Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing for the transition
• Part 2 of 3: Communicate with your team
• Part 3 of 3: Work productively with your team
• Tips
• Warnings

Congratulations! You finally got that promotion you've always wanted, and now you're a manager. If this is your first management experience, you may be a little nervous. That feeling is understandable, not strange and in fact quite justified. This will be very different from what you have done before. However, most managers learn by doing, so there is no better way to learn this than on the job. Prepare for the transition by learning what is expected of you, and don't forget to plan your time.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing for the transition

1. Study the management styles you have dealt with yourself. Think back to the managers you have experienced in your career. Which style worked and which didn't? Which managers did a good job coaching and motivating the people under his / her leadership? If you are still in contact with one of them, make an appointment for an interview. Ask questions about managing.
   • Don't expect to get a golden guide to becoming a great manager. Becoming an efficient manager takes time, effort and experience.
2. Ask Human Resources for available training courses. As a manager you will wear a lot of different hats. Suddenly, you may be responsible for signing off timetables, hiring staff, and assessing performance. Ask the HR department if there are any training courses you can take to learn the tricks.
   • Realize that you will learn more from experience than from formal education. The best way to learn how to manage people is to roll up your sleeves and get to work.
3. Read books on how to become a manager. There is also a mountain of literature on how to manage people. Reading books on the topic can help you understand the experiences of others and how to develop a management style that is best for you. Go to the bookstore or library and choose some of the following options:
   • Blanchard and Johnson, The One Minute Manager
   • Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
   • Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
   • Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People
4. Take management courses. Check with a college or university to see what's on offer. Common management courses include topics such as behavior within an organization, relationship between the workplace and management and management in small businesses. You can ask your supervisor whether the company will pay for the costs of the courses.
   • If you do not have a university degree, you can work towards a bachelor's in business administration. If you already have a bachelor's degree, consider getting a master's degree in Business Administration (MBA).
5. Think of yourself as a leader. As a manager you now have a new professional identity. Rather than being an individual employee with a narrow focus, you now need to realize that you are responsible for setting the agenda for an entire group. You are now a leader, not just an employee.
   • You are no longer an equal to your former colleagues. You can expect some former colleagues to be jealous of your new job, but remember that your focus is not on becoming the best of friends with your team. While you don't have to become a snob, it's better to keep your distance from the gossip at the coffee machine.
6. Find a mentor. A mentor can answer any questions. This can also increase your status as viewed by top management. It's a mature attitude to seek out a mentor, and that one can be a huge asset.
   • A mentor should be someone who is several steps up the ladder. For example, if you've just taken up a position as a financial manager, you could ask the head of finance as your mentor.
   • Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of ​​asking someone to be a mentor. However, the mentor-student relationship usually develops naturally. Show an interest in what your potential mentor is doing. Ask for a job on committees and have lunch with the potential mentor. If there is a click, he / she can volunteer to take you under their wing. If a potential mentor doesn't offer this themselves, you may need to ask.
7. Hire a business coach. Many executives hire coaches, but they are also available for managers. A coach is a trained professional who is focused on helping you develop your own authentic management style.
   • A coach is not free, so check if you can afford one. Costs vary by location, but you can expect to pay at least $ 50 an hour.
   • You can find business coaches online and on websites like LinkedIn. Search online for the coach's name to check his reputation.

Part 2 of 3: Communicate with your team

1. Get to know your team members. You cannot manage a team until you know more about individual team members. You need to know their strengths and weaknesses and what motivates them. There are many formal and informal ways to get to know your team.
   • Read previous employee evaluations. This should contain the strengths and weaknesses of each employee.
   • Stop and talk to your team. One advantage of coming first and leaving last is that you have plenty of time to talk to people informally. Ask how their work is going and what they need help with.
   • Organize a team dinner once a month and encourage employees to bring partners. Pay the bill. By seeing people informally you can discover a lot about what motivates them in life.
   EXPERT TIP

   Have regular meetings with your team. You will have to adopt a communication style. But of course you don't immediately know what works for your team. During the weekly meeting, pay attention to how your team responds. Some members of the team may hate the regular meetings and prefer to communicate by email. You will have to adapt your management style to the members of your team, which may mean having conversations with team members to see how things are going.

