By Emilie Shoop, Creator and Leader of Shoop Training & Consulting
Being a first time manager can be very overwhelming. What should you do? What should you avoid? What systems do you want to put in place? How should you organize everything? What is first? Where is your office? Who is on your team? How do you stay on top of it all?
First of all, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Becoming a manager for the first time is a great accomplishment. Congratulations!
Second, work on building your confidence foundation. You are taking on something new. You are not going to have all the answers. You are going to make mistakes. That is ok! Being a first time manager, you have something to offer that seasoned managers do not. Now is the time to define what you bring to the table so you can use it to your advantage.
Your confidence foundation is built on three pillars: 1) fresh perspective, 2) new connections, and 3) energy. Reflecting on each of these pillars will help you stay strong as you find your way in your new role as manager. Be sure to focus on the positive, not the negative.
Follow these steps to build your Confidence Foundation:
Fresh Perspective
Since you have not previously managed in the organization, you can offer a new point of view on old topics. It is always helpful to breathe some new life into old projects or problems. Maybe you have been pushing to try things a different way, and now you have the authority to test it out?
Take a few minutes and write down all the ideas that you had when you were working in the trenches. Capture those ideas before you get too far away to remember them. You may not be able to implement them immediately, but having that list to refer back to will prove useful over time.
New Connections
If you have ever worked in sales, you have heard that you are not hired for what you know but for who you know. As you move into management, you have connections with people inside and outside the business that others do not. These connections are a huge asset to the business and management team. People get the work done. As your circle of influence is added to the equation, the business gets that much stronger.
Create a list of all your connections, and where they may prove useful in your new role. Then, be sure to stay in touch with everyone with a quick email, lunch, or coffee here and there. Keep your eye open for how you can help those connections in your role as well…the road goes both ways!
Energy
It is exciting to take on a new role. Just like the jitters you get on a first date, it is hard to recreate that level of excitement and energy. Seasoned managers need your energy to help them manage better. Your team needs your energy to feel engaged and excited in their positions.
If you journal, write a few sentences to yourself about the energy you are feeling right now. Write about the excitement, the buzz you are feeling, anything that puts a smile on your face. Not into journaling? Jot these notes down in a notepad or a file on your laptop so you can reference it later.
You are an Asset
If you do a search online, or run to the bookstore to learn about being a new manager, there are so many things not to do, mistakes not to make, lists of things to avoid, you name it. Most managers I have worked with were just thrown into their new role and told “good luck”. Without having any idea where to start, it’s easy to be full of doubt.
When I became a manager of IT Networking, I had worked with my team for a few years beforehand. The manager we had for that time stepped down and I stepped up. Not only did I take on managing for the first time, I had to lead my previous manager. Talk about having that feeling of needing to prove myself! Looking back, the more I realized I was an asset to the organization in my role, the less worried I was about proving myself. The less I worried about proving myself, the better manager and leader I became.
Focus on your confidence foundation. Don’t be shy about what you bring to the table in your new role. Managers can make or break an organization; you were promoted for a reason! First time managers are needed just as much as seasoned managers are in any organization. In fact, most organizations realize a healthy mix of new and seasoned managers proves to be the most beneficial.
Congratulations!
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First Time Manager or Supervisor Expert for ManagingAmericans.com, Creator and Leader of Shoop Training & Consulting
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