Potentially a first time manager - advice?

[NineToFiveish]

I have the opportunity to apply for an internal manager role, which I've been recommended for, so I know I have a good shot at it, but I've never worked in an official capacity as a manager, with direct reports. I feel confident I could learn the ropes, and want to do it well.

Applications will likely open soon, and I'd like to get a clear idea of what it's like to manage a team. They are graphic designers and IT types, of which I have a familiarity and understand the tools they use, etc.

What would you recommend I prepare for, in terms of interview questions, day to day as a manager, what you want from a manager, anything really.

I appreciate any advice!

[AlisonDonut]

It can be a fucking nightmare. It can be fantastic.

Depends on the team, the role, the support, the training, the prospects, the change management regime, the lack of change management, the length the longest person has been in post, the lengths the newest person will go to get on...it's as long as a piece of string and can be smooth or knotty.

[NineToFiveish]

Those are really interesting points to consider, thank you.

[MoodyTwo]

It can be amazing and easy to manage people, and it can be pure hell... it depends on the people who you are managing (in my experience)

[NineToFiveish]

Yes, absolutely.

[FizzyStream]

Watching with interest as I've just got a junior management role in the nhs and will also be a first time manager. I know the teams I'll be managing. One is lovely and the other is a nightmare. Six and four people in each respectively. Start in about six weeks.

[NineToFiveish]

Oh wow! Congratulations @FizzyStream ! The team I'm looking at would have 7, and I thought that was quite enough to be getting on with.

[titchy]

Ask how much support you'd get as a new manager. Is there training? Will your bosses have your back in case any of them are a nightmare?

In terms of actually managing people I'd say the most important thing is to communicate your expectations very clearly from day one, and to have regular 121s where specific project/tasks are prioritised and progress checked. Regular team meetings to foster team building and sharing of expertise. Particularly if you have technical staff - if Fred does all the projects needing a specific piece of software and he goes off sick you're screwed.

[titchy]

And will you have a staff development budget?

[topcat2014]

Personally I've never managed people whose jobs I couldn't do myself.

I would worry about being taken for a ride by my staff in your case

[thesandwich]

Have a look at resources like businessballs - free on signup. Also lots of info on Askamanager.
search potential interview questions for managers. See if you can find out about key deliverables.

[FizzyStream]

Thank you @NineToFiveish the role I'm in currently is their job so that'll help. It'll be harder for them to BS me!

There are already weekly meetings and a very supportive manager for me so I have at least got support. Good luck OP!

[EdenSandwich]

Just got a new manager at my work. What my colleagues and I don't like about her is that she doesn't give a dam about us. I. e. She doesn't ask how we are. She only talks to us for work related stuff. I don't mean we want to chat with her, but we want to feel that she cares about us as people.

[NineToFiveish]

@topcat2014

Personally I've never managed people whose jobs I couldn't do myself.

I would worry about being taken for a ride by my staff in your case

I've been quite vague in my description, but yes, I can do what they are doing, and have done in the past. But the team is more specialist in the roles, so they have more expertise in general.

[NineToFiveish]

These are all very helpful and insightful suggestions, thank you.

[Pipsickl]

The interview questions will most likely focus on some of the following areas

how will you motivate the team
how you will manage a team of people you have previously been a peer of
how would you manage underperformance how would you ensure that departmental objectives are met
how would you manage disputes / working relationships
if you will have budgetary responsibility how you will manage this
how would you develop the team

my advice would be to think of examples of the above that you could give from your previous experience
if you don’t have examples then think through what you would do, and be aware of policy in your area to support your answers

I am a hiring manager and interview for managers regularly. If you have been recommended that bodes well. People often underestimate what that means, it can mean that someone thinks you are good to work with and can see you in a role. Usually (ime) means you have decent communication skills.

good areas to highlight will always be organisational ability, communication skills, pragmatism and any practical skills for the role (use of software etc)

good luck

[BlueIvy11]

Most important think for me is to listen to your team, but be realistic. Don't be a people pleaser and don't run yourself ragged trying to be perfect. Show some compassion towards staff and make an effort to see how they are. Ive found 121 with staff to be the best way to listen to issues they may have and to also see if theyre doing ok. Good communication goes along way. Organisation and being prepared for certain situations is a must.

I have a team of 25, 20 of them are Engineers and it can be a nightmare but we all respect eachother and work well.

[Andifin]

Remember ‘ you can’t please everyone all of the time and are not expected to’.

However, you can and are expected to make professional decisions based on good evidence.

[WhatsInAMolatovMocktail]

As you aren’t a line manager yourself yet, you could be asked about good managers you’ve had - why were they good managers, what makes a manager effective or ineffective.

worth being prepared for that question - think about managers who support people during a learning curve but once they are competent they don’t step in to micromanage but check in to make sure the employee is staying on track. Think about managers who are good at making contingency plans for the whole team (budget headroom, good at succession management etc) and managers who are great at creating paths for progression for staff in the team (home grown talent is cheaper than hiring in new staff, typically); setting objectives so that employees knew what good performance looks like and have some stretch in their jobs as well as being aligned to the department’s targets. And so on.

[Silverplatedchocolatehobnob]

I'm relatively new to management too, around 4yrs. I manage a team of 16 and I have done all of their roles before so can/could do their job.
I've learned that
*It's more important to be respected than liked
*You don't want to be their friend so don't share too much of yourself
*Do what you say you're going to do
*Apologise/own it if you fuck up - because we all do, regardless of our role - it's the only surefire thing

Good luck!

[Equalbutdifferent]

Your job is to enable them to do theirs. Be conscious about your impact.

[AlisonDonut]

@Andifin

Remember ‘ you can’t please everyone all of the time and are not expected to’.

However, you can and are expected to make professional decisions based on good evidence.

In management the people you have to please are the ones at the top, and your job is to keep the ones you manage producing output or sales or widgets to an expected output rate, without ruffling too many feathers that make the ones at the top have to get involved. And whilst also networking and making sure your peers are kept at a distance and not interfering with your team. And realising sometimes, whatever you have to implement, is a done deal. Sometimes doing too well is as bad as doing a poor job.

How you do it, without the company ending up in court is up to you.

The quicker managers realise who the actual boss is, the quicker it is to work out how to manage your team/s.

[Darbs76]

I’ve been a manager for 15yrs plus now. It can be a nightmare at times don’t get me wrong, but it can also be extremely rewarding if you do a good job. I still keep in touch with nearly everyone I’ve managed and I have so many compliments on my management style. I’m a good listener, I like to develop good relationships with my staff. I’m not a pushover though. When I started I had zero experience and was terrified of telling someone something negative. I don’t think any training course could have taught me how to manage, it’s something I’ve picked up over the years and also by watching other people manage. Good luck

[ohgawdnowivedoneit]

I was part of a large team. My colleagues and I all got on well and would work hard and play hard. I then got promoted to their manager. My big mistake was thinking I could still be friends with them in exactly the same way, as they started to take advantage. I had to take quite a step back and change somewhat to make it work. I continued to have a laugh and joke with with them all but generally outside of work rather than in work too.

[Howcoldloveis]

Are you managing a group of people who just work in isolation around the same bank of desks or a team who need to work together and depend on each other to produce something?

[NineToFiveish]

@Howcoldloveis

Are you managing a group of people who just work in isolation around the same bank of desks or a team who need to work together and depend on each other to produce something?

Depends on the project.