Ways to become an Effective Manager for first timers

You should always accept that there are still a lot of things that you are unaware of and a lot things that you have to learn. You are great at what you do, you have learnt the art of working best in your own time and your skill set is intact. But, you may figure out that once you become the manager, you may end up lacking self confidence in leading your team. It is best to be ready to start learning from your fellow managers or even from your team-mates.

When you become the manager, it is obvious that you get first hand information from your top level management. When you get that, make sure you don’t filter anything if it does not have to be. Always be clear that you will be liable for the mistakes made by your team. So, you must be extremely clear about your deadlines, goals and priorities. Only if you have effective communication, you can gain both the trust of your team and you can establish good credibility. Be a clear communicator and keep your team mates away from doubts.

Also Know – How to increase leadership qualities

It may so happen that your team-mates may not be willing to speak against you. When they don’t speak what they have in mind, it so happens that you lose your transparency with them and they may not be able to communicate any further with you. You need to prompt them to speak the issue with you. For which, you need to ask for feedback. Always canvas for suggestions on what they think about a project, technical support or training difficulties. If you do this, they will be encouraged to speak up and will know that you are ready to listen to them. Maintain an open door policy and be their go to person.

Always put yourself in their shoes to know what they would expect if they achieve something. Yes, you have to be appreciative when it’s absolutely necessary. Try to appreciate publicly so that they know you recognize their work in front of their coworkers. When you publicly recognize, the pride is high you’re your other team mates would want the same from you. They will be motivated to work harder and show improvement. Also, remember that you don’t have to be very formal about your appreciation. It could be a part of your daily activity. You could take your team out for a cup of coffee or order in donuts of them congratulating their effort.

Stick to what you feel is right and don’t change unless you prove a point. People would like to back you up if you are an extremely decisive person. Nobody would want to be with a person who changes his decisions in a whisk. Remember that adding value to your company totally depends on how well you stand for what you think is right. If you think your team can handle certain challenges, encourage them to believe in your vision. Be confident in your decision and gain their trust. This way you can woo both the sides of the management – The higher and the lower levels!

To set a good example, you have to make sure your team believes in your professional skills. While you can talk and boss around, you should remember that you should also be a good professional. In order to do that, you could sometimes teach your team mates things that you learned from your boss or tell them the stories of how you cracked a particular project. Provide them professional guidance when they need you. Be there for them and make sure you mark your stand. Always be right by your side and make sure that you double-check them before you send it to your team at work on it.

[Also Read: Unprofessional Habits]

Remember that not everyone is going to like you from the beginning. Some may think you are un-deserving, some may think that you are not a good leader. A lot of people have different opinions, but all you have to do is to be patient with yourself. Give yourself the much-needed time and space so that you can grow with your team. Take time and do a great job

All the best!!

-Pavithra Ravi