Managing Others For The First Time: Points To Note

It can be daunting becoming a manager for the first time. Suddenly you're not only responsible for your own time management, priorities, work-life balance, or performance: you have to look after those aspects in others, too. Here are some points you might want to consider when making the transition from employee to employer for the first time.

Decide on your own management style

Many people think of a manager they have liked in their career and try to emulate their example. Nothing wrong with that, in fact, it may help you already to realise that you already have an opinion about what makes a good manager.

Are you 'hands on', preferring to oversee every nook and cranny of the business and how your employees are performing, or are you hands off, trusting but ultimately relying on your team to get the job done with minimal steer? Once you've decided, try stick to it as conflicting management styles from day to day, or with employee to employee, can send mixed messages and lose you respect in the long run.

Don't be afraid to delegate

When you become a manager, you will inevitably have to delegate more - after all, that's the definition of management! However some people can find this uncomfortable, as if they are shying away from the ordinary workload that their underlings will be still slaving away on.

This is a normal way to feel, but once you realise that managing people is a large workload in itself, this ought to dissipate. It can be very difficult to get into the swing of management if you cling onto your old role, so don't forget to delegate. After all, it allows you to learn the skill set of your team better, too.

Be firm, but fair

Like delegating, people becoming managers for the first time can find it extremely difficult to tell a person off as a manager, especially if that person used to be at your level of responsibility only weeks before. Some people go in the opposite direction, and (rather unwisely) start to make their presence and new role known by ruling with a rod of iron and being unnecessarily harsh in order to stamp their authority on things. Neither is a great solution, so the best way to manage should be firmness when it comes to reminding staff of their responsibilities and performance, but also being fair to them, too.

Don't forget the personal touch

Too many managers (especially when overwhelmed with work), see staff as payroll numbers, skills as part of a cog in the wheel, or just team members. Remember: these are all people and if you're a 'people person', you'll naturally make a better manager. The best managers coax out skills from someone shy, seek to reward hard workers, and don't forget that it's a person that goes home at the end of every night, not simply an employee. If you can keep the personal touch, you're well on your way to becoming a successful manager - and even training managers on the way, too.