Stepping Up to Your First Managerial Role

If you're like most people, you go to work each day with the hope of becoming better at your job. You desire to climb up the ladder in your profession so that you can achieve a certain level of success. That feeling of walking into an appraisal and being offered a promotion is quite extraordinary!

As society continues to advance rapidly, we find ourselves constantly chasing after the next milestone, sometimes feeling like the marathon is never going to end. There is always something greater to achieve, something more fulfilling to pursue. Once we reach a certain goal, there still remains a hunger for more.

But not all of us are able to climb the ladder as quickly as others. Competition is tight as everyone scrambles to be recognised, appreciated, and rewarded for their effort. So, what can you do to stand out to your supervisors and get yourself on the list for the next promotion?

At some point in your career, you probably hope to be a manager. Through this role, you will have greater influence over your team and potentially have more impact on your company’s success. Being promoted to a management position does not only depend on your external achievements but also internal growth.

The most important aspect of being a manager is communication, both verbal and written. Some have the misconception using lofty language and jargon in your emails will make you sound more experienced. But the opposite is true. The more complex your emails, the more confused your team will be. A large part of your role as a manager is to guide your team in achieving your goals. This is only possible if you're able to communicate your vision and tasks clearly. If your team has to spend precious time clarifying what you mean, then you would have wasted time that could have been spent working towards your vision.

When you become a manager, you're no longer contributing to the company by yourself. Your role is to synthesise information given to you by your superiors, break this down, and delegate the tasks to your team.

A good way to broaden your understanding of what being a manager entails is to talk to other managers who have inspired you in the past. Even if they are from a different company, learning from a variety of leaders who have achieved what you hope to achieve in your career will be invaluable. Initiate conversations with them about their career decisions and thinking processes. This can give you insight and guidance on what steps you need to take to achieve your goals.

While learning about their successes is helpful, this is only half of the story. The truth is, we learn much more from failures than success. If your friend is willing to share, ask them about their mistakes in their path to becoming a manager so that you will not make the same mistakes in the process.

Are You Ready?

Before becoming a manager, you were used to working in a team. Most of your focus is probably placed on what you can achieve within the year and how you can progress in your career to something greater. To put it briefly, your day-to-day work was all about you. It may sound selfish, but this is simply human nature.

When you're ready to become a manager, however, your focus shifts. You may have big picture ideas on how to improve processes and do things differently. It is no longer about what you can do individually but what your team can achieve collectively. You feel ready to take on the responsibility for the success and failures of others, and you find yourself eager to nurture your team towards realising their full potential.

As a manager, you must be comfortable with collective defeat and shared victories. As you're responsible for leading your team to success, you’ll equally have to acknowledge your shortcomings when you encounter challenges. It is not about individual glory but about discovering how you can inspire your team to succeed together.

Showing Your Weakness is an Advantage

Because of all the responsibilities that a management role entails, it may feel like the world is on your shoulders. As a leader, you probably assume that you're supposed to have all of the answers to every question and solutions to every problem. But you're just as human as the janitor who keeps your office spick and span. In fact, a managerial role might even accentuate your weaknesses.

​

Admitting to your weakness and vulnerability may actually serve you better than trying to bury them deep inside. This shows your team that you're one of them, and you're transparent about your struggles. When they are aware of your struggles, your team members can be better prepared to help you and support you in areas where you fall short.

People who are appointed to be managers may not necessarily be the best contributor, but they may have leadership potential. Don’t let your leadership mantle get to you. Certainly don’t assume that you have the best ideas and everyone on your team should do as you say just because you wear the coveted title. Make sure you stay humble, ensure that all members of your team have the chance to share their thoughts, and make decisions objectively in the interest of your shared goals.

Although you may be the manager, your team’s success depends on how well you can delegate, inspire, and guide your team. It is not a one-man show. The more you try to achieve your company’s goals without utilising resources that have been given to you, the less likely it is for you to achieve your goals optimally.

Because your role is to guide your team, you cannot expect your team members to only approach you when they have found solutions to their problems. If you expect them to solve their problems without your help, then they may never come to you, and you will lose transparency within your team.

Remember, there is no “I” in a team. Relying on each other for support, ideas, and solutions is the best way to reach your goals. You don’t have to carry the entire world on your shoulders. Learn to delegate tasks based on the strengths of your team members and give them the opportunity to excel and help you achieve your goals.

Manage Your Expectations

Before you even begin thinking about managing a team, learn to manage your expectations first. At first thought, you may think that a manager should be controlling in order to get things done. But the contrary is true.

“I believe in servant leadership. The more you show your team that you're working alongside them and not above them, the more likely they will be to work with you and not against you.”

