So, you just got the phone call: You got the new job; now you’re a new manager! Hooray!
And, for good measure, you also get:
– the person who wanted the job but didn’t get it
– the person who sits next to you who wants your office space
– the boss who is still frustrated with the person who held the job before you
– the person whose best friend left the company, vacating your spot
You get the picture! Walking into a job as a new manager brings all sorts of unseen political complications.
However, never fear; there’s an action plan for you.
Kara Baskin, at AARP’s Life Reimagined, asked me to weigh in on a strategy for coming in strong to a new manager role, especially one that’s complicated. Here’s her article: Accepting a Controversial Promotion.
Here are the main points for new managers:
1) Earn their respect within 30 days. Go the extra mile; work harder; be more responsive than ever. Advocate for your team. Don’t make it seem that you’re “too good” for something you used to do, but at the same time, be thinking and acting more strategically than before.
2) Don’t hang out in the ivory tower. Get out of your office, often, and be seen as someone who’s in touch with what’s going on “out there” with your team.
3) Go public with praise. You have a short window of time that you can do a “roadshow” highlighting capabilities and skills on your team, or ask for something that the team wants/needs; build a presentation to take to peers and your boss that gives your team members a chance to shine.
4) Don’t carry all the water yourself. Delegate! Give assignments that line up with what people want, and ask for help.
New managers, never fear! Follow these tips for how you can skillfully assume a new role in tricky circumstances.