The Ultimate Guide to Becoming an Effective First-time Manager

The following is a guest blog from 15five.com. 15Five was recently honored for its impact in helping companies establish an employee-first culture — it was selected by the Center for Positive Organizations as a prestigious Gold Awardee of its 2018 Positive Business Project.

Consider this:

>> Research shows only 1 in 10 people have the intrinsic talent to manage—meaning 90% of first-time managers are especially prone to making crucial mistakes that create ineffective workplaces.

According to 15Five [https://www.15five.com/]—a performance management solution that makes continuous employee feedback simple—many companies promote employees without providing training, growth, and development.

This leads to 5 crucial mistakes first-time managers often make:

1. TAKING IT EASY ON YOUR TEAM
A manager’s job is to support their people in becoming their best selves—and this means coaching, not coddling. Delegate tasks and push employees to step outside their comfort zone.

2. REFUSING TO TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES
Workers truly value autonomy—it’s a key driver of intrinsic motivation. Instead of micromanaging, utilize light touch weekly check-ins to keep you in the loop while allowing your employees to work independently.

3. SHYING AWAY FROM CRITICAL FEEDBACK
⅔ of managers are uncomfortable confronting their employees. However, every mistake is an opportunity to learn—and an opening to have an authentic conversation with your employee to help them achieve even more highly.

4. NOT GIVING YOUR TEAM A PURPOSE
If you're not constantly connecting the work your team is doing to a larger goal—e.g. tediously processing building permits contributes to the safety of a city—your team becomes less engaged and more lackluster.

5. IGNORING YOUR TEAM—UNTIL THE ANNUAL REVIEW
No one likes performance reviews—but having weekly-check ins helps keep your team on the right track and alleviates the dread of a comprehensive and retroactive annual review.

For more on each of these tips and how first-time managers can improve their performance, contact David Hassell, CEO of 15Five, at [https://www.15five.com/].

Blog posted by Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on June 14, 2018. Visit Steve’s website and sign up for his Newsletter.