APPENDIX B
Communication Issues Unique to First-Time Managers
First-time managers experience special challenges, especially when it comes to communication. The two main problem areas are (1) handling the dual roles of being both a manager and an individual contributor simultaneously and (2) making the transition to being a manager. This appendix includes action steps to handle some typical issues that arise, including:
Dual Roles
How to strike a balance between functioning as a manager and an individual contributor
How to handle problem managing peer with greater seniority and experience
Time management (balancing time for direct reports and managerial work)
Transition to Being a Manager
Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager role
How to prove capable in new role
How to get comfortable managing people
Dual Roles—Being Both a Manager and an Individual Contributor Simultaneously
A trend today is that many first-time managers are required to function in two roles. They are expected to continue in their technical individual contributor role working alongside their peers. They are also expected to assume the role of manager of these current peers. In addition to time-management challenges that arise, dual roles are difficult to handle for both the new manager and the direct reports because the roles are blurred. It is unclear when the manager wears the peer hat and when she wears the manager hat.
When you are given the new management duties, the first thing to do is to meet with your manager. Do you have a title and/or grade-level change? How and when will your manager announce your new role to the team? Get clarity on your manager’s expectations and your level of authority for each of your responsibilities. What percent of your time is to be spent on these new managerial responsibilities? What are your manager’s suggestions for making the new arrangement work well for the team? Who is responsible for evaluating performance of your teammates—you or your manager? Set a plan with your new manager. Be sure you and your boss are clear on his expectations of you.
How to Strike a Balance Between Functioning as a Manager and as an Individual Contributor
1. Issues:
Time management.
Defining roles and expectations—confusion about separating roles.
Prioritization (individual versus team needs).
Friction with teammates and managing friends (see Chapter 7).
How to get teammates to do the work without micromanaging.
Defining boundaries of delegation.
2. Action Steps:
Clearly define goals and objectives and job responsibilities for self and for reports. Ask for clarification from your manager and communicate that to your entire team. Ask your boss to make the formal announcement of your new role.
Identify all tasks for each role. Classify tasks based on individual, team, and organizational needs. Prioritize each task.
Evaluate all the work processes. Streamline processes and work-flow with input from peers.
Acknowledge the new role to the team and ask for their input on how to make the new relationships and work assignments work for everyone. Redefine roles if necessary.
Adapt to the demands of each team members’ needs.
Schedule one-on-one meetings with peers to discuss how you will handle the dual role. Set expectations with your direct reports.
Assign equal or greater priority to new management role while continuing in individual role. Allow time as necessary to be accessible to your team.
Discuss the change with peers. Understand and address your peers’ feelings. Accommodate their needs as much as possible.
Lead from the front—pull the team, rather than push them. Contribute as part of the team in the new managerial role—not aloof and not apart.
Assign work and follow up to ensure it gets done. If workload is unrealistic, clarify what your team is able to accomplish. You may need to reset your boss’s expectations or request resources.
Define the need to hire an individual contributor to fill your old position, if necessary. Present detailed workload information to your boss and prioritize.
Clearly define your new role and transition your former roles over to someone else or distribute them among several others. Learn to delegate and trust (define authority level for tasks). Train team members to pick up some of your previous tasks. Don’t take back the assignment once delegated.
Know your direct reports’ strengths and work preferences.
Plan for the future.
How to Handle a Problem Managing a Peer with Greater Seniority and Experience
1. Issues:
Peer doesn’t meet established deadlines.
Peer resets already established priorities.
Peer’s general performance level has decreased. The quality of her work is lower. For example, she deviated from the standard operating procedures and that led to poor software installation. The result was higher cost.
Peer goes over the manager’s head to higher-level management.
2. Action Steps:
Gain your manager’s support for the priorities and deadlines. Clarify that he agrees with your plan to meet with the nonper-forming direct report.
Hold face-to-face meeting. Clarify goals and rules. Emphasize the priorities and deadlines and why they are important. Compare expectations to observed performance to recue the gap issues.
Discuss how to better capitalize on the peer’s experience. Does she need more independence or more challenging tasks?
Discuss what the peer will do from here on in to meet agreed expectations. What help does she need? State consequences of not meeting priorities and deadlines.
Tell your manager your plan and ask him to send the peer back to you if she goes over your head again. Gain your manager’s support for the priorities and deadlines.
Time Management (Balancing Time for Direct Reports and Managerial Work)
1. Issue: How to prevent people problems by organizing your time to do both jobs.
2. Action Steps:
Organize time for managerial work.
• Plan and schedule your work.
• Review your progress daily and plan the next day.
• Close the door occasionally, or specify a “quiet hour.”
