THE 7 COMMON (AND TOTALLY AVOIDABLE) MISTAKES NEW MANAGERS MAKE
YES,
YOU WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO GET PROMOTED BUT BEING A MANGER HAS
CHALLENGES YOU NEVER DEALT WITH WHEN YOU WERE AN EMPLOYEE.
The
transition to management isn’t easy. One
study found it
was almost as stressful as divorce.
No
wonder people screw it up. But while “Everyone certainly has the
right to screw up in her own individual way,” says Lindsey
Pollak,
whose new management bookBecoming
the Boss is
out this month, there are also “classic mistakes” made by “pretty
much everyone I interviewed.” Here’s what they are, and how to
avoid them:
1. KEEPING THE STAR MINDSET
People
often get promoted because they are awesome at what they do. But once
you’re in management, “your job is no longer to be the star as a
contributor. Your job is now to manage through other people’s
successes,” says Pollak. This is a huge change in thinking, and
unfortunately, many new managers “keep trying to do their old jobs
and be a manager at the same time.”
YOUR JOB IS NO LONGER TO BE THE STAR AS A CONTRIBUTOR. YOUR JOB IS
NOW TO MANAGE THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE’S SUCCESSES.
The
net result is that you have twice as much work. Your company may not
help you figure out this new coach mindset, but the good news is that
people have been writing about leadership since the dawn of the
printed word. Avail yourself of this literature and you’ll figure
out how to motivate others toward greater ends.
2. DOING OTHER PEOPLE’S WORK FOR THEM
This
mistake follows closely from clinging to an individual contributor
identity. New managers often tell their direct reports “Let me just
do this for you,” Pollak says. But if you hate being micromanaged,
you can imagine that no one else likes it either, and time spent
micromanaging is time not spent leading. “It’s a perfect
combination of disaster, which is why so many people don’t like
their managers.”
3. NOT GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE
“How
you begin is so important to how you’re perceived by your team,”
Pollak says. In particular, “don’t hide behind technology.”
While it may be easier and more convenient to communicate by email,
“in managing people, that human touch is still extremely important
for good things and not-so-good things.” You want to figure out
what works and what doesn’t for different people, and assumptions
can get you in trouble later on.
4. CALLING ATTENTION TO INSECURITIES
You
want to come across as authentic and approachable. But unfortunately,
the way you do this can be a real “credibility buster,” says
Pollak. If you are younger than many of the people you’re managing,
you don’t need to belabor this. If you’re much older, don’t go
on about how you’re bad with technology, or otherwise play into
stereotypes. “Don’t sabotage yourself in a multigenerational
workplace,” Pollak says. You can respect others without putting
yourself down.
5. BURNING THE BARNS
Perhaps
you’ve been brought in to change things. But unless your mandate
involves replacing the whole department, you’ll need to inspire
people toward your vision and convince them to work toward it,
whether you were their first choice for a boss or not. Honor people’s
years of experience and wisdom, and listen to their advice (even if
you don’t always take it).
6. NOT AIMING FOR EARLY WINS
You’re
in charge now. Scoring some early victories will convince your team
that you’re serious about coaxing out their best work. Examples
include “getting rid of an annoying meeting,” says Pollak -- one
that everyone hates and has long outlived its usefulness. Or,
“surprise everyone in the first meeting with breakfast.” You can
even save good news for your first official sit-downs with people.
The point is to start from a positive place.
7. NOT MAKING TIME TO FOCUS
Sometimes,
in trying to be accessible, new managers become too reactive. They
work long hours responding to crises, but never make time for
strategic thinking. A better approach is to “think of yourself as
one of your managed people,” says Pollak. If you’d spend an hour
a day with each
direct report,
spend an hour a day coaxing out your best performance, so you can
address problems before they explode.
BY LAURA
VANDERKAM
http://www.fastcompany.com/3034921/hit-the-ground-running/the-7-common-and-totally-avoidable-mistakes-new-managers-make?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fast-company-daily-newsletter&position=6&partner=newsletter
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