2. Learn how to provide effective feedback. Giving feedback is an art and the only way to learn this is through practice. Make sure your feedback is specific and actionable. You don't just want to boost someone's self-esteem. You want the members of your team to come out of the conversation with the knowledge of what to do.
   • Use "I" instead of "you". "I think it is more effective to listen when a customer is complaining" is better than "You only made it worse when you entered into a discussion with that customer".
   • Your feedback should focus on actionable solutions. Give employees concrete steps to follow.
3. Practice listening. New managers may think they should have all the answers, but listening is vital. Involve your team as much as possible in everything. Ask them what ideas they have for problem solving and implement the ideas that are helpful. Always give credit where credit is due.
   • Active listening requires that you are focused on the team member and that you give undivided attention. Close your email program and forward phone calls to voicemail.
   • Be unbiased. If you shoot ideas immediately, your team will be reluctant to share ideas with you in the future.

Part 3 of 3: Work productively with your team

1. Determine your team fits within the organization. Every team needs goals, and corporate morale will suffer if your team doesn't know what to do. However, new managers often do not really know what their goals are. You must consult with your superiors within the company. Ask how your team fits within the organization as a whole.
2. Help employees to prioritize their work. Successful teams have a lot of work to do, and team members may be in the dark about which tasks to complete first. As the manager you can see the bigger picture. Make it clear to your team members which tasks they need to complete first. Provide this information verbally and as an email for maximum effectiveness.
3. Delegate tasks to your team. Most new managers find it difficult to delegate because they do not yet have the confidence of the members of their team. However, you will quickly burn out if you don't delegate. The best way to delegate tasks? Start small. Give your team members small tasks and see who does the best job. Return to those people who deliver excellent results.
4. Admit when you are wrong. You don't have to appear invulnerable. This can be difficult to accept in principle, especially if you don't feel confident in your position as a manager. Still, it will teach your team that it is okay to admit when they are wrong and to ask for help.
5. Reward extraordinary achievements. There are many types of rewards - money is just one of them (though usually highly appreciated). The reward must be in line with the exceptional performance. However, you need to consider what works best for your employees. Keep the following in mind:
   • As a reward for a one-time, exceptional achievement, write a heartfelt thank you note. Tell your employee what he / she did well and thank him / her for the effort.
   • Reward exceptional performance in staff meetings by complimenting someone who has done a remarkable job. However, some employees hate being praised personally, so pay attention to how they respond to know what to do and what to avoid in the future.
   • You can reward consistent, excellent performance by naming an employee of the month, or through a recognition ceremony where you give someone a more substantial gift, such as a gift card.
6. Learn how to correct correctly. Inevitably, you will have to correct behavior at some point. Your company has a disciplinary policy that you will have to follow. For example, some companies use progressive discipline: you start with a verbal warning and then a written warning, followed by more severe disciplinary action. Ask Human Resources about the policy and follow it to the letter.
   • Discipline is about more than punishment, however. It also gives you an opportunity to intervene in the negative behavior of your employee. If necessary, point them in the direction of an assistance program where they can get help for addiction, financial and relationship problems.
7. Learn from your mistakes. When the workplace is your classroom, you need immediate feedback on your shortcomings as a manager: if you don't meet team goals, employees will abandon you, and so on. In any case, take the time to reflect on what you did wrong. Lean on your mentor or coach to help you gain more insight into areas for improvement.

Tips

• Don't be a perfectionist. Organizations can never be perfect, any more than individuals can. Part of being a manager is accepting that you can't get everything right.
• Set a good example. Be a role model for your team by radiating a positive presence. Show compassion, understanding, and respect. It is important that managers and supervisor radiate the best possible values ​​from the workplace. If you have a publicly visible position that makes your personal life public, understand that your entire life is reflected by the example you set.

Warnings

• Don't reprimand your entire department for doing one person wrong. For example, if Janet is the only employee who is constantly late for work, do not send an email to the entire group warning everyone to be on time. Talk to Janet privately to address the issue.
• You will need to learn the business rules of confidentiality. As a manager, employees will come to you with personal and work problems. You have to learn how to respond to this, and your company should have rules about this.