4 New Manager Errors to Avoid
Do You Know The Top 4 New Manager Errors to Avoid?
New manager training is filled with tips on what to do during the first weeks and months as a new people manager. But here is a list of what NOT to do as a new leader – the top 4 new manager errors to avoid. Knowing these errors will save you lots of grief and help increase the team trust and goodwill you need to succeed with your team and your organization.
The Top 4 New Manager Errors to Avoid
As a new manager, do not:
1. Trash Your Old Job
You may have some wild stories to tell about your previous boss or team but keep them to yourself. It might amuse your new coworkers at first but then they will wonder how loose-lipped you might be in telling tales about them. Don’t burn bridges. Take the high road. You never know when you might need the support of coworkers from your past job.
2. Hesitate to Ask Questions
There is so much to learn. Don’t pretend to know more than you do. If you are not clear on team norms, ask. If your role or where you fit in the overall organization is fuzzy, get the clarity you need to succeed. Make sure you understand what is acceptable in the organizational culture and what is not. Questions show your interest in doing right and a kind of vulnerability that shows you are human. Too many new managers put up a front of overstated self-confidence that turns people off. Be real, be authentic, and be curious.
3. Neglect to Meet One-on-One
Get to know your team members one at a time. Otherwise, how will you ever hear any but the most outgoing, expressive members of your team? Remember that a mix of personality types and work styles make for high performing teams. Meet one-on-one so you can learn what interests your employees – what they like to do and what they are good at doing. Only then can you begin to work toward fulfilling and engaging them.
4. Be Too Quick to Judge
It may be tempting to size up your coworkers quickly and to make snap judgments about the way things are done on the team you have inherited. But take your time to offer suggestions or dictate new methods. New supervisor training advises that you observe first, ask questions next, and make changes last. There may be good reasons that are not obvious for certain procedures. Be sure you understand why and how things are done. Then, and only then, have you earned the right to shift things around. Organizational change is difficult enough…don’t make it worse by advocating a change that is doomed to fail.
The Bottom Line
Enjoy your role as a new people manager. It is an amazing opportunity to make a difference to your people and your company. Learn the leadership skills you need through proven new manager training and avoid the missteps above.
To learn more about new manager errors to avoid and how to create high performing new managers, download The 4 Management Metrics that Matter Most