Latest / Enhance.training / 8 Tips for New Managers - Make a Great Start

Transcript

8 Tips for New Managers - Make a Great Start · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Getting your first management or team supervision role is very exciting and a little bit scary.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, congratulations and welcome to your new career of managing people.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Moving into officially managing people is a memorable career milestone, and I've got eight very useful tips for new managers that will help you make the most of this transition into management.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I've got an important bonus tip at the end which you can put into action very quickly.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles and I've spent 25 years working in corporates and household names through to SMEs at all management levels, and I've won best team prizes at national and company level.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new to this podcast, Enhanced.training provides online business courses to help professionals, managers and business owners improve their performance.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: So let's start with my first tip for new managers be yourself.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Building trust with your team is needed to be a good manager.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Team members will trust you a lot more quickly if you're being authentic and being true to yourself.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: So don't put on an act or pretend to be someone else or act how you think a stereotypical manager should act.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Just be yourself.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: People have this innate ability to spot fakes or those putting on an act.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: There is no quicker way to get their guard up and reduce their trust of you, which is exactly what you don't want.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Let your team see who you are.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Tell them about what you like and don't like when you're outside of work.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Share your story with them when they ask.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Approaching managing others with your style, your personality.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: You will enjoy your job of being a manager a whole lot more when you're just being yourself.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: My second tip for new managers is to get to know your team.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Build personal relationships.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: They are all individuals with their own styles, ambitions, skills, hopes, and dreams.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Find out what your team members do outside of work, what they like and what they don't.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Put yourself in a position that you know a bit about each of their lives outside of work and be happy holding conversation with them that is not work-related.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Build your relationships with your team on a personal level.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, get to know them on a professional level too.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know what they're good at, what they need to develop, are they dependable self-starters, or do you need to give them a lot of help and coaching to deliver their work to a good standard?
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: A quote I love is okay managers play checkers, great managers play chess.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Which talks to great managers flexing their style and using the strengths of individuals to drive a better overall team performance.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Work out the gaps in your team.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Do various members' strengths compensate for other members' weaknesses?
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Or do you have obvious holes in the collective team's ability to deliver on certain areas?
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Think about what you can do to fill these gaps.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Get to know your teams and each individual's strengths and weaknesses and manage accordingly.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: My third tip for new managers is you are a boss, not a friend.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: While building relationships with your team members, you must remember that you are a manager and not a friend.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: If you are too friendly with your team members, then it makes it harder for you to take those difficult decisions that are part of management.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Be friendly, be supportive, but don't treat your team as friends in a social sense.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: This will not help them nor you in the longer term.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you've been promoted and now have to manage team members who were your colleagues, you have an even tougher job in this regard.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Create some emotional distance between you and them, but not too much.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: For instance, you know, don't go to lunch them every day as you used to.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe go once or twice a week instead.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: This is not an easy transition.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself, do you want to be their friend or do you need to be their manager?
