As a new manager or leader, you might think that you know what to expect and what new skills you’ll need to develop in your new role.
However, new managers can come unstuck in unexpected ways despite being prepared for challenges.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at each of the five surprises, and we’ll help you be more prepared for them in your role, whether you’re managing an organization, a department, or a small team.
New Managers’ Surprise One: You Can’t Run the Company or Department
As a new manager, you first need to accept that you can’t be directly involved in every project that your team is working on and that you can’t directly influence everything that happens within it.
So, your perspective has to shift from getting jobs done yourself to getting things done through other people. Many new managers struggle with it!
To avoid the problems associated with this surprise:
Use delegation effectively.
Only attend meetings that you need to follow.
Whether you need to participate in tasks or be informed of their outcomes.
Be careful not to make too many decisions for people. For example, when someone comes to you with a question, ask them what they recommend.
Give people the guidance and resources to do their jobs themselves. This frees you up to do the job of managing and leading your team.
Surprise Two: Giving Orders Is Costly
Good managers don’t need to tell people what to do. Instead, they trust their team members to make the right decisions.
Some people may doubt their ability to make decisions. When this happens, they’re more likely to come to you for approval of everything. This creates “manager dependency “and can make you a decision-making bottleneck, potentially stalling your team’s progress.
Also, avoid making last-minute changes, or overruling decisions, as this can waste not only time and resources but also undermine your people’s confidence.
To avoid the problems associated with this surprise:
Communicate your organization’s vision and values, keep people informed, and train them to make decisions based on what’s best for the organization.
Create systems and structures so that your people understand what needs to get done and how to do it.
Endorse practical decision-making tools and demonstrate how to use them.
Reassure team members that mistakes are part of the development process and that taking risks is often better than indecision. This may not suit all types of work, so use your best judgment.
Recognize how placing trust in people impacts your team’s performance.
Surprise Three: It’s Hard to Know What’s Going On
No one wants to give their Boss terrible news. So it’s likely that by the time word gets back to you, it may have had a few glossy touches added, and it won’t necessarily be reliable.
However, you need accurate information to manage effectively, so you must stay “in the loop” by gathering information from as many sources as possible.
To avoid the problems associated with this surprise:
Use management by wandering around. This keeps you in contact with people throughout the organization and allows you to see and hear first-hand what’s going on.
Build strong relationships with your customers and suppliers.
Analyze all of your stakeholders and communicate with them often to ensure that you know what they’re thinking.
Surprise Four: You’re Always Sending a Message
As a manager, your words and actions carry a lot of weight. People will speculate about why you said or did something, and they’ll try to interpret whether your words or actions contained any hidden messages. Your mood will also affect your team, and everything that you say will be analyzed.
Managers lead by example whether they want to or not. Developing self-awareness can help you set a good example and send the right messages to your team.
To avoid the problems associated with this surprise:
Use straightforward language when communicating with people.
Ask for clarification, and don’t assume that people understand the real meaning of what you’re saying.
Consider your body language, and use it to convey the right message.
Use storytelling to communicate the key messages that you want people to hear.
Be a good role model for your people, and lead by example.
Surprise Five: You Aren’t the Boss
Just because you’re the team’s Boss doesn’t mean you’re the top dog. Even business owners are ultimately accountable to their customers. You will always report to someone, so you mustn’t get caught up in your importance.
As a manager, you should know who you need to keep informed, and you should work hard to gain the support of those around you. You will also need to manage upward and understand how you work with the people you report to.
You also can’t let the flow of information stop with you because you’re the manager.
To avoid the problems associated with this surprise:
Learn how to develop effective relationships with influential people in your organization.
Find ways to collaborate with people that you report to and to gain their trust.
Remember to share information and resources regularly with your team and others.
BONUS Surprise
: You’re Only Human
As a manager, you must remember that your position doesn’t make you better or more capable than anyone else. You’ll continue to make mistakes, and people around you will still have opinions different from yours.
However, being a manager does make you more responsible, and you need to demonstrate this responsibility.
To avoid the problems associated with this surprise:
Be humble and thankful, and reward the people around you who make you and your team look good.
Be accountable to yourself.
Use your emotional intelligence to remain connected with colleagues, family, and friends.
Create your Wheel of Life and remind yourself to find the balance you need to be the best you can be.