your top tips for being a succesful manager

[hatwoman]

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?

Disagree with not defending or selling senior management decisions etc. If you are neutral about it, just informing rather than selling, explaining reasons/benefits etc, you will not get your team on board with whatever it is, they will obviously be able to pick up that you don't agree.
Your job as manager is to get the best performance you can out of your team within the guidelines, policies and restrictions you are working to. If there is a decision or change to procedure made which needs cooperation and buy-in from people to work well, you need to get that from your team whether you agree with it or not. Your feedback and opinions on things like that need to be voiced at the appropriate forum.

I prefer conference calls to video conferences: especially for regular team meetings.

My DH manages a team in other offices and he has colleagues (at his own level - not in the team) who will tip him off that action is required ie because Mr X is never at his desk when he should be. DH then has to work out what needs to be done and do it, but eyes and ears in Paris might be handy for you.

My line manager does business lunches with each of us in turn - just a sandwich in a bar for an hour - he does one of us a week - and I think this works well to get to know the team as people and to get to the bottom of their concerns. So I wouldn't agree with the no lunches comments. I think always going for lunch with some pals who happened to be in your team would be wrong, but if you're not interested in beers after work in the pub, the semi-formal lunches are a useful tool.

Definitely prefer conference calls to video conferencing.

Also I agree with the lunches thing - my line manager tends to try and schedule one to ones so that there is time to grab a sandwich afterwards - finding out something about the people you manage as people is not the same as trying to be their best buddy..

But on the management dictates thing I hold my ground - one line manager I know lost all credibility with his team by trying to defend the indefensible - if there are benefits then by all means explain them, but if it is a shitty thing which just has to be done then there is no point trying to dress it up as anything else.

Well yes, telling them about a shitty thing that has to be done is slightly different obviously, no one expects a manager to say 'whahey, we have to sort out the stationery cupboard, woohoo, how exciting..' but if there are decisions taken or whatever that are there for a reason, negative feeling should go upwards rather than downwards.

Say thank you when people have done something for you.
Give credit when credit is due. In fact just remember that being able to say "XX member of my team has achieved XYZ" is just as impressive/good as "I personally have achieved XYZ"

Every manager must know what goes on in their domain

Don't try to do it all yourself

Put first things first in applying yourself to your job - concentrate on most important things and don't do something if you can get someone else to do it for you

Cultivate the habit of boiling matters down to their simplest terms

Don't get excited in emergencies, keep your feet on the ground

Meetings should not be too large or too small

Make brisk, clean cut decisions

Make it clear what is expected of employees

Promote the personal and professional interests of your employees on all occasions

You owe it to your staff to keep them properly informed

Do not critisise a subordinate in front of others, especially in front of his own subordinates

Show an interest in what your staff are doing

Never miss a chance to commend subordinates for a job well done

Always accept responsibility for your group and those in it

flowerybeanbag, wickedwaterwitch and elastamum (and others) have given some great advice here.
I'd just add:
Praise in public, give constructive criticism in private.
You're not there to be friends with the people you manage, but you do need a good working relationship with them.
Cultivate adult-to-adult relationships and don't end up being anyone's 'mother.'