Getting that promotion to manager is an important milestone in every professional’s career. It clearly signifies a transition on the corporate ladder and a clear sign that the person’s contribution and prowess are being recognized by company seniors.
However, practice has shown that getting that promotion is no bed of roses. Mainly due to the fact that professionals (especially) in IT get promoted more or less based on their performance, knowledge and proficiency and their “people skills” are rarely taken into consideration.
What does this mean?
While these managers are talented professionals with a proven track record they often fail to live up to expectations regarding their new role.
The fact of the matter is, managers spend a lot of their time resolving conflicts, working out team strategies and handling other topics regarding team member satisfaction, work schedule and so on and focus less on technical questions.
In a context such as this, where these professionals find themselves tackling obstacles they had no prior experience with, new arising issues and overall decreased team productivity are bound to happen.
How should first-time managers ease into their new role?
First of all, they have to take it slow. To give their new role justice and to excel as a manager, first-timers need to learn the basics of management, the structure behind setting goals, praising, redirecting, strategy implementation, wrapping up projects and so on. Apart from this, they also need to work on their “people skills”. They need to learn how to listen – and to learn while they’re listening. They also need to master the subtle art of asking questions and the right ones. They also have to be fair and honest, sometimes telling the truth as it is. They also have to be confident but also encourage confidence in their team members. They need to learn how to build trust toward their coworkers, in order to deepen bonds and to learn more about the dynamics of the team.
How’s this possible?
First-time leaders are often accused of not being effective enough and now, that we see how much they have to learn with so little time at their disposal, it’s no wonder they have a hard time adapting to their new role and tasks.
However, it’s not impossible to “get into the groove” of the role of a manager. What it takes is the right mindset, the right strategy, and patience. Learning a totally new role within a company is never an easy task and it’s more or less always a lengthy process.
It’s true, the right approach and strategy can significantly shorten the learning curve, but still, a good professional (in this case, manager) knows that even when they perfect their skills, there will be still room for improvement since this is an ongoing learning and development process which changes with every new task and project.
Learning about the necessary steps first-time managers should take in order to become better is pivotal. If you seek to possess the necessary knowledge to tackle these issues from the right angle, this link can help you get started.
