The Role Of The Manager

Many young professionals that I talk to and coach are both excited and a little bit nervous about transitioning from employee to manager. After a promotion, you may find yourself managing former co-workers and dealing with entirely new office politics. When you wade into these uncharted waters, you’ll need emotional intelligence, perseverance, and a mentor or colleague who can act as a sounding board. 

First: Get the Job

“Don't sit at your desk and wait for someone to hand you a management job. Demonstrate initiative. One key management skill is planning, so volunteer to help your boss prepare the annual budget by collecting necessary information. Offer to help put together the estimate of what the new addition to the production line will cost. If your department has to send someone to the planning committee for the company picnic (or the employee relations committee, HR study group, etc.), volunteer for that assignment.”

Five Strategies for Getting That First Management Job The Balance Careers

Second: Adopt a New Skill Set

“While you might have been a very skilled individual contributor, new managers are by definition inexperienced in management, and therefore need to learn new skills. The faster you can learn these skills, the quicker you’ll become an effective manager and ultimately the less stress you’ll feel.

Therefore, it’s critical to find time to learn when you become a new manager, Dewett said. That means reading articles, watching eLearning videos, seeking advice from more experienced managers and taking advantage of in-person management training, when available.”

7 Things Every New Manager Should Do In Their First Month on the Job LinkedIn

Third: Plan for the Future

“The fastest way to becoming invaluable to a company is by identifying and dedicating time to business development opportunities—even if your job has nothing to do with it. Every organization has a bottom line, and if you’re bringing in new opportunities, you will always be seen as adding to, not depleting, the company’s resources. Keep your business radar receptive to the opportunities that exist in your daily life and watch how you translate a long line at Starbucks into a business opportunity with the person in front of you. At all times, and be sure to let your boss know if you’re going on lunch dates that could lead to new accounts or partnerships. If you can bring in meetings and think strategically about networking and creating opportunities for your company, you are the head honcho in no time.”

Just Promoted To Manager? Here Are 5 Strategies For Success Forbes