How to Hit the Ground Running as a New Manager
Let me start with a story. I spent a significant chapter of my career in manufacturing. If you’re not familiar with that world, there’s really just one thing to need to know: a breakdown in the supply chain inevitably turns into delays on the factory floor. And once that happens you’re looking at a cascade of scrambling teams, late deliverables, and financial losses all throughout the company.
As you can imagine, there’s an enormous amount of coordination involved to prevent that from happening – from collaborating with designers on new product lines, to sourcing any and all parts from a broad range of suppliers. And the chain of communication is incredibly important.
While at this company, a colleague of mine got promoted in the usual fashion. After a few standout years as an individual contributor, he was offered a management position on his former team – on the assumption that he could replicate his success among his colleagues. So he tried to hit the ground running by applying the same strengths that served him well in the past. And he got terrible results.
This shouldn’t have been a surprise. He excelled at task execution, but that was no longer the nature of his job. As a manager, it was all about influence. His clear technical expertise – the same thing that got him promoted – did not translate to the people skills he needed to help the team achieve a collective goal. Instead of facilitating a motivated and coordinated team effort, his independent “get-it-done” attitude led him to micro-manage, dismiss his team’s ideas, and break the chain of communication in an attempt to do everything himself. As a result, his experience as a manager was fraught with dysfunction, decreased productivity, and deteriorating team morale.
What happened to my colleague is a common trend among new managers - even across multiple industries. He suddenly had to figure out how to motivate his team, build a shared vision and consensus, and facilitate each individual team member’s success. He was totally unprepared, had a rough start, and struggled to recover before getting some coaching. And his whole team paid the price. That being said, even before working with a coach my colleague was not a “bad” manager. Let me explain.
Being a “bad” manager is not an identity – but we collectively treat it like one. Because we think of people as being “leadership material” instead of having leadership skills. We praise people as “born leaders” or “natural leaders” until they fail to deliver. Then we shake our heads and with a heavy sigh say “Well, they just didn’t have it after all.”
Now it might feel like a compliment to be called a “born leader'' but, as you can see, that’s a dangerous position to be in. We generally accept that technical skills must be learned - Obvious, right? So why do we treat leadership skills any differently? In my experience, it boils down to a few misguided assumptions:
You either have it, or you don't
If you don’t have it, you can’t learn it
You have to forge your own way……and training will cramp your style
These three assumptions all point to the same conclusion: Nobody can teach you to be a leader, so it doesn’t make sense for them to try. As blatantly false as that is, it’s a closely held cultural belief that you’ll bump into again and again. And it leads companies to ignore the desperate need for training and support among new managers.
Sure, there’s no effective cookie cutter approach to leadership. That’s not the same as saying leadership can’t be taught. Sure, new managers will have to respond to novel challenges and situations they can’t predict. That’s no reason to fly by the seat of your pants! So if you’ve recently been promoted, don’t despair. Here are some critical mental adjustments to help get you started.
You have to manage up
You don’t actually know what’s expected of you in this new role – and those details aren’t forthcoming. So you need to uncover those expectations before they surface in an inopportune moment. So meet with your higher-ups, continue building those relationships, and cultivate the transparency you need to make those expectations explicit.
Don’t skip your discovery phase
You are not your team members. And they aren’t you. A huge part of your new job is discovering what actually works for each person on your team, and not imposing what used to work for you. If you skip this phase, you’ll likely end up like my colleague – having way too much on your own plate because you’ve demotivated and alienated your team.
Boundaries are magic
Your relationship with your colleagues (and within the company at large) has changed. You must consciously adjust and shape it. Pay close attention to setting boundaries and clarifying the nature of the new relationship. You can’t be all things to all people - and that’s ok.
Regardless of company training - or its absence - you have to set yourself up for success. Because, at the end of the day, it’s your career. These are just a few of the major mindset adjustments you’ll need to make as a new manager. But you also need the support to develop new skills. And you deserve that support. So please, if you’re starting a new role, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’ll craft a plan that works for you.
