Stop New Managers from Making Epic Fails
Would it surprise you to learn that, during your first role as a supervisor, 40% of your direct reports were anxious about going to work…because of YOU?
A recent poll of over 2,000 U.S. workers found that to be the case. Researchers also discovered that 1 in 5 employees were losing sleep over having a brand new manager as their boss. They also found that over a third had waning motivation, 35% wanted to leave their company, and over a quarter felt a negative impact to their relationships and feelings about their career path. Yikes!
If you’re being honest right now, you’re probably NOT surprised by this. The things you can see now, you couldn’t back then. Oh, the advice you’d give to your younger self!
Hmmm…what advice would that be?
It would probably be something like this:
1. Get to know your people. No, really get to know them! Their strengths, blind spots, career desires, family situations, hopes and dreams. They’re not just workers, they’re human beings with real lives that differ from everyone else’s. Treat them as if they’re the same at your peril.
2. Have forthright conversations around accountability. Don’t beat around the bush. Don’t put off difficult topics. Oh, and also, don’t be an a-hole about it. “Direct” and “kind” are not on the same continuum—you can be both. Do make your expectations clear, and get buy-in on the intended result and process.
3. Thoughtfully guard your resources—your people’s time and energy. Don’t be the “Yes Man,” or else your ego will write checks your team can’t cash. And then your team will crash and burn, and so will any hope of you taking a restful vacation where you don’t have to stay tied to your email 24/7.
New Managers Get Stuck in 3 Traps
Why can you see these things now but couldn’t back then? New managers struggle with three unsustainable paradigms:
- Leader as Chief Problem Solver
People often get promoted into leadership roles because of their ability to understand and solve problems effectively. Once they’re in their new role, they remain stuck in their old “problem solver” mode, trying to get others to do it their way. Why? There’s nothing more unsettling to a new manager than the fear that they’re not providing value to the organization.
- Leader as Technical Expert
New leaders often see themselves as The Expert (engineer/proposal writer/designer/whatever) who is Now in Charge of People. But they fail to see the cold, hard truth: their profession has effectively changed. They may be an engineer/etc by background or degree, but they have entered the Leadership profession. It’s a whole new game with new skills, priorities, and expectations.
- Everyone is Equal and Should Be Treated the Same
New managers tend to be younger and have less experience in the world, so they are prone to BLMS (Be Like Me Syndrome). They treat people according to the Golden Rule, not the Platinum Rule (Treat people as they’d like to be treated). With fewer obligations outside of work (kids, aging parents, community roles, etc) than their older team members, young managers struggle to practice empathy for them. Important nuance gets lost in the sauce of day-to-day urgency.
The NEW New Manager Paradigm
New managers need to be taught a new paradigm, where leaders add value by aligning their team’s actions with the organization’s mission. One where Leadership is a respected profession…not just a title, pay raise, and calendar filled with meetings. They must ground themselves in the belief that most workers want to make a positive impact and that they will, if the leader creates an environment that enables them to do it.
How does a leader transition to this paradigm? The fastest, most effective transition happens when leaders learn how to coach. Coaching their team allows a leader to:
align the team’s action with organizational goals
master a new essential skill in the leadership profession, and
tap into their team’s limitless potential.
I’d love to hear from you…what advice would YOU give to your new-boss self? Which of these paradigms do you still struggle with?