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Original poster

your top tips for being a succesful manager

32 replies

hatwoman · 29/08/2007 20:16

I'm changing role for a few months. I'm currently an adviser - moderately senior but no line management responsibility. as of monday I'm managing a team of 13. 4 of them in Paris. NGO sector. any generic tips?

OP posts:
UCM · 29/08/2007 20:18

I would give this as a tip;

Do not even if you really like them become friends with them. I have done this and found appraisals etc very hard to deal with. This was when I was very new of course.

Treat everyone with the same disdain and you will fly by

KerryMumbledore · 29/08/2007 20:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

margosbeenplayingwithmynoonoo · 29/08/2007 20:19

Don't try to be someone you're not

And (this has just happened to me) keep in mind that, one day, one of your team may end up being your manager

scattyspice · 29/08/2007 20:20

Similar to what UCM said, don't make it personal.

And your not their Mum (I keep forgetting that LOL).

BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 29/08/2007 20:20

Don't ask them to do anything that you do not already know how to do yourself.

That way it looks like you are not shovelling the shitty jobs downwards, (even if you are)

BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 29/08/2007 20:22

Be careful who you step on, on the way up. You never know you may need on the way down.

McEdam · 29/08/2007 20:25

Listen to your team. Have regular 1-1s (via webcam or something for the onest in Paris) so you know if anything is bothering them, if they need any help, or if they are slacking. Make sure you feed information down to them as well - so they feel they know what the wider organisation is doing and where they fit in. Make sure everyone knows what is expected of them and has the tools to do the job.

Tinker · 29/08/2007 20:26

Do remember to be kind as well. Not soft but kind.

UCM · 29/08/2007 20:29

I am due back after mat leave and one of the first things I am going to do is make sure that I note down any concerns. It's easy to speak and listen but with 1000 other things to do, you do forget. Sadly I carry a little notebook with me and I don't mean an electronic one, just one with daisys on the front but I always note down what I will be doing for xx or xx.

smittenkitten · 29/08/2007 20:44

agree with everything here

would also add

  • make sure you have communication mechanisms set up for the team
  • have monthly 121s religiously and start them by asking how they are, not an update on tasks
  • listen to team suggestions, fight for your team and protect them from crap
  • constantly think about development opportunities and make them happen
Original poster
hatwoman · 29/08/2007 20:47

thanks - all these seem to make emminent sense.

OP posts:
chipmonkey · 29/08/2007 20:54

And you people take you seriously with your little flowery notebook, UCM?

rookiemum · 29/08/2007 22:16

13 is a lot particularly with remote management. Most guides recommend that you don't LM more than 7-8 max.

Sorry this isn't helpful, but it means you will need to manage your time very carefully. Make sure you or preferably they book in recurring 1-2-1s that way you can keep on top of any issues.

Leave on time as often as you can, your outside life is still more important than your work.

Oh and yes agree with everyone else, no friends, no lunches, as little socialising as possible. If you do have to give less than positive feedback ask them what they think first, generally they tell you when they are not performing well.
Good luck

inzidoodle · 29/08/2007 22:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WideWebWitch · 29/08/2007 22:31
  • make sure people know what is expected of them individually and in what timeframe
- make sure they know what is expected of the team as a whole and the organisation - 1:1s with everyone to get to know them and to ask if they have any concerns/issues you ought to know about. You don't have to promise to do anything about them, you just have to be aware of them, although you should follow up. (even if the answer's 'it's not changing') - make sure you know and understand your organisation's policies and procedures as applied to people. So if the book says they all have to fill in health and safety stuff once a quarter, make sure it's done - weekly team meetings are appropriate in my area - I like to do a quick presentation about me and what my aims are when I start with a new team. I think people are often v uneasy about a new manager. You also get to set out your stall to an extent and talk about your approach if appropriate. - 13 is a lot as directs, I agree, far too many, so I'd immediately look at the structure and see if it needs changing. 13 is constant 1:1s, personal issues, questions, blah blah.

I think it's fine to ask them to do stuff you wouldn't do, you're the manager.
Don't get bogged down in detail, you're the manager
look and act like the manager

HTH, well done (didn't you want tihs?)

