This is a guest post by Georgina Stamp of Marble Hill Partners.
So you’ve just reached that role you’ve been aiming for: You’re a manager, a person of authority with big plans for the company and all those that work in it, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There are a number of traps and problems that you can run into as a new manager. Here are some tips on how to avoid encountering some of the biggest myths and mistakes in your new management role:
1. “Managers Must Shout”
This is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make as a manager. If you can’t handle a situation without shouting or raising your voice, you could find yourself in a sticky situation very quickly. Shouting is for those who can’t control themselves. If you can’t handle a situation, it indicates to your peers and your employees that you can’t manage the situation either.
Keep your cool and if you need to, ask for assistance from your boss.
2. “I’ll Do It Myself”
This is one of the worst attitudes for you to bring to your management role. Just because you can do it quicker, easier and better than one of your employees doesn’t mean that you should do the task yourself. A crucial aspect of being a manager is learning how to delegate work and allowing others to take on tasks. By doing so, you are allowing them to expand their knowledge of the company and become better at their jobs, which in turn will increase the productivity of your team.
3. “I Need Complete Compliance”
It’s great that your employees do as you say without question because you don’t have to boss them around and create a chaotic work atmosphere. However, complete compliance is problematic, not ideal. If your employees are following your every order exactly as you say it, they have no initiative and they cannot progress as individuals or as members of the team. People like that are a constraint. A lack of initiative also shows that you will not be able to delegate efficiently because your employees won’t be able to carry out tasks.
4. “I Am In Control”
Control can be good as it allows no room for mistakes, but a good manager should not have to control his or team. A good manager should create a plan and ensure that the plan is adhered to. That doesn’t mean that everything on your plan must happen in a specific order; it just means that you assign jobs to the most suitable people on your team and take into account factors that may affect your plan.
5. “One-to-One Relationships at Work”
There’s nothing wrong with becoming friends with your subordinates, but it mustn’t be in the form of one-to-one relationships; you must become friends with your entire team. If you place individuals before the whole, it will become too easy for you to choose sides and pick favorites. To avoid that problem, have group discussions and team talks. If a member of your team needs to speak with you privately do so, but you shouldn’t put any one of your employees’ needs before the needs of others.
There are many other aspects of being a manager that you should be aware of, but for more information or advice you should speak with your boss as it’s likely that they have made mistakes in the past that they can share with you.
Author: Georgina Stamp works with Marble Hill Partners as a member of the interim management industry. Georgina spends a lot of her time discussing management roles and finding individuals that possess the correct qualities.
[Photo Pin: www.flickr.com/photos/slworking.]
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