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What is one thing you wish you knew before becoming a manager.
I'm just very lost but all I know is that I want to be a part of business. #manager #business #major
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Doc’s Answer
Melissa if you aspire to become a manager, let the right people know you’re thinking about taking the next step so they can help you get where you want to be. Let your current manager or boss know you aspire for more, and work with them to develop the skills you need to eventually make the transition. As a manager, you’ll experience less leisure time, more authority, more leading, and tons of other new requirements. For this reason, it’s important to strengthen your skills to ensure you’re prepared to step up to the plate. Actively assess the skills you already have, and talk to those already in managerial positions to determine what skills you need to acquire. Do your research, stay up to date on industry trends, and seize any opportunity to strengthen your abilities.
Ask your manager or boss if opportunities exist for you to become a mentor, or join a professional organization in your industry that will set you up with a mentee. This can be an excellent way to show you have the expertise to work closely with others and develop solid interpersonal relations – a must in any managerial position. Or, consider taking on a mentor yourself – someone who has more experience than you can help you to prepare for more responsibilities. Ask your higher-ups and coworkers to assess your performance so far. Do you do a good job of responding to conflict? Do you react well to stressful situations? Are you able to lead a group without trying to take too much control–or too little? Glean feedback from your coworkers or managers to determine where your strengths are and where you need to improve. Not only will this show you’re open to feedback and continual improvement, but it will show you value the opinion of individual group members, something that any manager should commit to.
Many people reach a point in their careers when they decide they’d like more responsibility. Becoming a manager can be an excellent way for professionals to advance their career development and even earn more money. Managers are responsible for coordinating and overseeing many company projects and everyday tasks. That makes their position a unique one within the company – one that holds particular importance for maintaining business success. But becoming a manager isn’t always easy, you’ll often find yourself competing against other qualified candidates and co-workers to snag the position.
Hope this will be helpful Melissa
Ask your manager or boss if opportunities exist for you to become a mentor, or join a professional organization in your industry that will set you up with a mentee. This can be an excellent way to show you have the expertise to work closely with others and develop solid interpersonal relations – a must in any managerial position. Or, consider taking on a mentor yourself – someone who has more experience than you can help you to prepare for more responsibilities. Ask your higher-ups and coworkers to assess your performance so far. Do you do a good job of responding to conflict? Do you react well to stressful situations? Are you able to lead a group without trying to take too much control–or too little? Glean feedback from your coworkers or managers to determine where your strengths are and where you need to improve. Not only will this show you’re open to feedback and continual improvement, but it will show you value the opinion of individual group members, something that any manager should commit to.
Many people reach a point in their careers when they decide they’d like more responsibility. Becoming a manager can be an excellent way for professionals to advance their career development and even earn more money. Managers are responsible for coordinating and overseeing many company projects and everyday tasks. That makes their position a unique one within the company – one that holds particular importance for maintaining business success. But becoming a manager isn’t always easy, you’ll often find yourself competing against other qualified candidates and co-workers to snag the position.
Hope this will be helpful Melissa
Updated
Christopher’s Answer
Hi Melissa,
One thing I learned after becoming a manager that I wish I knew is that the primary focus becomes helping your team succeed. It is good to have a primary area you are interested in (accounting, business, engineering) but you will not be expected to execute the actual work in these areas as much as your team will be doing the daily work. If your interests are to be an expert in your discipline vs. teaching and guiding others, then an individual contributor (non-manager) path is better.
Another thing I learned is that you need to measure your professional success by leading the team and counting their successes as your successes. This is sometimes difficult as it may seem that you are not actually delivering the results but the role of a manager to support and enable the team to succeed is as valuable as the individual results of the team.
One thing I learned after becoming a manager that I wish I knew is that the primary focus becomes helping your team succeed. It is good to have a primary area you are interested in (accounting, business, engineering) but you will not be expected to execute the actual work in these areas as much as your team will be doing the daily work. If your interests are to be an expert in your discipline vs. teaching and guiding others, then an individual contributor (non-manager) path is better.
