Anyone else struggle with the challenges of transiting from competent professional to manager?

[cantmakeanomelette]

Long story short, I am competent and v experienced in my line of work.

For reasons mostly related to my own security (and that of my kids) I took a management role earlier this year.

i don’t doubt myself and I know my stuff, but some of the pushback from staff has made me feel really on my own.

To be clear - this is not an org I was at previously at practitioner level, it’s a new org to me and I was recruited on the basis of my skills, knowledge and experience.

90% of staff are on board with me but the 10% and their aggressive behaviour are getting to me

pretty much everyone, if they don’t feel this way they are oblivious! Read radical Candor by Kim Scott, I have 39 years of experience and this is the best guide to leadership

Yep really struggled with this. I made the mistake of caring too much about people in the beginning! Can you get some mentoring?

Ha yes, I have coaching and it's a complete lifesaver. I just cannot get my head around how in the last job I was delightful, great to have around and solid good people. Stick a manager hat on me and I'm Darth Maul.

It's when people start actively dehumanising you so they can feel ok about treating you like a punchbag that you really know you're a manager imho.

Thank you so much! I laughed a lot at Darth Maul!!

some really good tips here thanks I will investigate

Where did you find your coaching if you wouldn’t mind sharing? I do think it can be quite a lonely place.

I am lucky in that my organisation has a coaching company who are brilliant. They are down as mental health support for some ridiculous reason. The relationship is managed by HR so you have to explain why it would be beneficial, but the coaches are organisational psychologists and while they will talk to you about anything, are really helpful on structural stuff, management and culture - all the bits that are hardest for new managers.

They work with 2/3rds of the senior team because once someone has coaching for a bit, they find it valuable enough to just keep paying for it from their budget