8 tips to help first time managers thrive February 13, 2018

So you have just been promoted, Congratulations! All your hard work and great work ethic has paid off. This promotion is more than just about yourself now. Being a manager is about handling not just the work, but also people.

The first time you become a manager, it can be both a positive and overwhelming experience. Management is not easy, as it requires many skills including areas that generally get better with experience like communication, coaching, motivating and listening.

Here are 8 tips to help you thrive as a first time manager:

Learn about the organisational culture.

If you are in a new organisation, take time to figure out the “lay of the land”. Many people have made career-killing mistakes by failing to adapt to a different way of doing things. Even if you have been with your organisation for a long time, you are now at a different level and need to learn about the management culture. Your new boss and your new peer group can be very helpful here.

Listen and Learn

First-time managers are likely replacing someone who spent years learning, growing, making mistakes, and getting better at the job. New leaders should take the time to find out who came before them.

Get to Really Know Your Employees

Spend time with every employee and get to know their jobs, career goals, strengths and weaknesses, likes, and dislikes but don't stop there. If you also get to know the names of their children and pets, where they live, and anything else that’s important to them you'll build a solid foundation of trust.

Motivate your people

People leave bosses, not companies. You don’t want a demotivated employee in your team. You also don’t want people leaving you because of your poor leadership and management style. It takes a lot more energy, time and effort to manage demotivated employees. They are not as productive. And so, try to be a first-time manager that motivates.

Share your passion and enthusiasm with your team.
Always be sharing the goals and the mission of the business.
Recognize and appreciate their contribution.

Create a list of what you can do to motivate your team. Look over what you’ve come up with and tailor it to your team’s personality and what works best for them.

You are the example

Through the good times and bad, who are people going to look to when they need inspiration or an example for how to act? The answer is simple: you. You are now the example that others need to follow. The values you demonstrate, the way you handle adversity and ambiguity and the way you persevere through the biggest challenges, is now considered the measuring stick for how others will act and behave.

How do you do this? You are going to need to be very mindful of your emotions and how you react in certain situations. You are going to need to slow down, be patient and develop an informed perspective, so you can lead in a way that people will admire and model.

Treat Every Employee With Respect

You may be in a superior position but you are not superior to anyone. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and if you waiver from this you'll end up losing more than your own self-respect.

Be Available and be Visible

The more involved and engaged you are with your team, the more motivated they will be to do a good job.

People like being a part of something bigger than themselves and they also need to know that there's a captain at the helm of the ship.

Manage your stress!

A new management job can be stressful for awhile. If you’re feeling frazzled, seek out some stress management tips and put them into practice. One helpful hint: find someone outside of your work group to talk to about this transition. A mentor, coach, or trusted friend can be a good sounding board and stress reducer.

Are you a first time manager looking for office manager training? Why not contact us to enhance your office management skills and find out more about management training programs.