Advice nAre you quite senior at your company? Honest advice for newly promoted manager please!

[becstargazeypie]

It's only a year's contract, but it's a considerable step up from the level I was at before. I'm now managing a team of six with a lot of responsibility - big budget, big expectations for what we'll achieve. I've worked alongside them before (as a team member) and I've got huge respect for them all - they're really good at their jobs. There are a few minor issues I'll need to deal with - one of them can be a bit pessimistic, demanding and very strident (but she's really good at what she does), and another one of them is completely overloaded with work but hates to delegate. But mostly they're just a great team who can all do the job with their eyes closed.

So first off, is there anything you wish you'd know when you first got promoted? Any tips on being a good manager? Also, 'managing up' and what I guess I would call work-based social skills - I'm not so good at this - I tend to be very good at working hard with my eyes glued to my computer. But I've noticed that the people who are really effective get up and go around 'catching up' with the other managers at the company (it's a PLC so there's lots of other departments). This sounds totally daft, but I watch them do it, and think 'I should do that more' but I'm not sure HOW to do it exactly.

If you could go back to yourself in your first week as a newly promoted manager, what would you tell yourself? Please? All advice VERY gratefully received as I'm a bit of a rabbit in the headlights at the moment!

Think the most difficult bit is distancing yourself from your previous colleagues (now your underlings ).

Arrange lunches with the other managers and don't go with your friends - you really have to keep the friendships outside work.

You should find the other managers will help you...they were in your shoes once...

Good luck!

That's very perceptive - thanks ladygoldenlion. It was very weird to be cornered by a couple of them begging for cash from the budget for their pet project which the previous manager had vetoed. I used to have such fun lunches with them...

The MD who I report to is lovely and very human, so I'm sure he'll help me out. But I don't want to become a thorn in his side!

Only one person on MN who is senior and willing to share advice??? Noooo, it can't be true! Anyone? Pretty please?

I'm not that senior but I have a team.I'd say to remember that being social with your new peers is an important part of the job, so make proper time for it.

And if your team's good, then don't worry too much about 'managing' them - set your expectations, targets etc, and don't be afraid to point out if they've missed.

The one minute manager is pretty old now, but still a useful read

Thanks theWonderfulFanny I'll look for a copy of that.

The first thing to remember is you're not their friend, you're their manager. You can be both, but in order for that to happen both you and they need to establish quickly that manager comes first.

The way I best learned to manage was by having good managers no learning from them.

1. don't be a pushover. Just because you're new into the role and friendly doesn't mean people can take advantage. And there's always one who will try. Sounds like there already are re the pet project. Maybe there is a good reason to say yes, but maybe there isn't.

2. don't be a jerk. If company policy is flexible hours, don't start taking notes every time someone's bum isnt on their seat at 9:01, and similar. Petty rules that don't actually serve a purpose except make you feel important aren't management, they're power trips.

3. Push people out of their comfort zones. It doesn't have to be far, but keep expanding their knowledge, horizons, etc. MAKE the one who doesn't delegate delegate (and help her learn to manage it. Delegation does not equal abdication!). Similar with the demanding and strident (call it "improving interpersonal relationships.") Expand someone's utility to make them more valuable to the company. The big secret to this is ensure they know you'll be backing them up as you so do. You're not shoving them off a cliff, you're helping them climb a ladder.

4. Dont scapegoat. Attribute blame where due, but don't forget that as manager of that team, blame is partly yours as well. Ditto glory, but take a bigger portion of the blame than the glory.

I've had two managers in my career that were so good that when they got shoved out in merger redundancies, the rest of the team left almost immediately. Not to follow them, per se - they got shoved without somewhere to fall. But the writing was on the wall that the new guys didn't recognise talent when it was staring them in the face. I've also had managers that have been so bad (soooooooooooooo bad) that while there was slower attrition, entire teams have left to evade the misery. I model myself highly on the former two and we seem to be a happy (and expanding!) team.