How to Flawlessly Transition from a Worker to a Manager
So you got the big promotion…. congrats. Now you’re worried about going from “one of the team” to “leader of the team”. Why else would you be here? Don’t worry, it’s not as hard as you think. Use these tips to transition from a worker to a manager and you’ll minimize employee water-cooler gossip and meeting room stress.
You’ve worked your whole life to build a career you can be proud of, and now it’s finally paid off. You’re the manager.
Your own office, a plaque with your name on it, authority over pretty much everyone—it’s what you’ve always dreamed of.
Guess what? It’s time to rethink EVERYTHING.
Remember that person you guys used to always vent about at lunch? You’re that person now.
A leader needs to set the tone, delegate responsibilities, evaluate productivity, and provide an example for the team to follow. Here are some tips for accomplishing all of those things and making the transition as smooth as possible.
1)Learn to Let Go and Delegate
You’re the expert. That’s why you’re the manager.
So, it’s counterintuitive to think that you shouldn’t do all the work yourself.
However, your number one responsibility as the manager now is to make sure the team gets it done right. If you try to do everything yourself, you’ll micromanage your team to death and send a signal showing you don’t trust them.
Also, it will zap your entire day if you try to do it all yourself.
You need to know your employees well enough to know who you should delegate what to.
Which leads us to:
2) Build Trust Through Relationships
Trust is something hard to pinpoint. It’s everywhere but not really there at the same time. It’s a tone. A feeling. A certain confidence in the way you work. And it can’t be faked.
Building total trust with your team is tough. It’s best to start from the ground up:
- Communicate openly and constructively by sharing important information and taking a genuine interest in each team member
- Set aside time for informal work discussions (or even personal topics)
- Lead by example. Dress and act like you’re the manager and people will follow
Trust takes time, but you can build it slowly each day.
3) Reinforce Positive Behaviors
As a manager, the feedback you give is crucial. You now have the power to eliminate negative behaviors that could create a toxic atmosphere. Remember how you used to just avoid all of the gossip and apathetic attitudes of coworkers?
Well, you can’t sit back anymore. Give positive feedback often, but not too much. You’ll find the sweet spot eventually. Here are some tips:
- Be specific down to a single event
- Be sincere and direct
- Always keep feedback work related
- NEVER call someone out in front of the group. Always give negative feedback in private
For example, comment on how well they did the job or fixed an issue. If someone is really doing well, it’s time to bring out the bring guns: “hey team member, you did an awesome job dealing with that issue yesterday. I think you’ve got leadership potential”.
4) Teach Your Team Members on all Fronts
Remember, you’re the expert. That’s how you got here. You know how everything works.
So now you’ve got to teach your employees…but not just how to work with software.
Give them opportunities to develop skills, give them space to be more creative, and, most importantly, teach them how to resolve conflicts amongst each other.
A little conflict is a good thing. It’s the sign of creativity trying to break through. Facilitate the resolution of conflicts by helping to find a happy medium or by delegating tasks to a different team member.
5) Focus on Learning the Whole Business (especially tech)
One of the biggest transitions from being a worker to a manager is your perspective. You used to be an insular desk grunt focused on the task at hand. Now, you’ve got to start seeing the big picture.
Modern companies are agile, so as a manager you’ve got to be strategic, cross-functional, and multi-talented.
Now’s the time to invest your spare time in learning about industry trends, especially the latest technology.
For example, before new PDF software (warning: shameless Soda PDF plug incoming), most managers used paper to keep track of team documentation. Forward-thinking managers saw Soda PDF on the horizon and turbocharged their teams’ doc management and got one step ahead of the competition.
Once you know more about your industry, you can start thinking about taking even higher leaps up the ladder.
We know how stressful it can be having to leave your old life behind and start wearing manager’s clothes. With these tips on going from a worker to a manager, you’ll be able to make the transition smoothly. Remember, nobody is perfect. Do your best and your team will follow.
