You’ve worked hard for years to get this opportunity. It’s an exciting job, and it can be overwhelming. But it’s also important to do well. Your boss is the cultural linchpin of the organization, and if he or she isn’t up to snuff, then all of the good things that are happening will cloud.
It’s also helpful to set goals and make a list of the ways that you’ll achieve them. Doing so will help keep you accountable and make sure that you’re focusing on the most important things.
1. Being a manager is not the same as being an individual contributor on a higher level.
You most likely rose to the position of the manager because you have shown your ability to succeed as an individual contributor, not because you demonstrated your ability to manage a group of individuals. Those are two very distinct concepts! You won’t wake up one day knowing how to run the world’s finest company, just as you won’t wake up knowing how to play a symphony on the piano if you’ve never played before. It’s a talent that, like any other, must be developed on its own.
As a result, think of yourself as a trainee. This is the moment to learn how to take on the leadership position that your team requires of you, as well as how to properly delegate and how to inspire your team to put in their best every day. If you make a mistake or two along the way, own it and then promise to do better.
2. Your Magic Bullet is Adaptation
Do you want your workforce to be extremely productive? Motivated? Creative? Innovative? Then you’ll have to figure out how to adjust your work style to fit theirs.
Everyone you manage will bring unique natural working practices to the company, which means they’ll all be inspired and motivated by various things, or they’ll be held back from performing their best job. Sometimes you’re fortunate enough to work with coworkers that have a very similar working style to you, and you quickly become friends. More often than not, the contrary is true, and you wind up with people that just have a different attitude to work. It’s important to remember that “different” does not always imply “evil” or “wrong.” Each working style has its own set of requirements.
3. Allow your staff to take the lead in their areas, even if you don’t always agree with their choices.
Taking a step back is necessary if you want your staff to be enabled to perform their best job. Remember that your job is to give direction, which you can accomplish by asking questions to ensure that your team member has thought through their strategy completely. However, if their ideas differ from yours, the best course of action is usually to let them attempt what they want and see what occurs. There are always several paths to achieving a goal, and very few of us work in occupations that are genuinely life and death. If they fail, it’s an opportunity to learn and improve. And even if they succeed by employing a strategy you wouldn’t have chosen, you’ve still won!
4. Schedule one-on-one meetings on a regular, consistent, and frequent basis.
Few individuals desire extra meetings in their lives, yet managers must have a weekly one-on-one meeting with each direct report. Yes, I said once a week. Consider this: If you can’t devote 30 minutes per week to each of your direct reports, you either have too many people who report to you (and need to establish more hierarchy), or you haven’t properly embraced your job as a manager rather than an individual contributor.
You want to touch on three points in those one-on-one meetings:
• Their status report on the projects they’ve been working on, as well as what you can do to support them to succeed.
• Your comprehensive update for them on all they need to know to accomplish their jobs properly.
• A fast brainstorming of future objectives, ideas, and possible development. This is also an excellent exercise for integrating coaching.
5. It is your responsibility to ensure the success of your people.
At the end of the day, your team’s success will determine your success. That they are at the top of your priority list. You’ve entered into the “bad boss” zone the moment you start deviating from that path.
It would be beneficial to undertake a simple exercise at the end of each day and compile a note of how you helped your staff succeed that day. It will assist you in taking stock, holding yourself accountable, and making sure that you are focusing on the things that matter most.