From Individual Contributor to Manager

Congratulations. You just made the move from being an individual contributor to managing people. You have worked hard and proved yourself to be a valued employee for your organization.

It should be obvious to you that you will most likely need to work a little differently in your new role. It’s not just you completing a task or filling a requirement for your department or organization. You now have a new responsibility. So…

You’re a new manager, now what? A well-known definition of management is "getting things done through others.”  Like so many things in life, this sounds great but what does it mean?

A great place to start is to be honest with your team. Chances are, they know you are new to management and if you’re fortunate, they may take pity on you and let you learn on the job. No matter what, your honesty will go a long way toward you getting off on the right foot. Let people see your vulnerability but also work toward setting clear expectations of what you expect from them. Clearly inform them of how you plan to support them and, if appropriate, let them know when and how to access you at work, both personally or virtually.

Learn how to delegate. Delegating is not asking your team to do the work that you don’t want to do. It is determining who has the ability to take on a challenge and giving them the authority to do it. Of course, you will support them as they take on a new task but watch out for the temptation to micromanage. Delegation is a great teaching tool so let your people know you trust them, and they have your support, but you are not going to tell them how to do the task.

Speaking of teaching, encourage your staff members to learn new skills. One great way to develop a lifelong learning culture is for you to also take some classes, watch webinars, listen to podcasts, or read a book to grow as a leader. How could you be a better manager?

Take time to get to know and understand what is important to your staff members. What are their goals and dreams? What do they spend time doing when they’re not working? What do they value about the work they do? How can you support them to achieve their full potential?

Give constant feedback and make it specific and timely. Let your people know that you value their contributions. Say “thank you” often.

Develop a strong network both inside and outside your organization. No one person will ever have all the knowledge they need to successfully work in our changing world of work. Who can you turn to for advice? A strong network will be invaluable to you as you work to become a better manager.

Good luck and hope you will check out two of our books that will provide additional information—The Manager’s Answer Book and The Decisive Manager.  They are available from Amazon or at your local bookstore.