Deepak Subramanian

Have you recently been promoted to a Manager? If the answer is yes, I am sure you are excited and looking forward to your new role. But let me tell you one thing if climbing up the ladder to your first management role was challenging, sustaining there and growing up is even more challenging. Some of the challenges that you could encounter as a First-time Manager include, establishing yourself as a strong but approachable leader in doing your work and also managing a team efficiently.Studies have shown that 47% of managers don’t receive any training when they take a new leadership role. Then how can one aspire to become the boss everyone wants to work for? Blessed are those who work for organizations that provide training for first-time managers. However, these training programs leave you prepared, but they do not make you ready. When you become a manager, everything about your job needs to change your skill set, the nature of your work relationships, your understanding of what “work” is, and how you see yourself and your organization. You have to operate from a brand new script, one that’s about “we” ensuring collective success.I want to share some practical tips for first-time managers, which could help them move into the leadership role with ease. Understand the business:It would be best if you were prepared to address questions from your direct reports that take into account the broader landscape of the company. From strategy to culture and HR issues, you need to know what is happening across the business, so you can make informed decisions while confidently providing direction.How do you do this?Spend time with senior leaders and ask questions. Why is the strategy what it is? Why have individual decisions been made? What can your team do to support other parts of the business? The more you know, the more you can help your team focus.Prioritize your time:Spending time with your direct reports is critical to their success and overall career development. It is during this time that you need to keep an honest watch on priorities, metrics, and any questions that might be on their minds.How do you do this?Set up the one-on-ones, so they happen at a regular and predictable cadence. Block the time on your calendar and do your best to respect this time. If you are not time-bound, you may choose to have these conversations on the go. Check with your team member if he/she is free to have a conversation, find a meeting room and have the conversation.Stay in the trenches:You were likely asked to be a manager because you were great at doing whatever your discipline demanded. You worked hard and achieved a certain level of success as a result. Now that you are a manager, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do the “dirty work” that helped you succeed in the first place. It is an endearing quality that your direct reports will respect when you are willing to do any job at any time to help them move forward.How do you do this?Keep an eye on things daily, and when there is an opportunity to jump in and help, grab the opportunity and run with it. The success of the business is what matters, and a culture where anyone, including you, is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish things is a culture that will thrive and endure.Be an Example:Through the good times and bad, who are people going to look to when they need inspiration or an example of how to act? The answer is simple: you. You are now the example that others need to follow. The values you demonstrate, the way you handle adversity and ambiguity, and the way you persevere through the most significant challenges, is now considered the measuring stick for how others will act and behave.How do you do this?You are going to need to be very mindful of your emotions and how you react in certain situations. You are going to need to slow down, be patient and develop an informed perspective, so you can lead in a way that people will admire and model.Empower the team and don’t micromanage:You empower your team when you establish clear communication and expectations. As Gordon Treegold, founder and CEO of Leadership Principles, writes, “…empowering people and allowing them to contribute and to solve problems opens us up to the collective knowledge we have…”How do you do this?Spend time with the team and take time to do a weekly huddle. Allow the team members to articulate their strengths and weakness. You can also make them understand what kind of person you are and what will it be like working with you. Get a buy-in from the team that each one of you will back the other.Consistency is the name of the game:If you continuously flip-flop on decisions or how you make decisions, your team will start losing trust in your ability to lead strategically. They will question if you are making informed judgments, leading with emotion, or worse – you are unprepared to handle your new responsibility.How do you do this?To be a consistent leader, you need to be a patient leader. Take your time. Don’t respond to emails with irrational feedback. Don’t decide at the moment just because people are pushing you to do so. Find outlets that allow you to think through things. It can be very hard for people at every level, but sometimes the best thing you can do is just slow.Model a productive and results-oriented mindset:Developing a productive and results-oriented mindset in your organization can increase job satisfaction and engagement levels and reduce turnover. By modeling this mindset for your team, you start that process.How do you do this?Create results-oriented goals for yourself and for your team and model what working on projects, where you can measure results looks like. Turn everything you do into a case study and sit down with your team to review and measure the results you have obtained. Give your team results-oriented goals and encourage them to find ways to measure and report on their outcomes.Stay true to the culture of the organization:Whether you are new to the organization or a seasoned member who has taken up a managerial role, the first and essential aspect for you to understand and learn is the organization's culture. Talk to your Leaders and understand the organization’s culture and value system. You could come from a very different cultural background, and you may be in for a cultural shock.How do you do this?As a first step, understand the work policies and talk to your HR Partner to appreciate the work guidelines. This exercise will give you a fair indication of the culture. Try and set up one-on-ones with your leadership and understand their vision. Alter your leadership style if needed to thrive in the new environment. I have only listed some of the points which I feel may make a difference. Leadership is a vast subject, and the more you get involved, the more you will learn. Here is a list of books I recommend not just for First Time Managers, but anyone keen to step into leadership roles and make an impact on many careers. I wish you good luck on your journey as a People Manager. Reading Recommendations:<a href="https://g.co/kgs/8cjEUF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">How to Lead-Jo Owen</a><a href="https://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">The Power of Habit- Charles Duhigg</a><a href="https://g.co/kgs/6NzkEE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">Extreme Ownership (Jocko Willink&amp; Leif Babin)</a><a href="https://g.co/kgs/NYiZwR" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)</a><a href="https://g.co/kgs/hPmp8D" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">Atomic Habits- James Clear</a> To explore jobs across some of the best SaaS and tech companies, please register with us at <a href="https://yourtribe.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: blue;">www.yourtribe.io</a>

Discover essential tips for first-time managers to navigate leadership successfully. Learn how to prioritize, empower teams, and foster a productive culture.

First Time Manager's Guide: Practical Tips for New Leaders

Let's look at some practical tips for first-time managers which could help them move into the leadership role with ease.