First time manager

Tips and tricks to help you get started

Oct 11, 2023

Congratulations on your promotion to first-time manager! This is a significant achievement in your career, and it's an exciting opportunity to step up and lead a team.

Of course, being a first-time manager can also be daunting. There's a lot to learn, and you may be feeling some pressure to prove yourself. But don't worry, we're here to help. But before we get down to it, a note on the use of the term ‘manager’. We are deliberately using this instead of leader for the sake of simplicity and as guidance for first-timers. We could probably write 10+ posts on manager v leader and the different skills involved. For this post, we will stick to manager and develop the leadership angle at a later stage.

person holding light bulb — Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has, based on its research, identified some core behaviours that managers need to be successful:

open, fair and consistent.
handling conflicts and problems.
knowledge, clarity and guidance.
building and sustaining relationships.
supporting development.

Source: CIPD Management Development Factsheet: https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/management-factsheet/.

In this post, we'll share some hints and tips on how to be a successful first-time manager, as well as some pitfalls to avoid.

Hints and tips:

·         Get to know your team. One of the most important things you can do as a new manager is to get to know your team members. This means learning about their skills, experience, and career goals. It also means building relationships with them and getting to know them as people.
·         Set clear expectations. Once you know your team members, you need to set clear expectations for them. This means communicating clearly what you expect of them in terms of their performance, behaviour, and attitude. Everyone likes to communicate in different ways, some like face-to-face conversations, some like emails, some like calls, or bullet points, or tables or spreadsheets, so make sure you match the preferences of your individual team members as much as possible.
·         Provide regular feedback. Feedback is essential for helping your team members grow and develop. Make sure to provide regular feedback, both positive and negative, but be kind! Be specific and constructive in your feedback, and focus on helping your team members improve.
·         Delegate tasks effectively. Don't try to do everything yourself. Learn to delegate tasks effectively to your team members. This will help you to free up your time to focus on more strategic tasks. This will take time to master, but believe us, it will save a lot of hassle and additional work down the line. Let go!
·         Empower your team members. Give your team members the authority to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This will help them to feel more engaged and motivated.
·         Be supportive and available. Your team members should know that you are there to support them and help them to succeed. Be available to answer their questions, provide guidance, and offer emotional support.
·         Be yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not. People can tell when you're being fake, so be genuine and authentic. Be yourself, and let your personality shine through.

Pitfalls to avoid:

·         Trying to be too perfect. No one is perfect, and that's okay. Don't try to be the perfect manager. Just focus on doing your best and learning from your mistakes. If you do make mistakes, own up to them straightaway and work out how to readjust in future. Demonstrate your humanity and adaptability to your team.
·         Being afraid to ask for help. It's okay to ask for help when you need it. There are plenty of people who are willing to help you, such as your manager, colleagues, team members and mentors (more on the latter below).
·         Micromanaging. Don't micromanage your team members. By this we mean getting too involved in the tiny details, speaking over your team members, controlling every aspect of the tasks given to them, and the worst one in our opinion, being cc’d into every single email. Give them the space and trust they need to do their jobs and support them when they need it and at the frequency and level they want (ask them!).
·         Playing favourites. It's important to treat all of your team members fairly and equally. Don't play favourites or show preferential treatment to anyone as this could make colleagues resentful towards each other and to you as their manager.
·         Being too quick to judge. Don't be too quick to judge your team members. Don’t forget in those early meetings your team may be nervous about having a new manager, and it can take time for people to relax into the new set up. It is likely you will be nervous too and falling back on biases just won’t help anyone. Everyone makes mistakes. Try to understand the situation and the people before you pass judgment.
·         Not taking care of yourself. It's important to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Make sure to get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, and exercise regularly. Also, make time for activities that you enjoy. By doing this you can also set an example to your team about achieving a good balance and making sure they are also taking the time to relax away from work.

Additional tips:

·         Find a mentor. A mentor is someone who can provide you with guidance and support as you transition into your new role. Look for a mentor who has experience in management and who is someone you respect and admire. For a first-time manager, you may wish to have a mentor who has some management experience, as they can guide you through the early stages. Mentoring is another huge subject we will also tackle later on (a good reason to subscribe for all this great content!).
·         Take advantage of training and development opportunities. There are many training and development opportunities available to new managers. Take advantage of these opportunities to learn new skills and develop your leadership abilities. Your company may have budget available so do find out, otherwise there are plenty of resources online. CIPD and Acas (https://www.acas.org.uk/) are great examples.
·         Network with other managers. Networking with other managers is a great way to learn from others and to share your own experiences. There are many online and offline networking opportunities available.
·         Read books and articles on management. There are a wealth of resources available on management. Reading books and articles on management can help you to learn new strategies and techniques for leading and managing a team.

Conclusion

Being a first-time manager can be challenging, but it's also an incredibly rewarding experience. By following the hints and tips above, you can set yourself up for success. And by avoiding the pitfalls, you can minimize the bumps along the way.

The most important thing is to think about your non-technical skills, we like to think of them as Power Skills. Typically these are referred to as ‘soft skills’. however this term doesn’t emphasise just how important these skills are. Your Power Skills, such as empathy, good communication, active listening, teamwork and adaptability are the ingredients that help first time and experienced managers and leaders excel in their roles. Watch this space for more on Power Skills and how you can leverage yours to maximum effect in your career and personal life.

Remember, being a first-time manager is a journey, not a destination. There will be ups and downs along the way. But if you are willing to learn and grow, you can be a successful manager.

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