Any managers on here?

[goldengirlz]

I got a promotion at work that will make me a manager for the first time! I’m so excited. I know my company has a training program for new managers but with the holidays coming up, I may be in my new role for at least a few weeks before I can enroll in it.

What have you learned over the years that might be helpful to someone just starting out? I’ve had a lot of time to think about what kind of manager I want to be, and I have a decent relationship with the person who previously held this role (as well as with my direct reports), but I know you ladies always give good advice.

[madringal]

It's very easy as a new manager to over promise and then realize later you have to under deliver. Pace yourself.

Listen to your employees that have been there they longest - they know things that no training will ever teach you.

Employees respect a manager that can jump in and do their role in a pinch.

ETA: Oh, and congrats on the new role!

[laterz]

Ask a Manager is the best blog/resource for sticky situations!
Having a 30/60/90 day plan is very useful.

Congratulations! It's hard but rewarding.

[ellipses84]

Congratulations!

Be willing to jump in and help get the job done but also don’t overextend yourself by volunteering for too much while you settle into your new role or fall into old habits of doing to many of your former job duties and not enough of your new ones. Delegating can be hard and sometimes people will fail when you would have succeeded but teaching them how to do their job well will help you in the long run.

Set clear expectations for your team, clearly communicate them and hold people accountable when they don’t follow through. Don’t throw them under the bus in front of people. Conversations about performance should happen in private, but even if they are minor they should be addressed quickly. Find ways to recognize great employees, above and beyond company incentives. Just saying thank you or acknowledging someone’s contribution at a meeting can go a long way. Don’t take all the credit. I find taking someone out to coffee or lunch to talk can go along way, whether it’s someone you are struggling with, someone who struggles with others, someone who’s doing great or someone who you don’t get to interact with as much as others. Talk to each team member about their goals and what they think they/your team/your office do well and what they don’t do so well.

Set concrete goals for yourself that relate to the expectations of a manager that are new for you.

Be familiar with all of your company policies, HR related or otherwise. You will also be privy to more personal information about your employers and need to be sensitive to that, ie, pay, medical issues.

[simpsongal]

Any idea what the dynamic is like on the team? Large team and output driven or something else? Are you going from colleague to boss?

I’ll come back with some tips when I get in front of a computer. Congrats!

[acr]

Being able to show vulnerability has been important to me building trust with my team. I don’t pretend to have all the answers and let them know i also feel frustrated with big things at work.

I try to provide transparency into what is being planned or talked about at higher levels so they can be in the know (when appropriate). I make a point to talk about how their work contributes to the broader org strategy

Good luck - hope you find you enjoy it!

[simpsongal]

When hiring, I always like to have candidates sit with one or two team members either before or after the initial interview just to see how they jive together. We've had people be completely rude to current team members - no job for you!

my team is similar to yours, 6 attorneys, I was deputy until I became manager. One of the team members is really close to me and she's my pulse for the group. It's helpful but I have to make sure she doesn't get disproportionate access to me or preferential treatment. I try to make an effort to check in w/individual team members at least once/week.

Ditto all the above suggestions about quick feedback. Unfortunately, if someone is missing deadlines or messing up, it's in your best interest to also document the matter. Just shoot yourself an email w/the details. It may be nothing but it could be the start of a pattern and you'll need a record. But intervene early and often - it's way easier to say 'hey, is something amiss, I noticed x-y-z' rather than giving a formal performance deficiency review. Sometimes if one team members needs to improve on something I will just remind everyone in a team meeting so I don't have to single that person out. If the person doesn't take the hint I'll take them aside.

I've had team members mess things up or blow off projects. I usually have an initial angry reaction (to myself) but regroup, outline constructive feedback (in writing) and frame the in-person engagement as "what can I do to help you improve?" I may even offer training or more one-on-ones going forward. I redline all my attorneys' opinions and explain my changes and comments. If someone is making repeated mistakes or generally struggling, I'll sit down with an opinion and go through the edits and issues.

Good luck and congrats! Be sure to manage up to your boss(es)