Another thing I learned is that you need to measure your professional success by leading the team and counting their successes as your successes. This is sometimes difficult as it may seem that you are not actually delivering the results but the role of a manager to support and enable the team to succeed is as valuable as the individual results of the team.
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Julie’s Answer
I wish I would have learned more about EMPATHY - be an empathetic listener with your team - this will be TRUST - equally important for all managers
Be a upstander, not a bystander as a manager - stand up for what you know is right!
Julie recommends the following next steps:
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Anne’s Answer
Some responsibilities of being a manager are to coach & develop your staff, motivate your team to drive results, communicate clearly, hold your employees accountable, and being able to have hard, honest conversations with employees when needed. If you have the ability to do these things in the hard times, the regular tasks and achievement of goals are a piece of cake! Be willing to lead by example and do what's needed to help your team out -- they will appreciate that you are willing to jump in and help where needed.
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Damon’s Answer
There is nothing more powerful than a made up mind. If you can see it, you can achieve it. One of my all-time favorite books "Live Your Dreams" by Les Brown. He states that we are all born with our own gifts and talents. Whatever you love doing, regardless, if you get paid for it or not is one of your callings/purpose in life. Ask yourself, what do you love doing? Whatever you come up with, that is your gift and your talent which you can turn into a business. Live Your Dreams!!
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Carolyn’s Answer
Hello. One of things I wish I knew before becoming a manager was how to balance leading work vs. leading people. As a manager, your job is to build and develop your team as both individuals and a team. It requires a lot of focus, attention, interpersonal skills, and most importantly, approaching everyone as an individual. Not one of your team members will be the same. What drives, motivates, and challenges them will be different. If you try to approach them all in the same way, it won't work. It is important to spend time learning about your team and creating transparent, meaningful relationships, don't always focus on the day-to-day work.
With that said, you are also going to be responsible for a body of work that needs to get completed. It is important to learn good time management and prioritization skills so you can do both effectively. Use your calendar as a tool to block time for both the one-to-one meetings you need to have and the work you actually need to complete. Most importantly, don't be afraid to ask your own manager for help. There is no perfect script on how to be a manager. It takes time, self-awareness, openness to new ideas, and much more to become a great manager.
With that said, you are also going to be responsible for a body of work that needs to get completed. It is important to learn good time management and prioritization skills so you can do both effectively. Use your calendar as a tool to block time for both the one-to-one meetings you need to have and the work you actually need to complete. Most importantly, don't be afraid to ask your own manager for help. There is no perfect script on how to be a manager. It takes time, self-awareness, openness to new ideas, and much more to become a great manager.
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Sachin’s Answer
Managing people / team comes with a lot of responsibility. A people manager should always put the teams well being ahead of everything and coach / care for them. if this is something you are ready for let your management chain know. Start off by mentoring people , managing vendors before you want to take up the responsibility of managing FTEs.
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Magy’s Answer
One of the most important skills a manager should have, and that many people don't realize, is coaching. You need to be able to coach people, which is not the same as mentoring or advising. Coaching is more about asking questions to help the individual zero in on their challenges and opportunities for growth. The great thing about coaching is that it is a highly transferable skill, (as is managing) so if you ever change careers it can help you in your next endeavor.
I completely agree with Magy - Coaching is critical. You don't want to nor can you do the job of your employees, but you can coach them into how to do it and how to continually improve.
Julie McDougal
Bob Moore
Supply Chain, Energy. Oil & Gas, Leadership, Management, Careers Overseas
51
Answers
Updated
Bob’s Answer
Your biggest job will be to hire good people to do the work required.
A good hiring decision will help your company deliver, help it grow and help you build a pool of great talent pool for the company.
A bad hiring decision can take years to resolve/can be exhausting depending on the HR related rules/local regulations, can be expensive, and can damage reputations, will impact performance of team, impact morale of the team .........and will look bad on you as the hiring manager, will ding your performance.
