So you have promoted John to a new manager’s position. John has shown to be a great individual contributor, he is engaged, he is reliable, and he is eager to get the job done, and most likely he will get the job done in his new position, you have not doubts about this move. He is got the potential, and he is ready.
John, on the other hand, is pretty excited about his new role and is looking forward to contributing to the success of the organization. However, John has a couple of concerns of his own.
• “How do I manage my friend, Mary?”
• “Marion has five years more experience than me and also went for the job – he’s bound to be hacked off with me.”
• “I really must make sure I know more than everyone in my team; otherwise, I won’t be able to justify that I’m the boss.”
• “So much to do in so little time. What do I do first”?
Often, new supervisors or recently promoted managers feel that they’re thrown into the deep end. They’re not sure where to start or what to do first.
In fact, research has shown, that few managers have the talent to achieve excellence. According to a survey report by Gallup, only one in 10 people possesses the natural ability to manage. Some managers are endowed with some of the necessary traits; few have all the components needed to help their team to achieve awesome performance. However, Managers account for at least 70% of variance in employee engagement scores. People don’t leave companies, they leave managers.
John could excel at his new position if he knew what to do from the get-go. John transition into management would be tremendously easier if he did these three things right away.
Find a mentor.
With so many seasoned managers in the company, John needs to find someone that he can turn to for advice and guidance over the long haul. A seasoned manager is ideal, but anyone that he knows and trusts (and that is knowledgeable) will certainly be able to help him. John needs to find someone that already solved his problem. The ideal mentor is someone that is already a successful manager; the ideal mentor is someone that John would like to work for.
Ask for help.
John needs to understand that this is not the time to be a superhero and pretend that he knows everything. There is no such thing as a dumb question. He needs to ask others for advice, including his manager, his new colleagues, and experts in the area. It’s even OK to ask employees questions.
Ask for resources.
John also needs to know what people and materials he and his employees need to do a better job. Making a list of these items, how it would improve job performance, and how it would generate profit is a great idea. His job is to make sure his team has the needed resources to do their job.
In the next post, we will discuss what the company can do to help John to be successful and become a leader that inspires, elevates and engages his team.
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