It is important for leaders to be very aware of the difficulties that a junior manager faces making the transition from star performer to a new manager. Newly promoted first-time managers often times don’t realize the process of becoming a leader is a journey of continuous learning and self development. Do you remember the first time you became a manager? If you are like most, then you had mixed emotions. You might have asked questions like: Can I be an effective leader? Or, can I learn to manage my people?
Promoting star performers into a management role and ensuring that new managers are productive and effective in their new roles is vitally important to the success of the organization, management, and the star performer. Organizations suffer human and financial costs when a new manager fails to successfully adjust to their new management role. Let’s examine a few key points that might help you better mentor the new manager.
A new professional identity emerges. Learning to lead is a process of learning by doing. It isn’t taught in a classroom. The new manager learns through his exposure to adverse experiences that require him to work beyond his current capabilities. He learns what works and what doesn’t largely through trial and error. Basically, a new manager has to unlearn his former habits and perspective as a “doer” and overtime develop a new professional identity.
New managers rely too much on their formal authority. A new manager needs to build his influence by creating a web of strong relationships based on credibility and trust throughout his team and the entire organization. This is a time consuming and painstaking process, but it helps the new manager build trust, influence and mutual expectations with a wide array of people. Effective leaders are good relationship builders! But, this is only the beginning.
Ultimately, the new manager must figure out how to harness the power of a team. Many new managers fail to address their team-building responsibilities. Successful leaders are responsible for the success of their team not just managing the individuals on their team. This is important because the new manager must build strong team culture and performance.
Management is more than making sure things run smoothly. Junior managers can spend all of their time and energy maintaining the status quo. New managers don’t understand that they are responsible to recommend and initiate changes that enhance the group’s performance. This means they may need to challenge work and business processes or organizational structures that exist beyond their area of formal authority.
Reach out to your junior managers. The senior leadership is responsible to develop a culture that makes it safe for new managers to address issues and challenges so they can become strong contributors to the management team. Many organizations do not allow for this mentorship and this means that new managers may fail because they lack a strong support network. If you are a new manager that has just stepped into a new role remember not to isolate yourself and work with your boss. It is also prudent for the new manager to develop a strong network outside of their immediate organization that is “safe” so they can discuss challenges in an open and constructive manner.
Here are some typical problems most new managers face.
You can obtain additional information at: http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2007/01/becoming-the-boss/ib
Source: Dave Ulrich. “Becoming the Boss.” Harvard Business Review. January 2007.