Recruitment of the right talent, the best talent, is a differentiator of any great manager.
A good hiring decision will help your company deliver, help it grow and help you build a pool of great talent pool for the company.
A bad hiring decision can take years to resolve/can be exhausting depending on the HR related rules/local regulations, can be expensive, and can damage reputations, will impact performance of team, impact morale of the team .........and will look bad on you as the hiring manager, will ding your performance.
Recruitment of the right talent, the best talent, is a differentiator of any great manager.
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Rana’s Answer
Hello there,
I wish I knew how challenging people management is and at the same time how rewarding it is.
As a manager you are given an opportunity to have an impact on your teams' life (professionally and personally)
It's an extremely sensitive position because you are dealing with human being with emotions and feelings and it can be difficult.
Because of your mentorship/management style some might make drastic changes in their career path.
As a manager, you get to identify your team's special talent and empower them to grow
Regards
Rana
I wish I knew how challenging people management is and at the same time how rewarding it is.
As a manager you are given an opportunity to have an impact on your teams' life (professionally and personally)
It's an extremely sensitive position because you are dealing with human being with emotions and feelings and it can be difficult.
Because of your mentorship/management style some might make drastic changes in their career path.
As a manager, you get to identify your team's special talent and empower them to grow
Regards
Rana
Updated
Katherine’s Answer
Hi Melissa, Here are a few things that I have learned along the way..
-One of the biggest shifts in becoming a manager is learning when to let go but also recognizing when to lean in to help or defend your team member (accountability is critical in maintaining trust with your team)
-Diverse backgrounds and skills makes a team stronger. As a manager, you may not know everything and that's ok. Trust your team and leverage their strengths.
-You can't make everyone happy but you do your best to put yourself in the other person's shoes to have healthy productive discussions.
-Team time to get to know each other as humans is as important as what you are on the hook to deliver as a team. The micro-interactions can go much further than the regular "check-ins" and formal reviews.
-One of the biggest shifts in becoming a manager is learning when to let go but also recognizing when to lean in to help or defend your team member (accountability is critical in maintaining trust with your team)
-Diverse backgrounds and skills makes a team stronger. As a manager, you may not know everything and that's ok. Trust your team and leverage their strengths.
-You can't make everyone happy but you do your best to put yourself in the other person's shoes to have healthy productive discussions.
-Team time to get to know each other as humans is as important as what you are on the hook to deliver as a team. The micro-interactions can go much further than the regular "check-ins" and formal reviews.
Updated
Jeffrey’s Answer
Hello Melissa,
A good place to start is by finding a job at a local business and observing what other people do. I am always amazed reading how top executives started their business career in an entry level position and then gradually worked there way up to the top with many stops along the way. It is one thing to be outside of business trying to figure out what you want to do and quite another to be on the inside seeing what really takes place.
Once on the inside you are likely to discover people doing interesting jobs you had no idea existed. Many employers will give you training opportunities to learn new skills to prepare you for higher positions in the organizations. On the other hand, you might discover that after getting a taste of business, this is really not what you want to do. It could be just a matter of discovering that you want to work for a small business rather than a big one, or vice versa. Or maybe you will learn that you want to work for a business in another industry. Those are all good lessons to learn.
Good luck,
Jeff
A good place to start is by finding a job at a local business and observing what other people do. I am always amazed reading how top executives started their business career in an entry level position and then gradually worked there way up to the top with many stops along the way. It is one thing to be outside of business trying to figure out what you want to do and quite another to be on the inside seeing what really takes place.
Once on the inside you are likely to discover people doing interesting jobs you had no idea existed. Many employers will give you training opportunities to learn new skills to prepare you for higher positions in the organizations. On the other hand, you might discover that after getting a taste of business, this is really not what you want to do. It could be just a matter of discovering that you want to work for a small business rather than a big one, or vice versa. Or maybe you will learn that you want to work for a business in another industry. Those are all good lessons to learn.