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: It is very hard to do both, said choose.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: My fourth tip for new managers is to understand what your manager expects of you.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Your relationship with your manager and the help and guidance that you can get from them is even more important as you transition into a management role.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be afraid to ask for their opinion when people management challenges come up.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Just have your best response to the situation ready before you ask so you're bringing a solution to the table.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Find out exactly what your manager wants from you personally and what they want from your team.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Keep asking questions until you're happy that you understand what is okay and what good looks like from your manager's point of view.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Push to get to the detail and agree specific goals and objectives with your manager so you're really clear on their expectations towards you.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Don't allow yourself to fall into that trap of accepting vague expectations.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: You need to build up your management experience as quickly as possible, and specific instructions and goals do help when you're new to the role.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: My fifth tip for new managers is be clear about what you want from your team and communicate this often.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: When you are clear about what your manager wants from you, you can then think about what you want from your team.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Think about what you need your team to deliver to reach the team goals and meet your manager's expectations and the expectations of any other stakeholders.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: Don't take on the full responsibility of working out how to achieve the goals, get your team involved in this process.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: That way you can share the problem-solving responsibility, take pressure off yourself, and get much better team buy-in by getting them involved.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: All good wins.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Once you've set out the goals and have a plan of how to reach those goals as a team, break down the activities, projects, and goals into individual level and write down each person's objectives and goals.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Keep track of these and create visibility with the team.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Put a whiteboard on the wall, bring the goals up in one-to-one meetings and team meetings.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you don't forget about the team goals, because if you do, your team will.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: My sixth tip for new managers is to focus on developing your team.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: The better your team, the more the team should be able to deliver, thus making it more valuable to the company.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: And as a manager, your performance is now tied to the team's performance.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: A great way to improve a team's performance is to improve each individual's performance.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: And in doing so, you show as a manager that you care about your team members' career.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: So mentor, coach, and teach everything that you can to your team members.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Help them become better at their jobs, both in terms of their technical skills and their soft skills or transferable skills.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: The best managers I've had in my career taught me absolutely loads.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: They encouraged me to learn and helped me do so.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: I believe managers should be teachers and coaches.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: This approach will deliver better team performances and create stronger teams.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Both will help your career as a manager.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Put in as much time and effort as you can into mentoring and coaching your team members.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: As I've personally experienced, it will pay you back many times over.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: My seventh tip for new managers is to practice managing your own emotions.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Being a manager, you are always in the spotlight.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Everything you do and say will signal to your team members how they should work and behave.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Actions speak louder than words, and your actions will send strong messages, whether you want them to or not.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: If you want team members to turn up to meetings on time, make sure you do.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you want team members to deliver their work on time, make sure you do, etc.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: How you react to situations and how you behave influences team members.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: When you start managing others, you should also be as aware of your own reactions as possible and start practicing how you manage your emotions and reactions.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: This is not about you becoming a robot.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: You're going to be angry and frustrated just like everyone else.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's okay to show some of this emotion.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: How you show your emotions is now important because you are the leader.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Show you're in control of yourself and the situation.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Reframe negative emotions into constructive problem-solving action.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if you're frustrated, solve the problem that causes the frustration rather than just venting your frustration.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: After all, if you're not able to manage yourself, then how can you manage others?
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: My eighth tip for new managers is to always keep learning.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: If you're looking to progress your career, then you'll need to keep learning.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: I would argue that in the modern world you have little choice but to keep learning if you want to keep yourself and your skills relevant.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: So actively look for any opportunities to learn.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: Read books, watch YouTube videos, take courses, organise one-to-one meetings with your manager to discuss challenges, get a mentor, you know, hire a professional coach, network the business friends.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: There are so many ways to learn.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: Management skills are skills.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: You need to learn the knowledge, and even more importantly, you need to practice these skills.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be afraid to make mistakes and you will make them.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Just make sure you learn from them.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: I've been managing teams for over 25 years and I still make plenty of mistakes.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Ask for feedback from your manager, from your peers, from team members, anyone willing to give you honest, useful feedback.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: As you rise through the ranks, the less useful feedback you get, so make the most of any feedback you get now.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: The more quality feedback you can get on your management skills, the quicker you will be able to learn and improve your skills, and therefore the quicker you'll be able to progress your career.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: So get as much feedback as you can.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: I thought I'd leave you with a bonus tip, which is dress for the part.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: And you might think this is old fashioned advice, particularly with more officers dressing down, but it remains really important.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Aim to dress at least as well as your manager and their peer group.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: If they wear good quality suits, make sure yours is too.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: If they wear blazers or smart jackets with their casual outfits, get one too.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: You've just joined a management group.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: One of the first steps and quickest steps you can take to make sure you fit in is to dress appropriately.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Look closely at what your new peers are wearing, you know what ties, shirts, blouses, jeans, watches, jewellery, etc.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: And invest in a similar level of look.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously keep your style, but make sure you look the part.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: So in summary, management skills are skills, and if you want to get better at management, you need to practice.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: So try different approaches, experiment, and keep asking for feedback.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: You will make mistakes, and that's okay, just make sure you learn from them.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you know what your manager wants from you, and you in turn clearly communicate what you want from your team and keep communicating it.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Enjoy managing your team.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Do visit us at enhance.training and take a look at the courses and resources to help you manage your team more effectively.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.