First Time Managerial Position? 9 Things You Need To Do To Succeed

Rising through the ranks of your organisation to become a manager is a common career goal for many professionals and skilled workers. If you have finally obtained your first managerial position, it is important to get off on the right foot and make your career in management successful. There are a lot of factors and skills that are essential to succeed as a manager.

You will need excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate and inspire those working under you. You will also need to understand the importance of delegating, avoiding micromanaging and identifying potential among your team.  

Shadow Each Employee

A good first step for any new manager is to understand the roles of those in your team. Ideally, you should spend time doing the work of each member, or if your team is too large to do so, you should spend time discussing a department’s work with them.  

Shadowing each employee for a morning or afternoon can also give you an excellent opportunity to get to know each team member. You should ask them questions about their work and let them know you’re here to help and support them.  

Create Opportunities To Get To Know Your Team

You will need to build solid working relationships with your team to ensure a harmonious working environment. You can do this through water cooler conversation, team meetings and social events. Take an interest in your team members and learn what you can about their interests at work and in their private lives. Working lunches and after-work drinks can be great ways to build up your relationships with your team.  

Practice Active Listening

Active listening is a critical skill for any manager. You will need to ensure that you absorb the information that your team gives you to help you make the best decisions for the team. Feeling heard is also crucial for employees to feel valued and respected.  

Active listening means putting your whole attention on the person you are talking with and asking questions that will deepen your understanding of the conversation. It can also involve summarising back what has been discussed to ensure you have the correct understanding.  

Find A Mentor

A mentor can be invaluable to help you succeed in your first managerial position. You should find a mentor with extensive experience who can provide advice to help you navigate your first role as a manager. It may also help to find a mentor with similar life experiences to your own who will understand the unique challenges you may face.  

Prioritise Workplace Safety

As a manager, it is your job to manage the risks to your employees’ health and safety. The measures you should take will usually depend on the industry you work in and the specific risk factors found in your offices. Some common risk factors include trip and slip hazards, working at height, fire and hygiene in the workplace.  

It is crucial to provide your team with the tools they need to complete their work safely. You should always choose the best when it comes to workplace safety, particularly for tools like ladders and PPE. Choosing quality equipment, like the safety steps from The Workplace Depot, can make a massive difference to your employees’ safety.  

Be A Positive Role Model

As a manager, it is your job to show employees the behaviour you expect them to emulate. This means always being on time, professional and dedicated to your job. You should also show them healthy working practices that will prevent burnout. For instance, you should always take breaks throughout the day and encourage others to do the same.  

Keep Learning

Taking additional training and education can improve your skills as a manager. You should take as many opportunities to develop your skills as possible. It can help to focus on critical skills that managers should possess, such as financial literacy, communication, negotiation and conflict resolution. It may help to critically assess the skills you have and areas that may need improvement and look for educational opportunities that will provide this.  

Learn To Delegate

One common mistake that new managers often make is trying to do everything themselves. This is an understandable impulse, but as a manager, your team’s performance reflects on you, and this can mean that you may be tempted to take on more and more work.  

However, delegation is a crucial task for managers, and you will need to learn to do it or risk burnout. You should start identifying talented employees as soon as you take on your managerial role and determine the best people to delegate various tasks to.  

Ask For Feedback

Receiving feedback is one of the best ways that we can learn and grow. You could consider asking employees to provide their feedback to your when carrying out one to ones. Making a suggestions box can be another great way to find out how your team feel about your managerial style and any improvements you could make.