Some people assume that because they have been promoted to a management role, they shouldn’t need help from their superiors. But it takes time for you to adjust to your new role. You will face new challenges that you have not faced when you were just part of the team. If you want to overcome challenges quickly, reach out to your manager and ask for help or advice when you need it. When you ask for help, you show your manager that you're humble and eager to learn. Your manager has a library of experience and wisdom to give you. But the ball is in your court. Simply take the first step and ask for help.

The greatest expectations of you are likely your own. As you have dreamed about stepping into this role, you may have pictured yourself transforming the company within a few months. But, there is quite a big difference between being an individual contributor and a people leader. Don’t be too hard on yourself. As with every new role, there is a learning curve to journey through before you can settle nicely into your new role. If you find yourself feeling a little worried or fearful of what may come during this process, know that it is perfectly normal.

You may wonder if people will respect you as a leader, especially if you have worked alongside them before. Perhaps people may judge you for the smallest things because everything you do is now scrutinised under the eyes of your team members. Maybe you're doubtful that you can be a good leader.

Looking back at my transitions into management positions, I wish someone had told me two key skills that would have helped me jump over the chasm and gain confidence in my leadership abilities. First, it is important to be transparent with your team. Create a safe space that allows people to give you feedback and vice versa. Although intimidating at first, radical candour with your team can build trust in your relationships.

Radical candour not only transforms your working relationships but also your personal relationships. The foundation of this transformational skill is to challenge people in a straightforward manner with the intention of helping and caring for them personally. Ultimately, the purpose of radical candour is to support the collective growth of the people around you.

The second skill is listening. Learning to support one another means listening and showing concern about the problems that others face. When your team member approaches you with a problem or a challenge, take the opportunity to add value to their situation by finding solutions when you can. The more willing you're to help your team find solutions to their problems, the more they will respect you and the insight you offer.

Focus on Your New Responsibilities

Within the first three months of your new position as a manager, the most effective strategy to set you up for success is to double down on your strengths. You were chosen for this role because of your strengths, not your weaknesses. So while it may be tempting to cover up your weaknesses or trying to improve, your time would be much better spent when you hone in on your strengths.

When you assume the role of a manager, you give up the current position in which you most likely excel. Initially, it may be difficult for you to watch someone else take over your position, especially if it seems like they are doing a better job than you.

If they are able to accomplish less in your previous role than you, then it may be tempting to micromanage their job. But your responsibility as a manager now is to focus on inspiring others to do their job well. You should not only be looking to help one person improve but your team as a whole.

For some people, it is difficult to watch others succeed in a role that you used to do, and it may cause them to question if they are really suitable for the position as a manager. If you find yourself doubting your ability to step up to the plate, then remember that you were chosen for the position because your manager saw your leadership potential.

I had a conversation with someone on my team who was recently promoted to be a team leader. He was worried that he was not adding value and questioned if this was the right role for his career. I reminded him that because he showed interest in the position, it ultimately is something that he wants for his life. The learning curve seemed a little intimidating to him because he had just started his new position. As with learning anything new, I reminded him that it takes time to adjust and to fully settle into his new position. Over time, he will experience a mindset shift from being an individual contributor to being a team leader.

Because working with people is always complicated, it may seem like it would be easier to do everything on your own. But you can only do so much by yourself. If you're able to identify the skills of each member of your team and leverage their strengths, then you would be able to accomplish a whole lot more together rather than alone.

Anyone who steps into the role of a leader will always be continually scrutinised by the public eye. Initially, you may feel self-conscious and worried about how your actions and behaviour would be judged. But if you focus on projecting the kind of behaviour that will benefit your team, then you have nothing to worry about.

Learn to be confident in who you're and what you can do. If you're given the chance to lead people, take the opportunity to focus on what you can do to inspire. Eventually, everything else will slowly fall into place, and with time, you will become the leader that you want to be.

1. Keep Your Communication Simple

Communication is ultimately what makes or breaks you as a leader. Evaluate your communication style, both written and verbal. Use simple, clear language and avoid jargon to make sure your team knows what is expected of them, and can get things done efficiently. Also, don’t wait for your team to come to you. Always keep lines of communication open so that they feel comfortable approaching you with their challenges.

2. Cultivate Self-Awareness

Before you step into the role of a manager, take some time to jot down what values you stand for and what vision you hope to realise during your time as a manager. When you're fully aware of your ideology, then you can inspire your team to work with you and devise a plan of action to achieve your goals. Being a good people leader depends on your self-awareness. Know who you are and what you believe in so you can lead others accordingly.

3. Ask For Help

Managers don’t know it all, and you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about asking your superiors or former bosses for their advice if you need it. Learning from their mistakes will help you rise to the challenges you face much more impactfully. Similarly, ask your team for help with tasks that don’t play to your strengths. This way, you’re leveraging on the team’s strengths, and not assuming that you know it all.