I just finished teaching my first management course, and boy did it take me back. Two of my students had been managers for all of three months and the stories, emotions and challenges they shared were all too familiar. They talked about feeling overwhelmed and unprepared and they were questioning if being a manager was for them.
I had designed the course with the goal of imparting loads of practical information and strategies in order to prepare my students for their new role as managers, but as the class progressed, my goal shifted. The main takeaways I wanted for them became less about skills and more about their mindset. I share them here.
- Managing is hard– People are complex and unique. As a manager, you are tasked with building relationships with each complex and unique staff member individually and with the team collectively. You are expected to motivate, reward, discipline, evaluate, hire, fire, promote, and demote staff in the name of meeting company goals. On top of this, you have your own tasks and goals to meet. It is a skill and like any skill, it takes time and effort to get better at it. It is easy to get discouraged, but know that every manager has his share of challenges. You are not alone. It is normal to struggle. Managing is hard.
- It gets easier- Like anything else you’ve never done before, it will likely be awkward and uncomfortable in the beginning. As you learn and practice, you will get better. It will get easier. But you have to push yourself through the awkward and uncomfortable parts and not avoid them. Give yourself time and give yourself a break. Nothing is easy in the beginning.
- You’ll only get better if you choose to- There are loads of managers out there who have been managing for years and are not one iota better than the day they started. Unfortunately, we have made it all too easy for them to do so. If you want to get better as a manager, you need to make the choice to get better. Hopefully your organization will provide training and support, but many won’t. Either way, go to trainings, read articles and books, ask for feedback (constantly), find a mentor… Do whatever you can to hone your craft. It won’t prevent you from making mistakes, but as long as you fall forward and continue to grow, you’re on the right path.
- Managing can be incredibly rewarding- When you build positive relationships with your team and you are all bought in and on the same page about where you want to go, it can be incredibly rewarding. People spend a lot of time talking about how hard managing can be- and it most certainly can be- but far too little time on how rewarding it can be. Watching your team members grow as individuals and watching your team grow as a unit may be the most gratifying part of your job and your career.
- Take your role seriously- The effect you have on your team and your company is substantial. In fact, you are the number one determinant of your team’s job satisfaction and performance. You have the power to create or decrease turnover which affects your company’s bottom line in countless ways. Qualitatively, you are in the position to make your staff’s work experience an enjoyable or unpleasant one. Take this responsibility seriously. Far too many people drudge through their work days, and in many cases, it is because of their managers. Choose to be the manager that not only improves the bottom line but also improves the jobs and the lives of those you manage.
- Managing might be not be for you and that’s okay- Gallup’s extensive research has found that 1 in 10 people possesses high talent to become a successful manager. Another 2 in 10 people exhibit some of the characteristics and can function at a high level with the proper support and development. The other 7 out of 10, Gallup finds, do not have the innate skills to grow into effective managers. You may be the 10%, the 20% or the 70%. Whichever it is, know that this doesn’t speak to anything else about you, your abilities and your value than your innate ability to manage other people. As Einstein illustrated so beautifully, “if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. So take the time to reflect and determine if managing is for you. If not, find something that is.
Management can be a positive or negative experience depending on you, the manager. Decide if management is a good fit for you, and if it is, make the commitment to be the best manager you can be. It will not only make your experience better and more fulfilling but it will also make the experience of your staff more positive as well.
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11 Responses
Great advice. I went from managing a household to managing a classroom. The rewards of developing those skills are enormous.
One of the biggest things for me to remember when I moved into new positions, was that my new staff was adapting to me too, so be patient. It was helpful for me to talk with each staff member and to get to know their skills, strengths, concerns and personalities in a one on one situation. It helped to build rapport and trust, but takes time and patience.