Good luck,
Jeff
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N’s Answer
Here are my thoughts about the life of a manager:
- Being a manager is a blessing and a curse. It comes with its advantages and disadvantages.
- Yes, you have more responsibility, but also yes, you have the ability to delegate tasks.
- Being a manager is all about knowing how to manage yourself, your time, your tasks, but also other resources time and tasks. Because at the end of the day, it is your responsibility that the work gets done, whatever way you believe is the most efficient way to get there.
- There is no ONE way to be a manager. Everyone has got their own style, some are more comfortable being micromanagers, and being close to the tasks performed by other resources working with them, others are more comfortable being macro manager, and don't want to be involved in the details of how you get there. I think finding the right balance between the two styles is perfect, but that is up to you.
- Being a manager involves you leading the team, knowing how and when to provide instant feedback, constructive criticism about their strengths as well as development points, but you also have to listen to what they have to say, as every manager needs to know what they need to improve on for the benefit of the team.
- Last, being a manager gives you a certain level of power, the ability to lead and guide the team in a certain direction, the ability to take certain key decisions, but it also puts you in a position, where if something goes wrong, you need to make sure you are ready to take the bullet for the team, and stand up for them rather than throw them under the bus. You fail as a manager, if you don't stand up for your team when something goes wrong.
- Being a manager is a blessing and a curse. It comes with its advantages and disadvantages.
- Yes, you have more responsibility, but also yes, you have the ability to delegate tasks.
- Being a manager is all about knowing how to manage yourself, your time, your tasks, but also other resources time and tasks. Because at the end of the day, it is your responsibility that the work gets done, whatever way you believe is the most efficient way to get there.
- There is no ONE way to be a manager. Everyone has got their own style, some are more comfortable being micromanagers, and being close to the tasks performed by other resources working with them, others are more comfortable being macro manager, and don't want to be involved in the details of how you get there. I think finding the right balance between the two styles is perfect, but that is up to you.
- Being a manager involves you leading the team, knowing how and when to provide instant feedback, constructive criticism about their strengths as well as development points, but you also have to listen to what they have to say, as every manager needs to know what they need to improve on for the benefit of the team.
- Last, being a manager gives you a certain level of power, the ability to lead and guide the team in a certain direction, the ability to take certain key decisions, but it also puts you in a position, where if something goes wrong, you need to make sure you are ready to take the bullet for the team, and stand up for them rather than throw them under the bus. You fail as a manager, if you don't stand up for your team when something goes wrong.
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Greg’s Answer
from the viewpoint of a manager myself, i felt the biggest thing that changes is how much further away the original area of your career becomes. speaking specifically from someone in a technical field, my job went from being very hands on with the technology, to being very hands on with planning, staffing, budgeting, and essentially, people. so depending on your line of business likely determines how far away management moves from your original passion; and in some cases far enough away to be detrimental to your happiness with your job
from a viewpoint looking outward, there are some people, who are excellent in their existing roles, who get promoted to manager, and as it turns out, they simply do not have the skillset to be one. read up on the 'peter principle' as it outlines that people rise to their highest level of incompetence, and often times management is that area. again, i think this is quite dependent on your field of work. being in the technical space i see a lot of phenomenal technical folks, who get pulled up naturally by way of performance and well earned promotions, but as stated above, they are now in a space that they simply DONT excel in. they went from strong technical skill sets, to poor people, management, leadership, and organizational skills. not everyone is capable of being a manager
and in the end, thats OK! i've had some very senior people who know they aren't meant to be managers, and passed up on promotions. they dont want to deal with some of the 'politics' that often come with the elevated role, and recognize how far they may move away from their true passion. so just be mindful of your field, and recognize how far away it may move you away from what you truly got into that field for in the first place.