WideWebWitch · 29/08/2007 22:32

Also, I don't think you have to show people how hard you work, I think you have to show you're effective.

Pruners · 29/08/2007 22:39

Message withdrawn

fishie · 29/08/2007 22:39

make sure they have the authority to achieve their tasks

and the same for you!

flowerybeanbag · 29/08/2007 23:28

Walk the floor regularly, at least once a day, don't hide in an office.
Be a member of the team, not just the manager of it.
Give everyone individual time with you.
Involve and inform the team in and about what's going on in the organisation
Give them ownership of as much as possible
Have a good understanding of what they do, and how they do it.
Give them a good understanding of how what they do impacts on and influences the work of the team and how it impacts on the goals of the organisation as a whole
Develop them, and be aware their own development is their responsibility as well as yours - decide together on what skills/experience/knowledge they need and how they can best achieve them.
Always have 1 to 1 meetings fixed in the diary, don't do them adhoc as they will slip.
Always speak to them about non-work everyday, even just asking how they are today, did they have a reasonable journey or whatever.
Remember details about their life, know when they are eg househunting, getting married, any big life event and also have their birthdays in your diary.
Give them regular feedback about how they are doing, all the time, especially positive - it's so easy to let it go and then only raise it when there is a problem.
Be sure to thank them whenever they have done something for you, even if you requested it.
Don't chicken out of dealing with problems/difficult decisions, it will lose you respect and make the problem worse.
Use your HR dept if they're any good.
Lead by example
Never criticise senior management or company policies/procedures in their earshot.
Ask them for feedback about how you are managing them, is there any additional support/information they need from you, etc
Be absolutely 100% fair.
Listen.
Acknowledge the things they do better than you. There will be some and if you are not insecure this can be a valuable way of boosting morale and making people feel valuable.
Make sure you visit the ones in Paris as soon as practicable.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, I'm off to bed now!

elastamum · 29/08/2007 23:38

There is a large study by Gallup that looked at what the managers of successful business units did differently. These were the questions they scored highly on. Enjoy

Do I know what is expected of me at work?
Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
At work, do my opinions seem to count?
Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
Do I have a best friend at work?
In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

Original poster
hatwoman · 30/08/2007 09:23

flowerybeanbag, wickedwaterwitch and elastamum - thanks for all this - really good. I hope I'm going to be ok at this because it's pretty much all stuff I had thought of, but wanted to hear from people more experienced than me. flowery - I start on Monday and I'm off to Paris on Wednesday. Also I so agree with the thing about criticising senior management - it's something I hear way way too much - it does nothing.

Anyone got any concrete ways on how to handle my first day? because I'm moving internally I think I'm going to be left to it from the off - which has its good and bad points

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 30/08/2007 09:53

Hi Hat, the way I'd approach it is to call a team meeting to talk briefly about your appointment/what you want to achieve/who you are etc. I would usually give a presentation with this info and what the next steps will be and then asap arrange 1:1s with each of the team. So first priority is introducing yourself, second is meeting them all individually. Then you can take it from there. But I work in business not pub sector, so feel free to ignore me!

meowmix · 30/08/2007 09:58

Be clear on what you expect and need from people but approach with a smile.

Be visible and interested.
Make time to chat but don't get personally involved.

Don't shy away from giving negative feedback or dealing with difficult situations.

Anna8888 · 30/08/2007 10:09

Know what you want to achieve in the time horizon of your role. Know what you expect others to achieve in the time horizon of their role. Delegate everything possible to others so that you have plenty of time to stay ahead. Losing sight of your strategic objectives and getting caught up in day-to-day issues is the biggest problem that people in the transition to management make IME.

stealthsquiggle · 30/08/2007 14:26

Hatwoman - if the team are geographically spread (where are the other 9 - London?) then use conference calls as well as face to face team meetings. A weekly "what is everyone doing this week, are you OK, do you need any help/support" call works really well in building a sense of "team" IME.

Other than that - one to ones as soon as practicable - and pass on dictates from senior management in as neutral a manner as possible - if you don't agree, don't say so, but equally don't try and defend/sell it.