Overcoming First Time Manager Challenges
It can be an exciting time when you are given a new role after being promoted or hired by a company. But, adjusting to a new environment or a new role can be tough in the beginning. Just as there are many challenges, you need to believe that it is perfectly normal to be nervous at first. There are plenty of first-time manager challenges you need to deal with. If you are not sure of what they are; then this article will be of help to you.
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Setting reasonable expectations and clarifying your goals
As a manager, one of your responsibilities would be to motivate your team. However, if you have no clear directions, then it is hard to motivate others. Confusions can arise between a manager and employees when there is a lack of clarity on the job. Therefore, the best way to fix this is to set clear goals and then have all employees aligned with them.
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Managing your time well
First-time managers often have to deal with poor time management and end up having lots of difficulties. In addition to dealing with your own problems, as a new manager, you are required to manage a number of employees and address their concerns. Juggling all this can be one of the challenges for a first-time manager. So, if you want to be a successful manager then you need to set aside some time for yourself and communicate with your employees about that. You will also need to set a time for team activities where you will address the problems of your team or employees.
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Making your expectations clear
Just as you are excited to be in a new role as a manager, it is important to realize that there will be pressure on you to perform the role to perfection. However, you need to realize that results will not come straight away. In fact, you need to learn to relax and accept the fact that Rome wasn’t built in a day and, therefore, results will come to you slowly but surely. Making expectations clear with your boss and yourself will help a lot in cooling your nerves and delivering results.
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Communicating clearly and in a concise manner
One of the easiest ways to lose respect from your team members is being inconsistent in your messaging and communication. As a manager, you need to earn the trust of your employees. Communicating with them in a clear way is one way of making sure that you have earned their trust. Remember, while inconsistent communication can be corrected easily, unclear communication can be even bigger a problem to handle.
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Facing challenges of a first-time manager by making a smooth transition from an ordinary employee to being a manager
Among other challenges you need to face as a manager development is to convince your co-workers that you are not one of them after being promoted to a new level. Agreed, this can be a pretty awkward situation to deal with in an office environment. But, you still need to address this concern and give your team members an indication that when you are at work, you are the boss and when you are off the business hours, it is your personal life that takes over.
Contact us if you are interested in a first time managers training program that is tailored to the needs of your organization or team.
