While being a first-time leader with supervisory experience can be both exciting and challenging, you should give yourself some time to transition to your new role. Most new managers tend to struggle with keeping their old identity of being a team member actively engaged in producing work.
Your new identity requires you to step back and delegate tasks that belong to you in the past. The notion that you can fully operate in two roles: doer and delegator can be one of your greatest challenges in growing toward being an effective leader.
Most newly hired managers move into their roles believing they can be successful based on the skills they used in their previous role. Those beliefs and expectations can limit your career as a manager.
The three challenges you will face as a new leader: developing a new identity, helping others grow by delegating and the awareness of balancing tasks and achieving results.
Developing a new identity takes awareness and a listening ear. Coming into a management role with an open mind to learn is crucial to your success. Seek out a good mentor and observe how they develop key relationships in the organization and accomplish results. As a leader you are moving away from an individual contributor role into one with a broader scope of responsibility.
First time leaders often confuse friendships with working relationships and while having friends at work makes life more enjoyable, there is a distinction, especially when you are the one giving their performance reviews. Keep your friends but expect your boundaries to change.
Delegating work to others might sound easy, but if you really enjoyed doing the work and was acknowledge as a successful contributor, passing it along can be a challenging area. Your goal now is to lead a team and help others shine in their careers. Defaulting back to doing your previous role at work will only complicate and confuse your team. The adage trust and verify is a good habit to keep when you start delegating tasks.
Balancing tasks and achieving results can be a delicate walk at times, knowing that as a manager you have assigned goals and are expected to produce results. In today’s office environment, where managing by emails can be seen as a shortcut to achieving results, never underestimate the power of communicating face to face.
One of the best ways to understand your team and balance tasks is what bestselling author Tom Peters refers to as management by walking around, or MBWA. In his book, “In Search of Excellence,” he describes the need to communicate by walking around and staying visible. Motivating your team is easier when you make time to listen and show that you care.
What do you think are the most challenging areas for first-time leaders?
