What
They Don't Tell You About Being A First-Time Manager
By
Tim Rutledge
Congratulations!
You were appointed to your first management position.
You're getting new business cards, a raise and a bigger
work station. Your boss spelled out your new duties,
too. It's a cause for celebration!
But
it's also a cause for caution.
There
are realities about being a manager that your boss probably
didn't divulge. And these changes to your work environment
will give you headaches if you're not prepared for them:
1.
There is no routine to management work
Changes
are that your old job came with a familiar routine.
You performed the tasks assigned to you and you did
them in a prescribed order. Some things had to be done
by noon, while others had to be completed before you
left for the day. As a rule, when the day's work was
done, your day was over. But for managers, there's no
such thing as "the day's work," so bid a fond
farewell to routine.
2.
People and issues arrive unprioritized
As
manager, you now have more people and issues to deal
with. It's your job to filter them for urgency and importance,
and help employees stay focused by doing the same.
3.
People start acting differently towards you
You're
still the same person, but you're in a different role.
Some people withdraw from you; others want to get closer.
Ultimately, your employees are dealing with managerial
change in their own way and trying to figure out what
kind of manager you really are.
4.
You have to give up your old job
You
have a new job so don't hang on to your old one. This
can be hard. After all, it's because of your previous
success that you've been promoted. But failure to let
go of your old job causes more problems for first-time
managers than anything else.
5.
You now have power
In
the eyes of your employees, you have enormous power.
For them, your signature is their gateway to the organization's
rewards and incentives: vacation, training, salary actions
and so on.
Also,
your employees are unsure of how you're going to wield
your powers and so they may act differently towards
you.
6.
Guard against the perception that certain people are
your favourites
Yesterday
you had co-workers; today you have employees. While
it's only natural to like some individuals more than
others you no longer have that luxury as manager. Employees
are keenly aware of who has direct access to you. In
the past, you had coffee or lunch with the same people
every day, but if you keep this up, your employees will
earmark these people as "your favourites."
7.
Employees want their manager to manage them
Employees
don't want their manager to be a pal. Friendly behaviour
is great, but it shouldn't be a substitute for good
managing.
Your
employees will also expect you to deal with poor performers
at work. You need to demonstrate that you won't tolerate
poor performance. If you're fair and decisive, your
good performers will give you their hard-earned respect
and best effort.
You
lose some things when you become a manager (that's something
else that your boss didn't tell you), but you gain more
than you lose. Just remember that not only has your
job changed, your workplace relationships have changed,
too. The managerial world may be uncharted territory,
but with these seven changes in mind, you'll navigate
it easily and successfully.
-
Dr. Tim Rutledge, Partner, Retention Services, is a
veteran Human Resources Development practitioner with
a background in financial services, manufacturing and
health care. [full
bio...]
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