LEADERSHIP

Succeeding as a New Manager

Five tips for new supervisors you won’t find in textbooks

I was thrust into management. Unexpectedly. At one of my first post-college jobs as a copywriter/production manager in an internal marketing department, I had only been on the job a few months when our boss, Kaitlin, announced, “I’ll be out next week, and Tina will be in charge.”

Wait, what?

I had never been trained as a manager, although I’d had some good role models, including Kaitlin. I wasn’t as familiar with the company, processes, or staff as others. At 26, I was also the youngest person on staff.

What I learned that week formed the foundation of my leadership style. And set me on a path of savoring leadership roles.

Secrets revealed

Here are five fail-safe secrets that served me well that week and may be helpful for other new managers:

1. When in doubt, bring food

I was nervous the weekend before my debut as acting boss and fretted about my ability to manage well. The department was working to meet a catalog deadline — a huge project for which every sub-deadline was critical. We needed to work smoothly and efficiently to stay on course.

On my way to the office that Monday morning, I stopped and bought bagels and cream cheese. It seemed a sleazy, cheap way to curry favor with my colleagues, and…it worked. Coworkers appreciated the free food and recognized it as the gesture it was — an effort to create a positive working environment.

People are social animals, and eating is a social activity. There’s something magical about gathering around informally with coworkers and munching to erase hierarchy and build camaraderie.

Over the years, I’ve learned that having food at meetings spurs creative thinking (a must-have for brainstorming sessions), eases tension, and encourages participation. It’s well worth the price of donuts or hummus or fruit — whatever your team likes best.

2. Ask for input

When the first issue arose on that Monday that required a management decision, I sat with the senior graphic designer, who looked at me expectantly for an answer. I had no clue what to say.

In desperation, I uttered the words that turned out to be the greatest management tool I’ve ever encountered: “What do you think?”

He paused, listed off several options, and then gave his opinion about the best way to proceed. And, guess what? He was exactly right. His knowledge and analysis were spot on because he was closest to the issue and had the necessary experience.

I’ve learned this is almost always the case. As a manager, you aren’t required to know the answer to everything. People almost always know the best course of action; they just need you to ask them and to talk it through.

“What do YOU think?” It really is that easy.

You will add any additional knowledge you have of other circumstances or considerations, but the weight of the opinion and expertise of those closer to the issue should be factored heavily.

You’ll earn the respect of your peers by respecting their skill and experience and seeking their opinion. You’ll also make much better decisions.

3. Be decisive

Once you’ve collected the information from the knowledgeable team members, don’t beat around the bush. Make the decision and move forward.

The most ineffective manager is the indecisive one, in my opinion. Equivocating delays action and puts greater pressure on the team to meet targets.

Equivocating also belies a lack of confidence by the manager.

Be thorough in your information gathering…and then be decisive and confident. Recognize that no decision is perfect. Make your best decision and move forward to accomplish the task ahead.

4. Maintain confidences

If you’ve been promoted to a position in which you will manage former coworkers, you have inside knowledge. You’ve probably shared opinions and vented with some of them; you’ve both probably said some things you wouldn’t want the boss to know.

Now you’re the boss.

Observe those confidences. Never use anything that was told to you as a coworker against them now that you’re in a position of authority. The only exception would be an ethical or legal violation, which you are obligated to take action on (and, frankly, you were obligated before, too).

Being a trustworthy person is the best way to earn respect and trust.

5. Be prepared to be treated differently

Once you begin managing people (even temporarily), you’ll immediately be treated differently. I don’t mean necessarily bad or good. A little of both.

For example, people will confide in you in ways that are not always comfortable. In that week of temporary management, an employee came to me with a personal problem. I was stunned. The level of self-disclosure went far beyond what seemed appropriate for a business environment.

But people are people, and we all deal with heartache, complications, trauma, family issues, and, well, life. Some don’t have anywhere else to turn. It’s an honor to be trusted with personal issues. Still, maintaining a professional distance is vital. Be sure you have resources to share with troubled employees so that you can connect them with support. I guarantee you, you will need them.

You’ll also be shunned at times. People will be talking and laughing until you appear. Then they’ll suddenly go silent and scuttle away, no matter how approachable and friendly you are.

Don’t be offended. Remember that you wanted peer-to-peer conversations without the boss around plenty before you were promoted. Employees deserve their space to vent or have private observations. Pretend you don’t notice, smile, and hold no ill will.

The joys of leadership

If you’ve recently been promoted, you’re in for a growth experience like no other. You’ll discover things about yourself that you never knew — strengths, nuances, weaknesses.

You’ll also find joy in accomplishing things in a new way — as a team leader who creates a vision, assembles the needed resources, and makes decisions that allow the team to meet its goals.

It’s a rush like no other.

I was lucky to have early experiences that helped me learn and grow and mentors who shaped my management journey. Remember Kaitlin? When she left the management job to pursue a PhD, I was promoted to my first full-time manager gig.

A few years later, when she was looking for a temporary job while she sought a teaching position, she rejoined the staff. This time, I was manager and she was a writer.

Following an especially productive staff meeting, she lingered and then turned to me with a smile, “Look what I started when I put you in charge that week.”

© Tina L. Smith, 2020

About the author: After many years of working in senior management in various marketing roles, Tina L. Smith works by day as an administrator of an academic medical research program and by night as a writer.

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