The First-Time Manager (First-Time Manager Series)

by Jim McCormick

BY OPENING THIS BOOK, you have set yourself apart and made the clear statement that you desire to improve your management ability. Our compliments to you for your desire to both improve your professional skills and your ability to make other peoples’ professional lives more fulfilling. This book was created to assist you in that effort.

Managers are also team oriented and have a broad focus, whereas non-managers succeed by having a narrow focus and being detail oriented. In many ways, transitioning from the role of an individual contributor to a manager is similar to the difference between being a technician and being an artist. The manager is an artist because management is often nuanced and subjective. It involves a different mindset.

Unfortunately, far too many organizations still use the “sink or swim” method of management training. All employees who move into supervisory positions must figure it out on their own. This method assumes that everyone intuitively knows how to manage.

The well-known saying, “Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it” comes to mind. In many companies, the opportunities for promotion are limited if you don’t go into management. As a result, some people go into management who shouldn’t be there—and they wouldn’t want to be in management if other opportunities existed for salary increases and promotion.

A series of management seminars was conducted for one company that used an enlightened approach to the problem of moving the wrong people into management. Everyone under potential consideration for a first-line management position was invited to attend an all-day seminar on what is involved in the management of people. Included were some simple but typical management problems. When these candidates were invited to attend, they were told by the company, “If after attending this seminar you decide that the management of people is not something you want to do, just say so. That decision will in no way affect other non-management promotion possibilities or future salary decisions in your current position.”

They are convinced that the reason they must do all the work is that their staff doesn’t accept responsibility.

The trap of becoming an omnipotent one is being emphasized because you don’t want to allow yourself to fall into this mode of behavior.

If you notice that you are only delegating minor tasks, it is time to stop and make a personal assess...

For some omnipotent managers, any joy in their retirement years is demolished because retirement means an end to their dedication to the job, their perceived indispensability, and possibly their reason for living.

In the best organizations, you’re not chosen for a managerial position because of your technical knowledge, but because someone has seen the spark of leadership in you. That is the spark you must start developing. Leadership is difficult to define. A leader is a person others look to for direction, someone whose judgment is respected because it is usually sound. As you exercise your judgment and develop the capacity to make sound decisions, it becomes a self-perpetuating characteristic. Your faith in your own decisionmaking power is fortified. That feeds your self-confidence, and with more self-confidence, you become less reluctant to make difficult decisions.

Leaders are people who can see into the future and visualize the results of their decisionmaking. Leaders can also set aside matters of personality and make decisions based on fact. This doesn’t mean you ignore the human element—you never ignore it—but you always deal with the facts themselves, not with people’s emotional perception of those facts. This does not mean that you are blind to the emotional impact of your decisions but that you do not let those impacts take you off course. People are chosen to be managers for a variety of reasons. If you’re chosen for sound reasons, acceptance by your new staff will, for the most part, be much easier to gain.

Initially you will be measured against your predecessor in the position. If that person’s performance was poor, yours will look great by comparison even if you’re mediocre. If you follow a highly capable performer, your adjustment will be tougher. Before you begin thinking it’s best to follow a miserable performer, consider the load of tough problems you’d be inheriting from your inept predecessor, which is why he is no longer there. It will be difficult but potentially quite rewarding, if you’re up to the challenge. The highly capable predecessor is probably gone because she was promoted. In either case, you have a big job ahead of you.

One of your first decisions should be to refrain from immediately instituting changes in the method of operation.

When you do need to make changes, whether soon after your promotion or later, be as forthcoming as possible in explaining what will be taking place and why.

If you are new to the position, don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” if you don’t. Your people don’t expect you to know everything.

If you make changes immediately, you’ll be resented. In addition to being disquieting to your team, your actions can be construed as being arrogant and an insult to your predecessor. Many young new leaders make their own lives more difficult by assuming they have to use all their newfound power immediately. The key word should be restraint. It is vital to remember that you’re the one who is on trial with your subordinates, not they with you.

One of the oldest rules of management is that employee discipline should always be done in private. Never humiliate an employee, even in cases of dismissal. The employee must always be made to understand that what is being discussed is the performance, not the person.

These are outrageous statements, but attacks like these are uttered every working day somewhere. The managers may be right on target, but they have just made their problems worse than they need to be.

Be careful, now, and don’t go overboard! Some executives, in their effort to be scrupulously fair, become so cautious and tactful that the employee leaves their office expecting to get a raise for outstanding performance. You have to make certain that your employee understands that the work is not up to standards. How you say it, though, is critically important.