Becoming a people manager is a big deal, but too often people make the transition from individual contributor (IC) to manager with little fanfare. What if you could find multiple, meaningful ways to celebrate new managers starting the very day they get promoted? In addition to recognition, giving managers the tools they need to do the job well helps to both celebrate their accomplishments and set them up for long-term success.
Why Do People Become Managers?
What attracts people to management? In the past, managing a team was often the logical (or only) next step toward career progression. Management to some represented an impressive title and higher salary. Today though, becoming a manager is a choice and one that people often have to work hard to achieve. Being an excellent engineer, for example, does not necessarily put you on the track to become an Engineering Manager.
New managers will have to trade off being the best technician (for example) as they learn to work through others. Skills like communication, delegation, and trust-building become as important, and arguably more important even, than the technical skills that made them successful to begin with. The new interpersonal and problem-solving skills managers have to learn will benefit them both at work and in other parts of their lives too.
Many first-time managers have already enjoyed informal leadership by helping out as a new hire buddy, mentoring an intern, or leading projects. They want to build on those experiences. People who are drawn to management find themselves inspired by the ability to grow and develop others. They’re attracted to the impact they can have as they become responsible for work and deliverables far greater than what they could achieve on their own. The best managers are also passionate about building teams and helping others achieve their career goals.
Why Being A Manager is Great
You’re familiar with the adage that “People don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” This remains true, because managers are incredibly influential in how people experience their job. Just think about it – I’m sure your managers have had a massive impact on you and your job satisfaction. Whether a person manages a team of 5, 15, or 25, they have the opportunity every day to set the tone for those around them. Managers are responsible for workload, job assignments, and team morale. Their ability to create a great (or not so great) employee experience can not be overstated.
Managing others is a transformational opportunity, though not always easy. It’s a complex and rewarding mix of building a team, giving and receiving feedback, and being accountable for work that you can influence but can’t control. Best of all, managers can leave behind a lasting legacy that people won’t forget. Personally, I still think fondly of many managers I had over the course of my career.
Managers hold the key to creating healthy, inclusive places to work. They are at the forefront of fostering a culture of respect and belonging. It’s the manager’s responsibility to establish and reinforce positive behavior, as well as create a foundation of trust that enables every employee to do their best work. People feel included when their voices are heard, they can express themselves freely, and when healthy debate is encouraged. When team members are kind, respectful, and inclusive, everyone is able to be more focused and productive.
Three Reasons to Celebrate First-Time Managers
- Management is an aspiration: Lots of people aspire to become managers, and not all of them make it. Some people will experiment with management roles, only to find they are better suited to being an individual contributor. Over the years I’ve seen countless individual development plans (IDPs) where “becoming a manager” was listed as a goal. When people work hard to become managers, that’s worth recognizing. Celebrating new managers will have the added benefit of helping others see it as something worth striving for.
- Management is a milestone: How many milestones do we get to experience and celebrate as adults? Not enough! We all need more reasons to recognize and celebrate one another at work. Whether or not becoming a manager in your organization is treated as a formal promotion, it’s still a new step in the career journey and one worth marking.
- They’re joining a new community: Yes, managing is hard work that creates increased visibility. The stakes are high. That said, it also represents the opportunity to learn new skills and take on unique challenges. Becoming a manager makes a person part of a whole new peer group and network, as they join a community of other managers who have lots to learn from each other.
What Are the Consequences of Not Acknowledging the Transition to Manager?
- Lack of training: If you fail to formally acknowledge the shift that happens when someone moves from individual contributor to manager, it’s easy to forget that they’re in a new role that requires news skills. As many as 69% of new managers don’t receive the training they need to do their jobs well. That’s a recipe for disaster.
- Burnout: Too often, the time it takes to manage a team is overlooked. That results in new managers still doing their day job with little or no time carved out to coach, manage, and mentor. Failure to minimize IC responsibilities and carve out allocate the time managers need to hire, develop, and guide their teams can lead to teams feeling neglected and new managers burning out.
- Attrition: Failure to recognize management for the new, more complex job that it is can lead to attrition. If your new managers aren’t recognized and supported with the tools they need, they’re going to feel under-appreciated. The likely result? They’ll ask to return to an IC role or leave for a company that values them.
- Disincentive to manage: Word travels fast, and if your managers don’t feel appreciated, that will quickly become a disincentive for others who are considering management as a next step in their career. Internal employees are one of your best sources of new managers and you want to do all you can to encourage them to pursue that path.
How Can Companies Support Their Managers on Day 1?
There’s a reason that employee engagement surveys include the question “Do you have the tools and resources you need to do your job?” Being set up for success is a key driver of employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention. New managers need new tools! They need help embracing what it looks like to move successfully from IC to manager, as well as how to effectively coach, delegate, and work through others.
You can support your managers by:
- Marking and celebrating the move to manager
- Providing an experienced manager as a mentor
- Sharing a list of recommended resources – books, articles, and podcasts
- Making it easy to connect with their peers by building a manager community
- Offering new managers training beginning on day one
Remember that stat, 69% of managers never receive training? After years of developing new, front line, and first-time managers at hundreds of startups, Reverb used what we’ve learned to create an online, on demand training for new managers. It even comes with a free resource library of recommended books, articles, and podcasts. Why not make training part of your celebration and onboarding, by giving new managers the tools they need to succeed?
We’re known for helping managers build a solid foundation so they can lead from a place of trust. Through practical, hands-on training they’ll work through topics like goal setting, delegation, and how to have candid conversations. These skills will make your managers more confident, happier, and more successful as they take on their new role as people leaders. Do you have more than one new manager who needs training? They can join together and even share what they learn in our moderated monthly Community Chats.
Check out our On Demand course Management Training 101: Practical Skills for Great People Leaders for a free preview and enroll today!
Interested in bringing Management Training 101 to your company or enrolling a group of managers? We offer tiered bulk pricing and encourage companies to enroll as many managers as they see fit at a time, whether that is 2 or 2,000. We’ve already done the heavy lifting with it comes to creating well-rounded and practical management training. Why reinvent the wheel?
Email info@reverbpeople.com or register for our upcoming Ask Me Anything Webinar on October 5th to ask questions about the course live (register here).
