Until you got that first management position, most of your work was about reliably performing technical or professional tasks. Obviously, your ability to do this earned you the trust of your superiors, and here you are!
Knowing that transitioning to a management position can be stressful does not make it any easier.
Here are some practical suggestions for learning quickly, finding your own style and developing a new sense of competence that will grow naturally over time.
1. Your expertise is a strength … provided you separate yourself from it!
Supervisor, technical manager, accounting sector manager, workshop manager, care coordinator: if you were an expert in the field you are now managing, your professional credibility is in good shape, and that’s great. Without it, you would have a hard time establishing your credibility as a manager. So there is no need to hide, diminish or try to make your professional background disappear. You come with your knowledge and expertise, and that is reassuring for everyone.
Depending on the position you have been appointed to, it is possible, and even likely, that your input as an expert will still be useful or necessary. In addition to being a manager of people, you could be called to act like “senior” in your team: one who has seen things and to whom others consult for the complex or unique cases. You will have a lot of fun dealing with these!
What you need to get away from, however, is the need to do and deliver everything yourself. Your pride and commitment must find another source… You must discover and focus on what can only be done by you, as the manager of the team.
2. Take a step back to get a better idea of what matters.
Things only you can do:
- Make people on your team feel good
- Clarify your vision and get your team on board
- Ensure that the expected results are delivered (by your team members)
- Develop your people’s skills so that they become better equipped and more autonomous
- Facilitate and ensure an effective organization of the work
- Handle conflicts and address unacceptable behaviours
To think and act appropriately, take a step back every day and make sure that what you are doing or focusing on is related to one or more of these dimensions.
3. Surround yourself with the right people for a quicker and more enjoyable learning experience.
You won’t be good at everything from day one, but your curiosity, experience and instincts will guide you. Although management is learned mainly through practice, it is also learned through osmosis, by working with experienced individuals. Being around, observing and listening to people you respect and consider competent in each of these areas will help you.
Management coaching is also a proven way to support you in your transition. It provides a private environment where you can talk about what you are experiencing, consider your strategies and options for action, agree to try things that you are less familiar with, and thus increase your repertoire of possible approaches. You should not hesitate to work with a coach who meets your needs and who can help you advance in your management career.
4. Make peace with being a manager and wearing your manager’s hat.
The idea of managing often gives rise to mixed feelings in new managers. They are searching for their own identity in their management costume, which they find too big and uncomfortable. They don’t know how to wear it. They are afraid of appearing arrogant, looking like they are taking themselves for someone they are not, or being rejected by former colleagues now that they are the boss. Many people don’t want to use their authority to generate progress.
To help you make peace with your management role, you need to understand that your team members want clarity, particularly when it comes to the information they need to understand directions, as well as standards, limits, expectations, and options. The role of communicator is yours to play and, when you don’t, it is sorely missed. However, when you take it on, it is reassuring and can be highly motivating.
So, managing means communicating clearly and explaining expectations. It also means caring for others and ensuring that people feel safe under your management. It is important to create trust with each person, since trust is the conduit for communication. Learning to combine kindness and clarity is essential.
5. Your primary tool is you, all of you
When you were chosen for this position, you were chosen for who you are as a person, not just what appears on your CV. Your CV shows what you know and can do. It shows what is in your head, if you will. But what allows you to create trust and cooperation and what makes you capable of kindness is what is in your heart. That is where you get your ability to affect others, inspire them, and make them want to contribute and surpass themselves. And what drives you to clarify, to say what needs to be said, to orient and correct course, to supervise and generate momentum, your personal will and power: your courage.
Professional credibility, empathy, and courage. You need to tap into these three dimensions of yourself to manage effectively. Using only one of these will limit your impact.
Now that you know good management practices, don’t be afraid to dive in!
