Congratulations! 7 Things a First Time Manager Must Do in 2023

If you’ve been promoted to manager for the first time, you’re probably excited about your new position, ready to take on more responsibilities, and, let’s be honest, thinking about how to spend your first new income.

It’s exciting and challenging to be promoted to management for the first time. Moving up the corporate ladder necessitates intelligence, but transitioning to a new function necessitates mastering a new skill set.

Which of them is in charge of people? It can be intimidating to manage employees for the first time, but having confidence in the role and a passion for the company’s objective is a wonderful place to start.

As a result, you must develop the skills of a good manager.

In this article, you’ll learn about the things that will help you get off on the right foot as a first-time manager.

What is a First-Time Manager?

To be promoted to your first managerial position is wonderful, but it’s also challenging. The shift from employee to first-time manager (FTM) is fraught with difficulties, from establishing oneself as a strong yet approachable leader to accomplishing your own work while also effectively managing a team.

Each person you manage will bring a distinct natural work style to the company, which means different things will inspire and motivate them or prevent them from doing their best work.

You may be fortunate enough to have staff with a work style that is very similar to yours, and you can hire them right immediately.

Frequently, the opposite is true, and you end up with workers who approach their jobs differently.

It’s important to remember that “different” isn’t always a bad thing. Each business style has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and no one working style is superior to another.

What is the Duty of a Manager?

Here are the duties of a manager. The manager’s functions are many and varied, including:

  • Hiring and staffing
  • Training new employees
  • Coaching and developing existing employees
  • Dealing with performance problems and terminations
  • Supporting problem resolution and decision-making
  • Conducting timely performance evaluations
  • Translating corporate goals into functional and individual goals
  • Monitoring performance and initiating action to strengthen results
  • Monitoring and controlling expenses and budgets
  • Tracking and reporting scorecard results to senior management
  • Planning and goal-setting for future periods

Read this: 30 Best Tips on How to Be a Good Employee in 2023

What best practices should a First-Time Manager Adopt?

Employees who have been promoted for consistently high performance frequently fail to become successful managers.

A top performer does not always have to be a good leader. Team management necessitates far more than an A+ and domain knowledge.

It necessitates “people skills.” Here are 14 habits to adopt if you are managing people for the first time:

1. Adopt a growth mindset

As a new manager, the most critical mental shift you must make is to adopt a growth mindset.

You have a lot to learn as a new manager. It’s not simply a promotion; it’s a career move from being an individual contributor.

You won’t be able to learn and develop the skills needed to be an effective leader if you don’t adopt a growth mindset.

Even if you’ve worked as a manager before, keep in mind that you’ll have a lot to learn at a new organization.

2. Learn about your company’s and organization’s objectives:

Know your obligations and what is expected of you in your position.

3. Make a strategy.

Set SMART short- and long-term objectives (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely). Ascertain that your staff is aware of the end goals you’re aiming for.

4. Encourage and implement open communication.

Make sure your team is aware of all future tasks and deadlines.

5. Engage in active listening exercises.

Take your team’s temperature. Figure out who’s good at what. Determine the team’s strengths and weaknesses. Assign the appropriate responsibilities to the appropriate individuals.

6. Get to know your teammates and their personal aims and goals.

Spend time with each person to determine what kind of assistance you can provide and how you can assist. Also, dedicate time to build strong bonds inside the team and with other groups.

7. Look for places in the team where you can train and develop the team.

Take the necessary actions to enhance your team’s level of knowledge. Analyze the results and keep track of your development.

8. Recognize and praise good work whenever it is completed.

Appreciate in a public setting. Place a handwritten message on the desk of the employee. Lunch with the team is a good idea. Inquire of high performers about their best techniques.

9. Begin team branding exercises.

In your communication, emphasize your team’s accomplishments. Distribute newsletters and publish reports/success stories. Improving your team’s exposure will increase their self-assurance and productivity.

10. Ask for comments.

Make sure your team is comfortable sharing their opinions, ideas, and suggestions. Let them know that they are welcome to come up to you at any moment and that you will listen to them.

11. Be aware of your limitations.

Find a mentor who can assist you in overcoming your obstacles.

12. Demonstrate your trustworthiness.

Demonstrate your abilities by completing some tasks and showing that you understand how to do things correctly.

13. Maintain a positive outlook.

Be self-assured and foster positivism among your coworkers. Look for strategies to re-energize yourself and increase your productivity. Plan enjoyable activities.

14. Be a role model for others.

Accept responsibility for your actions and treat others with respect. Set an example by adhering to your own set of rules. So that your people follow suit, and walk the talk.

7 Things a First-Time Manager Must Do

When you become a new manager, it’s easy to forget that you’ll almost certainly have a new supervisor as well. While much emphasis is placed on establishing expectations with your staff, it is critical to do so with your new supervisor.

