Becoming a successful manager of people and projects requires knowledge, experience, and proven techniques. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions people in new managerial roles ask, as well, as timely answers to them.
What major challenges do new managers face?
The major challenges managers face, especially if they are transforming themselves from individual contributors to managers, include:
- becoming responsible for the output of other people, usually for the first time
- acting as a leader rather than as a boss
- staying informed about technical issues while realizing that these are no longer the primary focus of the job, nor the primary determinant of success or failure
- acquiring many new and unfamiliar administrative duties, which may relate to personnel, procedural, and budgetary issues
- dealing with employees and their problems as a manager rather than a coworker
- facing many new situations in which the action to be taken is unclear and that require a judgment call
Why is establishing personal credibility during the transition to management important?
The first challenge during the transition to management is to establish your credibility by demonstrating that you are the best person for your job. Personal credibility is extremely important because your job title does not immediately give you the authority to simply command people to get work done. You need to work with everyone above, below, and beside you on the organizational ladder. If you are perceived as a person with little credibility, you will not be taken seriously, which means you will not be able to achieve your goals. Selecting the right work to do, and finishing it on time and on budget, will show people that you are indeed competent to handle your new job.Personal credibility is easy to lose and hard to get back. It is determined by others and built on simple values such as:
- Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
- Follow through and follow up.
- Don’t let your teammates down.
- Be someone your team can trust.
- Be yourself.
Deciding to play it safe by doing nothing, keeping a low profile, and generally avoiding conflict is almost always the wrong approach. As a manager, you are more than a placeholder. You are not doing your job if you do not take a few risks. Be smart, not just safe. In the long run, your best security will rest on your reputation for getting results.
Should new managers immediately establish a managerial style?
When you first begin your job as a manager, you shouldn’t worry too much about establishing your management style, a term used to describe how you interact with people. Your style will evolve as you get comfortable with your new role. Concentrate instead on the substance of your job.
What types of jobs should I choose as my first managerial tasks?
You cannot afford to fail at your first managerial tasks, so choose them wisely. Pick a few near-term challenges at which you know you can quickly succeed. If these challenges have a high profile and you receive rave reviews, so much the better. But do not jeopardize your relationship with your work team for any reason. These people are pivotal to your success. Your first priority is to take care of them. You must establish your credibility with your work team with a few early successes, however modest.
How far ahead should new managers plan?
When you first become a new manager, it is more important for you to decide what should happen tomorrow and in the coming weeks than to plan months ahead. Think carefully about what you want and need to accomplish, and then make lists of your short-term goals. The following figure is a sample short-term goal list, with suggestions to help you make a smoother transition to your new role as a manager.
What is leadership?
Leadership is motivating individuals to perform toward a common goal. Leadership is an important part of the manager’s job. Managers are responsible for the quality of their employees’ performance, and effective leadership is necessary to meet this responsibility.
What are the goals of a manager?
Almost every action taken by a manager should be directly or indirectly designed to maintain or improve productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction. Managers are responsible for ensuring that the employees reporting to them are working efficiently and effectively and paying careful attention to details and customer requirements. As you work to lead employees on a daily basis, keep these ultimate objectives in mind.
How can managers maintain or increase productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction? To maintain or increase productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction, managers should seek out and provide the best people, equipment, work processes, and techniques. In addition, managers should encourage employees to become major contributors to the team.
What is the difference between a leader and a manager?
Many individuals use the terms leader and manager interchangeably. However, there are important distinctions between these two concepts.
Management encompasses all of the practices and procedures needed to cope with complexity. Managers develop budgets and plans, organize personnel by reporting structures, and execute by monitoring results against the plan.
Leadership is about coping with change. Leaders establish direction by developing a vision of the future and strategies to achieve that vision. Leaders communicate their vision and strategy to employees and execute by inspiring people to overcome technical, bureaucratic, and personnel hurdles.
To be successful today, managers must move away from a strictly managerial style to a leadership style when dealing with employees. A leadership style is more effective because most employees prefer to be led rather than managed. The following figure highlights the differences between management and leadership.
How do I become a leader?
There are six major keys to becoming a leader. As a leader:- your primary role will be to coach and develop people, not simply give orders
- treat employees as assets, not expenses, investing resources in their training and development
- provide autonomy to employees so they become self-managed
- participate in and encourage teamwork where reasonable
- encourage fast decision making by those employees closest to the situation
- encourage innovation and risk taking to meet the ever-changing challenges facing organizations
How do leaders provide direction?
Leaders must provide direction and clear assignments. Whether that direction is embodied in a vision, a mission statement, or objectives depends largely on what the leader wants to achieve and the level at which he or she is acting. A leader may provide:
- Vision: A general statement that articulates what a desired future for a company would look like
- Mission statement: A brief explanation of the organization’s purpose
- Objectives: Specific results the organization strives to achieve
This article is excerpted from BOMI Institute’s Effective Management Reference Guide. The guide can be purchased by calling 1-800-235-2664, or by visiting www.bomi.org.