What First-Time Managers Should Know

For those who have just been promoted or hired as manager, congratulations! Your hard work and years of dedication have brought you to where you are. However, things are just starting to heat up, now that you have that brand-new title.

Being a manager entails a lot of heavy tasks. Failures are almost always associated to your ability as a leader, just as how accomplishments would be credited to you. Here are a few tips that can help first-time managers get a better grasp on their new function:

1. Identify. For those who have just been hired as managers, you are inside an organization that has its own culture, own set of rules, and unique ideals. Start taking note of everything in your workplace, from the names of the people in the organization, the management, departments, and the company’s key accounts.

If you were promoted as a manager, you pretty much have a good grasp on who is who in the company. However, you are now looking from a different vantage point. Certain subjects such as the rules as managers, your list of responsibilities, and the person you are reporting to is different. If you have colleagues that are now under you, you are not supposed to maintain the same amount of interaction you had back when you were at the same level. I’m not saying that you have to boss them around. You just now have to act more of a leader than a colleague.

2. Synchronize. As a manager, you are now part of the administration. Your decisions are now part of the voice of the company toward its employees. And with that, through your management, you must be able to steer your department to the same direction that the owners want the organization to go. Do they want an aggressive online marketing, a fast expansion, or production of a wider variety of items? Some of their ideas are kept only for the trusted managers.

Take the initiative to learn the ins and outs of the business. Ask the owners the reason behind the company’s vision and mission, their long-term plans for the company, its people, and the customers. In this way, you can get a better view on how you can manage your team effectively.
You can even ask them the reason for your promotion. By doing so, you will be able to determine which of your skills and attitude are important for your business owners.

3. Specify. A new manager will mean a new leadership style. This could bring confusion to the employees, especially to those who have been with the previous manager (s) for quite some time.

For your first few months as a man-ager, be specific in telling them what you expect from their work — the quality of output, their sense of urgency, and your roles in supporting your staff. Do not expect for them to adapt easily. Be patient, and most of all, consistent. For you to bring change to the team would require you to constantly remind them of the changes whenever they start resorting back to the old methods.

4. Delegate. A manager is called as such because your primary task is to manage — manage the task allocation, manage your people, manager company assets, time, and everything under your department.

It’s acceptable for you to take over a few tasks once in a while, but only to demonstrate to your people how the task must be done. It is not your job to make a complete takeover when things are getting difficult with one of your staff. However, it is your job to teach them what they need to do.

5. Set the bar. Being a part of the administration, a manager must exemplify the values that the company holds. Your work ethic must never be below standards. Your punctuality represents being time-bound in the operations, attention to detail as want for quality, all your actions must be conform to higher standards than the rank and file. It is your job to constantly set the bar for your team. As a manager, you have to manage your resources to raise that bar. As a leader, you have to lead them to that bar.

Being a manager is never an easy task, even for those who have been in the position for many years. Your team will have different people overtime, and situations will always differ. For those of you who are first-time managers, take your time, and expect to commit mistakes. What is important is you learn and adapt fast as a leader.

Want to learn more on what first-time managers should know? BusinessCoach, Inc., a leading business seminar provider, conducts “Basic Training for New Managers”. You may contact them at 727-5628 or 727-8860, or visit their website www.businesscoachphil.com for details.

Click here to view details of the seminar: Basic Training for New Managers »

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin, C-4, Sunday, July 24, 2016. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.