Stepping into a senior position is a proud moment for upwardly mobile professionals. However, becoming a successful manager is far from straightforward.
Analyst Gartner suggests that as many as 40% of managers with two years or less of experience struggle to support their teams. The research indicates that first-time managers face significant challenges as they grow into their roles, particularly in today’s hybrid working environment.
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So, how can you overcome those obstacles and become a great manager? Six business leaders share their best-practice tips.
1. Get some good training
Raymond Boyle, vice president of data and analytics at Hyatt Hotels, said transitioning from an individual contributor to a people manager is a big change that requires unique skills.
“The advice I typically give to other people is to attend all the training courses,” he said, adding that Hyatt provides a strong program of innovation and leadership training as an organization.
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Boyle told ZDNET that the first part of your transition from a young professional to an experienced manager is crucial to your long-term leadership success.
“People need to get the right skill set,” he said. “That means ensuring they’re grounded in what leadership means and the need to spend their time differently than before.”
Boyle said those new skills include investing time in caring for people, recruiting great staff, and managing their development.
“Your move into management is an inflection point, and I would pay lots of attention to that transition.”
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2. Remember where you came from
Dave Moyes, partner of information and digital systems at SimpsonHaugh Architects, said professionals shouldn’t change their approach once they reach the top.
“You became a manager because you were good at the job. You’ve shown a great attitude,” he said.
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Moyes told ZDNET that it’s also important to maintain a sense of humility. Remember that the people you work with have been key to your success.
“So, it’s difficult to say, ‘Oh, I did all this on my own.’ Because you won’t have achieved your success individually, and there will be a team of people who helped you,” he said.
“We all want to drive and move forward. But be careful of the people you step on on the way up because you might need them on the way down.”
3. Understand the human challenge
Carrie Jordan, Microsoft’s global director of program execution, said being a manager is one of the most rewarding and challenging jobs because you get to lead a group of professionals to a common goal.
“The hard part is that they’re humans, and humans are complicated, and they have real lives outside of work, as they should, and there’s a lot of pressure to be a people manager,” she said.
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Jordan told ZDNET that becoming a first-time manager is far from easy. Understanding the scale of that challenge is a key part of the learning process.
“Give yourself some grace as you ramp up,” she said.
“Most of the best lessons you will learn in people management come with time. So, being patient with yourself is crucial. Recognize that leading people is something that you will get better at.”
4. Find a great mentor
First-time leaders must gain new skills quickly, and Microsoft’s Jordan recognized the importance of mentorship programs for managers.
“It’s important to have people you can run things by because you will not know how to handle all these situations yourself,” he said.
“Even the most logical way to handle people management situations might be incorrect. So, having mentors who have led people for 10, 20, or 30 years is very valuable.”
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The importance of mentorship chimed with Keith Woolley, chief digital and information officer at the University of Bristol.
“Find somebody you get on with well, that’s been in the sector or industry for a while, that you recognize and respect, and approach them,” he told ZDNET.
“They don’t need to be in the same company. A good mentor can come from anywhere, especially with the technology tools we have today. I often provide time to people who want to be helped, supported, and mentored.”
5. Develop a sense of FOMO
Phil Worsley, head of identity and access management at the University of Leeds, said effective first-time managers recognize the scale of their new challenge.
“The key thing for me is you don’t have to know all the questions. You don’t need to have all the answers. You don’t have to be the expert.”
Worsley told ZDNET that good managers understand their team members will have some answers. However, they also know it’s fine when they don’t.
“Look to see what people’s strengths are and maximize those strengths,” he said. “Don’t expect someone to do something that they can’t.”
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Worsley said the key to long-term management success is looking after people.
“We’re all humans at the end of the day. My team looks after each other. If you look after each other and people’s welfare, they value working for you more because they feel cared for and want to work with you,” he said.
“So, I’m more carrot than stick. Our employees like the people within the team. When they’re not here, they get FOMO – the fear of missing out. If you care about individuals, you get more out of them.”
6. Let your staff experiment
Roger Joys, vice president of enterprise cloud platforms at Alaskan telecoms firm GCI, is another business leader who said a people-focused approach to management is crucial.
“Care about your people and check your ego at the door,” he said.
Joys explained to ZDNET how a sense of deference has been one of the important management techniques he’s used in his career.
“I love to say, ‘I’m not the smartest guy in the room,'” he said. “When I’m in a meeting, I do the introduction, I start the meeting, and say, ‘Now I’m going to turn it over to the smart people,’ because I’ve got people who are experts, and I have no vision of ever trying to outdo them in terms of their knowledge.”
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In addition to recognizing the talents of his staff, Joys said he supports people as they develop more skills during their career journeys.
This support might include allowing people to learn by failing on the job rather than relying on classroom-based lessons.
“Ask the smart people, ‘How do I help you become more successful and advance your career?'” he said.
“People in organizations often say, ‘We don’t get enough training.’ However, they’ve often had enough training. What they didn’t have was the support to learn and start experimenting. They weren’t told, ‘Try it and fail, and it’s okay with me if you fail because failure is part of innovation.'”
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Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
