Stepping into a managerial role for the first time can be daunting. With new responsibilities and expectations, it's crucial to navigate this transition wisely. Here's a glimpse into five invaluable pieces of advice to help first-time managers thrive in their new roles.
5 tips from our authors that every first-time manager should…
Prioritize being liked over leading in ways that actually help your team members grow
- As a new boss, you may feel extra pressure to prove your worth, to secure an early win, or be overly “hands on” when helping others deliver results
Create team rituals to build trust with your coworkers
Meme Monday
- Ask everyone to share an image or gif that captures how their weekend went
- Value backgrounds
- Have each member of your team write down their core values and then create a series of virtual backgrounds based on those words
Eliminate blame culture
Blame can diminish your own accountability
- Take a system’s approach to solve the problem
- Consider the problem as a whole, and not in parts
- Encourage everyone on the team to think about the root cause of the problem
Build a culture of feedback from the start
Set up regular (weekly or biweekly) one-on-one meetings with each member of your team to ensure open and honest communication
- During these meetings, check in with them about any challenges they may be facing, what they need from you to do their best work, and how you can improve as their boss
It’s okay to ask for help
Ask for help.
- Don’t let the initial stress of your new role turn into the chronic stress of burnout. Speak up and ask for what you need before it gets to this point. This is not just something you should do for yourself, but also for your team – because working alongside someone who is burned out can affect your team’s productivity.
Know that trust is given, not earn
Once you’ve laid out your expectations for a project, you trust them to execute it and come to you when they need help – as opposed to looking over their shoulders
- Remember that you (or your company) hired your team members for a reason – give them the benefit of the doubt
