If you are a manager that just started at a new company, or you received a promotion in your existing job and are a first-time supervisor, you will need to learn a few tips before your first day of employment comes about.
Although climbing the corporate ladder is rewarding, and the chance to manage others and develop leadership skills is exciting, leading a team of individuals is not always easy. New managers often face difficulties as their subordinates do not always show respect and deferment to new managers.
However, incorporating the tips below should help you develop a successful management style.
Give It Time – While it is certainly possible, not all managers show up on the first day to the office and are greeted with eager and excited staff. More than likely, your new subordinates are nervous about the change in management, and fear how this will affect their jobs. Make sure to keep this in mind when you start. You must provide your staff with days, weeks or even months to adjust to your new role and the vision you set out for your team.
Show That You Care – Although as a boss your tasks include giving out orders and leading your department, the unwritten job description requires you to get to know your employees. People thrive in a caring and friendly environment where their manager is concerned with their well-being and professional aspirations. Although you do not have to become their friend, or bend over backwards for their personal problems, taking the time to get to know your employees and learning about their lives will foster a better relationship between you and them.
Establish A Clear Vision – Develop a short and long-term plan, and share it with your staff. On your very first day, set up a meeting and go over your vision for the department, any changes you plan to enforce, and what you expect from your team. Then, keep that plan in mind with all the further decisions you make down the line. Your team members will feel more confident if they know the direction you are planning to take, and how their contributions can get you there.
Invite Feedback – A great strategy to incorporate is to invite feedback from your staff about thoughts on the transition of management. You can either ask questions during meetings about how the employees feel the department has been doing since your arrival, or speak to workers individually to seek their opinions. Also, you can ask for confidential feedback where staff drops off notes in a secure box. This information can help you not only figure out how your new workers are handling your management style, but get insight into any possible issues at work that you may not have noticed.
Be The Boss – Finally, aside from inviting feedback and showing your concern for employees, you cannot forget the fact that you are actually the boss. Therefore, aside from being nice and respectful to your team, you need to establish your seniority from day one, and make sure that your employees know that you require respect and hard work on their part. If any issues come up along the way, don’t be afraid to exercise your power fairly so that your team knows that you are serious about your position.
Being a new manager is not always easy, and requires time and effort to establish a professional relationship between a boss and the team. Utilising the five tips above should help you consider what type of boss you’d like to be.