• Set time in morning and afternoon for dialogue.
• Manage your boss’s expectations.
Organize time for direct reports.
• Have a weekly or biweekly pulse check one-on-one meeting with direct reports. Each person saves up nonurgent items for the meetings.
• When delegating, communicate performance standards, objectives, timelines, and checkpoints.
• Ensure direct reports understand what to do.
• Assign nonurgent work direct reports can do when they have downtime.
• Expect that newer employees or lower-performing employees will require more feedback and coaching time.
• Understand each person’s strengths, limitations, and talents.
Transition to Being a Manager
Transitioning to a management role is an exciting challenge. It offers opportunities for growth and development of communication skills. Your skills now need to be broader and deeper. There will be roles and tasks you will need to let go of. What a first-time manager lets go of when ceasing to be an individual contributor depends on the situation. Be sure to clarify your specific responsibilities and levels of authority (see Chapter 2, “Setting Expectations with Turbocharged Clarity”). It is important to know precisely what your boss expects. Most managers also do individual work, although at a higher level. If you are still expected to do some detailed technical work, you need to clarify to what extent. In general, here are some things to consider as you move forward.
Transitioning from an Individual Contributor to a Manager Role
1. Issue: Changing roles from doing the work to managing the individual contributors.
2. Action Steps:
Define new roles for yourself and your direct reports. Get buy-in from your manager. Find out your manager’s expectations and set expectations for your staff. Adapt and adjust.
Clearly communicate your expectations to staff and ask them to clarify their understanding.
Set up a transition plan for delegating work. Execute and monitor the plan.
Communicate continually with your manager and direct reports. Be approachable so staff feel comfortable approaching you (what is important is that they perceive an open door, not just that you tell them you have an open door). Be inclusive and understanding so direct reports are able to ask questions. Demonstrate your intention to preserve relationships and help them succeed on the job.
Behave as you would have other staff behave. The manager is a mirror, so the behaviors you demonstrate are the behaviors you are likely to see in your staff (honesty, consistency, meeting deadlines, keeping commitments, listening, not judging, not gossiping, and being positive).
Act confident in your own abilities so the employees will be confident in your ability to steer the group.
Know your information before you explain to staff. Be consistent in decisions.
Continually develop expertise in your job. Grow skills and learn as much as you can.
Possibly let go of some aspects of your individual contributor role that you enjoyed. This is your decision, based on the needs of your new management role. Some managers find they need to let go of their perception of self as a technical expert, certain friendships, detail work, projects and tasks, gossip, and avoiding people they didn’t like to work with. These depend on the situation and people involved.
How to Prove Capable in a New Role
1. Issue: Want to be capable and viewed by others as a capable manager.
2. Action Steps:
Continue learning the new job quickly.
Attend management training programs as soon as possible.
Read management books and articles ASAP.
Find a mentor inside or outside the organization.
Develop a plan with your boss to increase your skills. Ask for coaching.
Make new peer relationships with other managers.
Read everything you can find on the subject of your new job to be fully competent in the industry and functional areas.
Demonstrate confidence and knowledge.
Make decisions and trust yourself. If you make mistakes, acknowledge them and try a new tactic.
Manage the relationships with your direct reports, your manager, and your new peers, and maintain previous relationships.
Treat each person with respect, listen thoroughly, and communicate well.
Resist the temptation to make changes right away.
How to Get Comfortable Managing People
1. Issue: New management role is uncomfortable because of the people aspects of the job.
2. Action Steps:
Talk to your manager and get a comprehensive understanding of job requirements and level of authority for each. Get advice. Role-play feedback and coaching situations with your manager.
Develop a thorough knowledge of direct reports’ responsibilities and levels of authority. Be completely familiar with their job descriptions.
Get complete knowledge of all company policies, standard operating procedures, workflow and processes, legalities, safety procedures, and HR requirements.
Ask HR what support is available for new managers. Learn how delegation, feedback, coaching, performance evaluations, and counseling are done in your organization.
Go to management classes. Read communication and management books and periodicals.
Set and meet goals for your group. Assign tasks and follow-through decisively.
Take communication training courses to develop knowledge of how to talk to direct reports, give feedback, and coach.
Know your direct reports and their work backgrounds and full range of expertise.
Develop direct reports’ skills and knowledge through appropriate assignments. Give direct reports opportunities for visibility. Coach them to help them succeed.
Give positive and redirective feedback regularly.
Hold team meetings to cross-fertilize the ideas, goals, and accomplishments of the entire group. This also builds camaraderie and teamwork.
Get a mentor and new peers who are managers.
Keep a professional journal of what works and what you need to rethink and improve.