Show a little respect

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Show a little respect...Golden rules for first-time managers

By Kim Trengove

Andrew, 24, was pleased to be promoted to the position of manager in the human resources division of a large medical supplies company. His team included a 54-year-old woman, Jean, and Sally, who was the same age as Andrew.

Prior to his upgraded role, Andrew appreciated the camaraderie he shared with Jean and Sally, eating lunch with them most days, drinking on Friday nights and freely expressing his opinions about the company and senior management decisions. But while he was ambitious to advance up the corporate ladder, Andrew’s greatest challenge was readjusting his working relationship with his peers.

“I don’t think Sally and Jean respect me as a manager,” he told a more senior employee in the firm, appointed to mentor Andrew along the leadership pathway. “I don’t like telling them what to do and if they don’t meet deadlines I let them get away with it. I just don’t have much status.”

Andrew even questioned if he should still be having lunch with the team and thought being more aloof and stand-offish could get their respect. “I used to know a CEO who was a fantastic boss,” he told his workplace coach. “She would come for drinks at the end of the week, but leave early. She was very strict, didn’t get too close to people and said what she thought. I really admired her. I’d like to be like her.”

Does this mean no longer having lunch with his co-workers?

Building credibility
According to De Backman-Hoyle, director of Inspired Workforce Performers (http://iwpa.com.au) , one of the biggest mistakes new managers make – regardless of their age – is in thinking a manager requires a different profile of a person, such as being a disciplinarian.

One effective way to build credibility and respect is to notice what is working well and to give an employee positive feedback about what he or she specifically did to contribute. “A lot of new managers focus on what gaps need to be plugged rather than recognising skill and competency,” she says.

If there is a challenging situation to address, de-personalise and focus on the problem or the objective at hand. “Go hard on the problem, soft on the person,” advises Backman-Hoyle.
“ One of the key things is not to personalise the conversation. A mistake is that we try to have a foot in both camps. We talk about business issues, but we try to wrap it up in personalised conversation, which can’t work any longer.”

Continue having lunch with people in your team, but be mindful of how you express yourself. “You can no longer be seen as having a go at the establishment. You are the establishment.” When topics arise that are likely to draw gossip or negative comments about the company, do everything you can to absent yourself from these conversations. “You need to create a boundary,” says Backman-Hoyle. “You should convey to colleagues that, while you have personal opinions around a subject, it is not your place to indulge them because you are now representing those people who make decisions in the company.

“It’s hard, but it’s also about managing expectations. You’re not all of a sudden going to turn into St. Teresa and not have views, but don’t express your views in the same candid way. You have to be protective of the views of the organisation.”

When you see it, say it

An effective strategy for managing people is direct communication. When you see something good happen, say it. When you see things you are not happy about, say it…but in private and in a way that demonstrates care and concern. “Rather than the old stick stuff, take someone aside privately, never in front of anyone else,” says Backman-Hoyle.

“You say, ‘here’s what I saw, here’s what concerns me, I care about you so what do we need to do to change it?’ Care and concern are the key things in giving people negative feedback.”

What sort of manager are you?

People often fall into the stereotype of how they think a manager should behave. Holyman encourages new workers to think about their own strengths, why they were chosen to be a manager in the first place and what they admire in other managers.

“Great leadership and management are about the ability to demonstrate empathy, the ability to listen extremely well, the ability to define and describe the great skills your staff has got and coach them back to what is ideal performance for you.”

Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, authors of First, Break All the Rules say new managers have two key basic needs when they start a new role.

• Do I know what is expected of me at work?
• Do I have the materials I need to do my work?

They may be given little assistance in transitioning to a role with more responsibility, and many a new manager has floundered because they were unsure how to position themselves and how to establish some ground rules.

Laying the foundations

Here are some ideas Buckingham and Coffman offer to establish you as a manager:

• Planning day: If your company supports retreats, take the team off site for a day or two to look at the new composite of the team, establish internal values, goals and expectations. This may be done by a facilitator or by the new manager if they feel comfortable running a communications planning session.
• Acknowledge the change: Hold at least one meeting where you discuss the transition and need for adaptation. Give colleagues an insight into your management style, what they can expect from you and what you expect from them. Be very clear and direct without sounding heavy-handed, and indicate how you see the department working. Don’t compare yourself to those who have gone before, criticise them or even refer to past ‘regimes’. Invite questions, feedback, a response. If someone in your team appears negative about your promotion, listen to what they have to say without getting defensive. Their grievance may not lay with you but in the fact that they were overlooked for promotion.
• Model what you want: From the outset, model how you want the staff to work as a team. Solicit their opinions on areas where they would like to see change or where you believe consensus is important. Share your vision for the department and show how this fits with the company’s objectives. Invite feedback.
• Don’t play favourites: As far as possible treat everyone equally in the team, and look for opportunities to encourage and praise. You may get on better with some staff members, or have an established friendship, but be fair in assigning new responsibilities and projects. Focus on building strong relationships with each key member in your department and rebuild any strained relationships with your former colleagues.
• Advocate: Look for ways to improve the resources your department has to work more productively. This may involve improved equipment, work stations, office environment or more training. Show that you are supporting your staff and listening to their needs.

Finally, you were singled out for management because of attributes you possess. Don’t change. List your greatest strengths and make sure you are clear why you got the promotion and what your company now expects of you.

If you want help with your management style and specific areas of concern, consider taking a short course and/or read some helpful titles on the subject (listed below).

But always be authentic. Your staff will be watching to see how you handle the new role. Some will be supportive, others not so. Take time to make yourself accessible to them.

These measures will garner their respect, but none so much as when you truly believe you are the right person for the job.

Some Do’s
• Address problems, identify and resolve.
• Question past practices.
• Make decisions, don’t waver.
• Take initiative: see what needs to be done and do it.
• Research all sides of issues.
• Gain senior management’s confidence and respect.
• Delegate.
• Give others all the praise.
• Confront the troublemakers.
• Network with other managers.
• Get a mentor.

Some Don’ts

Give vague assignments.
• Be controlling. If you delegate, let them do it.
• Keep the best jobs for yourself. Grow your staff’s talents.
• Cover up poor work by redoing it yourself.
• Grab all the glory.
• Avoid confrontations with poor performers.
• Waste time on wrong issues. Focus on the activities that support your organisation’s mission and those of your boss.