do their job and not have you do it for them. Of course, they should be able to approach you when they need to, but you need to avoid micro-managing at all costs!

Be able to set achievable goals

You want you and your team to be successful. Setting goals and mapping out a timeline for when you would like work completed can really help. Make sure your team know what you want completed and when, allowing them to plan their own time and work accordingly. You don’t want to set goals that aren’t realistic for the time they are given in the day. You don’t want them to be working unnecessarily late because they want to impress the boss. Understand that work is only part of their day and they have other responsibilities. Being realistic with your expectations and allowing them to achieve smaller goals everyday will make you a better and more understanding manager. They will appreciate your understanding.

Try and be consistent

You want to be giving your team the same message every day, you want to help them build a routine and be able to work to the best of their ability. Consistency in leadership is often better organised than teams that experience constant change. Being consistent can help your team do their day-to-day tasks and feel at ease whilst doing them. Workplaces that are constantly changing can he harder to be productive in. Consistency in management shows good leadership, they know what you expect of them and it can build trust.

Trust

I’ve mentioned trusts a few times above, but it’s difficult to express just how important it is that employees can trust their managers. Good trust can affect how they think about you, how they carry out their everyday tasks and if they’re going to tell you when there is a problem. Trust can only bring positives to a team working environment. Trust is a huge skill to have and develop as part of being a manager and it’s a two-way street. You have to be able to trust your employees as well. Trust that they will do their job and they will trust that you will guide them in the right direction. Trust is the basis for good working relationships and can only better the workplace.

Learn on the job

Whether you are new to management or not, you will make mistakes, you are only human. It’s okay to make mistakes, you can learn from them and grow as a professional. The best managers admit their mistakes and make sure they can solve them and carry on work as normal. When you have a great team working with you, honesty is always the best option, they can help you solve any problems that may arise. They will also trust you more if you are able to share your mistakes, they understand that it’s only natural to make mistakes and keeping them in the loop will only strengthen you as a team.

You should bring a motivational attitude to work with you every day. You are not only trying to motivate yourself but keep the team happy and alert. You should lead by example. You will have days that feel a bit off, just like any other employee. But like anyone else, learn from the bad days and try again the next. Take the time to get to know your team, learn what they’re all best at and use it to your advantage. Your team are your best asset and they can teach you a lot. Trust that you are going to be a good manager and as long as you are trying everyday and enjoying your work, then you will be a successful manager!