from a viewpoint looking outward, there are some people, who are excellent in their existing roles, who get promoted to manager, and as it turns out, they simply do not have the skillset to be one. read up on the 'peter principle' as it outlines that people rise to their highest level of incompetence, and often times management is that area. again, i think this is quite dependent on your field of work. being in the technical space i see a lot of phenomenal technical folks, who get pulled up naturally by way of performance and well earned promotions, but as stated above, they are now in a space that they simply DONT excel in. they went from strong technical skill sets, to poor people, management, leadership, and organizational skills. not everyone is capable of being a manager
and in the end, thats OK! i've had some very senior people who know they aren't meant to be managers, and passed up on promotions. they dont want to deal with some of the 'politics' that often come with the elevated role, and recognize how far they may move away from their true passion. so just be mindful of your field, and recognize how far away it may move you away from what you truly got into that field for in the first place.
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Luigi’s Answer
Hi Melissa,
I would say that the thing I underestimated the most was the necessity to deeply understand the resources you will be managing/ coordinating. You should of course know their strengths and weaknesses but above all you should be able to make them perform the best than they can and making them happy at the same time. It is a very time consuming activity which sometimes seems you to defocus from your key objectives (and feeling like wasting some time) and encompass team building activities, informal discussions, post work dinners and happy hours. But it is the only way to make all engaged on the activities and to make all feel 'on the same boat'.
I would say that the thing I underestimated the most was the necessity to deeply understand the resources you will be managing/ coordinating. You should of course know their strengths and weaknesses but above all you should be able to make them perform the best than they can and making them happy at the same time. It is a very time consuming activity which sometimes seems you to defocus from your key objectives (and feeling like wasting some time) and encompass team building activities, informal discussions, post work dinners and happy hours. But it is the only way to make all engaged on the activities and to make all feel 'on the same boat'.
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Peregrin’s Answer
The first thing I would recommend is thinking about your career overtime and what you may be "managing" when. I would also recommend you look at some of the answers on this site that discuss the difference between Managing and Leading, it has been said often and it is true, they are not the same thing.
Early in your career, you will most likely be managing projects or assignments, you will unlikely have any direct reports, so the skill you need to focus on there is one of building a reputation of being competent and reliable. You will evolve into projects where you might be asked to manage peers in a matrix manner, where you need to have good skills to work with them and be able to articulate "why" they need to listen to you, which should be reinforced by that reputation of competence and reliability.
As you evolve and start to get staff responsibility, to the heart of your question, what do you need to know? When people report to you in a formal relationship, you have a great deal more responsibility for them and for the company that you represent, and you need to learn the skills of how to empower and support your staff while at the same time caring for the corporate responsibilities that have been entrusted with you. Empathy is critical, but it needs to always be balanced against your role in your company. Having peers and mentors who you can engage to help get advice on dealing with different issues is critical.
Personally, I am a big introvert, so having staff who would come to me with their personal problems, how home was going poorly, a sick relative or child, were the hardest issues for me to deal with, because they made me, personally, feel uncomfortable, but it is critical that you be there for them.
Best of Luck.
Early in your career, you will most likely be managing projects or assignments, you will unlikely have any direct reports, so the skill you need to focus on there is one of building a reputation of being competent and reliable. You will evolve into projects where you might be asked to manage peers in a matrix manner, where you need to have good skills to work with them and be able to articulate "why" they need to listen to you, which should be reinforced by that reputation of competence and reliability.
As you evolve and start to get staff responsibility, to the heart of your question, what do you need to know? When people report to you in a formal relationship, you have a great deal more responsibility for them and for the company that you represent, and you need to learn the skills of how to empower and support your staff while at the same time caring for the corporate responsibilities that have been entrusted with you. Empathy is critical, but it needs to always be balanced against your role in your company. Having peers and mentors who you can engage to help get advice on dealing with different issues is critical.
Personally, I am a big introvert, so having staff who would come to me with their personal problems, how home was going poorly, a sick relative or child, were the hardest issues for me to deal with, because they made me, personally, feel uncomfortable, but it is critical that you be there for them.
Best of Luck.