7 First Time Management Mistakes to Avoid
Written by Mark F. Herbert
[Contributing Author]
We have all seen it happen. Wear a tie tomorrow you are the new manager. A recent survey by a Philadelphia based consulting group indicated that 40% of new managers fail in their first 18 months by getting fired, bowing out of the position, or receiving a bad review. The same survey cited a survey of 825 human resource managers as identifying the number one issue for new managers is failing to build effective partnerships and teamwork. The following 7 mistakes are the most common made by newly promoted managers:
1. They fail the “politics quiz.” Organizational politics are a fact of life. Don’t sacrifice key relationships because a colleague or subordinate has a talent for getting face time.
2. Don’t try to “clone” yourself. Of course you’re brilliant, that’s why you were promoted. However, good management is getting the best out of the staff you have. Improving employee performance is a process not an event.
3. Failing to communicate. You avoid giving feedback because you are sensitive to past relationships. People desperately need and desire good, balanced feedback.
4. The Sprint. Don’t try to accomplish everything on day one to validate management’s decision. Learn your staff and their capabilities. All priorities aren’t equal.
5. Trying to be Dr. Feelgood. Everybody wants something and it’s hard to say no. Special, confidential deals never stay that way. Your job is to be the boss, not their friend.
6. You’ve arrived. Management is a continuing improvement and learning process. Seek out opportunities to improve your skills and refine them.
7. You’re the star. It is very tempting to fall back into doing the “technical” things you did before. You were good at it. Competing with your staff is bad management. You need to transition from player to coach.
Avoiding these mistakes and building your own network and skill sets are important success factors for any manager - no matter how long they have been doing it.
Mark F Herbert & Associates, Inc is a management-consulting firm offering organizationally specific solutions to companies and organizations on a regional and national basis. Mark F. Herbert is president and principal consultant. He has been a speaker regionally and nationally on HR related topics. Visit his blog at New Paradigms, LLC
What other "mistakes to avoid" would you add to this list?
This is absolutely what happens in many cases. A Manager should be a coach, not a quarterback. Otherwise, he / she becomes a liability to the team and inhibits performance. New managers need to change their mindset from "I" to "We".
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Doyle makes some excellent points. In many sales organizations the reasons someone get promoted are often not reflective of the traits they need to advance as a manager. Sales managers, particularly first level sales managers must convert from doing the job to becoming coaches and developers which are not skills often utilized by sales people. First level management retainment and success is directly impacted by
1)A careful selection utilizing the skills and traits found in successful managers
2)Preliminary testing for these skills before consideration for advancement
3)A formalized training process that takes place pre and post promotion
It is also a wise decision not to promote a sales manager within their own group whenever possible as it is difficult to go from peer to supervisor and people often fall into the traps Doyle presents in his post. The first level sales manager is the most critical position since they drive the performance of their team, often impacting the direct sales results of 8-12 sales people. While the CEO and the COO may promote specific goals it is the skill and belief of the first level sales manager that will truly make a difference so invest well in this sales management level.
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Some very good points and probably enough "right" ones to keep you on track if remembered. Where I see managers fail most often is in their communications skills. Never has this been more obvious than in today's culture where so many different generations are entangled within a single corporate vision.
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All very good points. You might add a number 8. Don't try to motivate your team based on your priorities. Remember what motivated you when you were one of them instead. I know managers who try to motivate sales people by shoving the sales targets in their face and saying "I committed to my manager that we would hit this target." That seldom works. Why would someone be motivated by trying to make you look good. Instead look to what achieving the targets can do for the individuals on the team and remember that motivation is not a one-size-fits-all type of thing.
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With a 40% turnover rate of managers, maybe the 825 HR managers need to be re-trained as to what their job function really is. New managers can read books and blogs on how to carry out their new responsibilities, but ultimately it is up to HR to properly train these folks.
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One important thing, as a leader, the manager should know the big picture and show his team the big picture based on what job they are doing, this would also help in understanding the leaders and the doers in the team.
The leader should work with the team to define their strong points, give them assignments which they are good at and also develop their good areas. In most cases, a leader falls in the trap to just get his job done and at times assigning wrong jobs to the wrong people.
Looking at the growth / career path of the team - develop the skills and give them opportunity to prove themselves across various activities - otherwise you run the risk of losing good people.
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Thanks for sharing this tips
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