This entails being aware of your boss’s priorities and major objectives, which go beyond your team’s success. It also entails speaking with your manager about any modifications that need to be done to be successful, such as adding more staff or using other tools.

Here are the things you must do as a first-time manager:

#1. Become knowledgeable.

To begin, make it your personal mission to learn everything you can—trust me, this is the single most important factor in your success as a new manager.

Look for management tools, resources, and classes that your company offers. Formal supervisor training is available in some firms, and nearly all have manuals and HR rules.

You should read, digest, and keep them on your bookshelves.

You should also do some research on each of the people you’ll be in charge of. Examine their personnel files, resumes, and previous performance evaluations and goals.

2. Shift Your Attention

You were probably promoted because you’re great at your job. But what’s the most bizarre aspect of your new job? It’s no longer about you.

“Before you were a manager, your number one job was to accomplish tasks,” says Penelope Trunk in 4 Worst Mistakes of a First-Time Manager.

“Right now, your number one responsibility is to assist others in completing things in an amazing manner.”

This transition is typically challenging for first-time managers, but it’s critical because your success is dependent on the success of your team.

This means that if your team fails, you will fail as well. What happens if they succeed? You can take credit, but you must share it with the rest of the team; otherwise, they will be hesitant to perform a good job.

Also, check this: Best Answers to “What is Your Management Style?” Questions in an Interview

#3. Pay attention and take notes.

Many new managers want to make drastic changes right once to demonstrate their authority, but this is a bad idea. Instead of succumbing to this temptation, invest time in learning everything there is to know about your company and team.

Set up individual sessions with each of your new employees to help them understand their responsibilities.

Inquire about their favorite aspects of their employment, the most difficult challenges they have, and any suggestions they have for enhancing the company.

You can’t please everyone, but stating something like “I’d love to receive your advice as I make future plans” goes a long way toward fostering great connections and open communication.

And knowing what people’s goals, stumbling blocks, and obstacles are might help them perform better, which will only benefit you.

Also, let them know you’re willing to listen on a regular basis. Make sure your staff knows when and how they can contact you, whether it’s through an open-door policy or daily “office hours.”

4. Be an example to others.

Over cocktails, whining about the boss? Attending meetings 15 minutes late? Sorry, but those were the days. Not only your staff but also others in the organization will look to you as a role model as a manager.

People can’t expect to offer their best at work if they don’t see you doing it, so make sure you’re always on top of things.

Meeting deadlines, keeping your word, keeping your personal thoughts to yourself, and doing your best to represent your department and organization are all examples of this.

5. Look for a mentor.

Many of the circumstances you’ll confront as a manager, though, aren’t covered in any manual.

How do you handle a team member that isn’t functioning well? Or perhaps an overachiever that you’d like to promote but can’t do due to budget constraints?

The good news is that whatever problem you’ll confront has most likely been handled previously.

Finding a mentor, or someone with whom you can confidentially discuss concerns as they arise, is one of the most important things you can do.

If this is your boss, that’s fantastic. If not, locate someone else in your organization who can fill this role.

6. Organize Yourself

You can’t ignore your own supervisor just because you’re the boss. In fact, since you’ll be reporting on the development of a group of people, it’s more crucial than ever to keep her informed.

It’s also critical to ensure that the objectives you set for your team are closely aligned with your boss’s priorities.

Request regular meetings to review your goals, progress, and any difficulties, as well as how they relate to the overall business. You can only impress your boss with the success of your team if you’re on the proper track.

#7. Address Relationship Shifts

What is the most common blunder made by new managers? According to authors Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio in The Girl’s Guide to Being a Boss, (Without Being a Bitch).

“90 percent of the women we interviewed indicated that they tried to be liked” when given this question.

This is especially true if you’ve been promoted from within and now supervise someone who was once in the same position as you.

If you find yourself in charge of a former peer, you must confront the situation right away.

You can’t keep your twice-weekly happy hours and closed-door lunch rendezvous with your work BFF without the rest of your team feeling suspicious and resentful.

Keep in mind that, while your former coworker may be ecstatic for you, she may also be uncomfortable or resentful.

Start by saying, “You know how much I love our friendship, but as a manager, I need to ensure that everyone on the team sees me as fair and consistent, so our working relationship will alter.” Easy? No. Important? There’s more to it than you think.

Conclusion

You have the difficult task of finding the correct balance between authority and the responsibility to serve as a first-time manager.

As you begin your new professional path, you will benefit greatly from cultivating empathy and forming trusted relationships with your colleagues.

The advice we’ve provided in this article will help you well as a starting point in this journey.

Good luck!!!

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