written by Nick Roud, Global Award Winning Executive Leadership Coach.
The Recently Appointed Manager
Congratulations on your new appointment to Manager. It is a huge milestone in a professionals career to be given the trust and responsibility to lead others. Be your team consist of 2 people or 2000 people there are some fundamentals which will ensure your transition from ‘doing’ to ‘leading’ is a successful one.
Countless global surveys show the lack of investment in emerging leaders, those professionals are crying out for development as they step into a new role. You wouldn’t let your 16 year old kid take the keys to a car without ensuring they have had some consistent lesson time, so why do so many organisations around the world continue to let people step into a leadership/management position without the correct training?
In our 1:1 emerging leader coaching we spend time over six months ensuring those appointed or potentially stepping up to a bigger role have the necessary skills, tools and insights to transition seamlessly.
So what are some of the fundamentals a newly appointed manager should be aware of?
1. Don’t Rush, Slow Down
Rome wasn’t built in a day, the men and women took years to ensure the plan was executed. I’d encourage you to really slow down and spend time noticing. Your first 90 days is more critical to your success than you may realise. Think about utilising all your senses as you slow down and observe, listen to everything (what are you noticing), look all around you (what are you seeing). You may be eager and keen to get going but the more I spend time coaching emerging leaders the more those first 90 days should be your time to think. There comes a time when you will need to get on but not in those first 90 days. Check out Michael D. Watkins bestselling global book The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders. When you slow down you will notice the key things that must happen, if you are rushing ahead trying to reach your destination you will potentially miss some golden nuggets!
2. Take Your Time
We are all creatures of habit, as humans having a routine really does enable us to laser in on the job in hand. Many newly appointed managers stop doing some of the things that have got them to today. My ask here is for you to take a look at your daily habits, daily routine and note down what works for you. If it means getting up early and going for that walk, if its spending 20mins meditating, if its skipping breakfast, if its lying in bed that bit longer and it helps you, continue doing that. I’m encouraging you not to rush out and get a tattoo or make wholesale changes to your lifestyle. Again take your time to notice the things around you. There will be plenty of time in the years ahead to go get that tattoo if you still wish to. Look at the habits that are serving you and drop quickly those that are holding you back. Check out Brendon Burchard’s book High Performance Habits. During my 1:1 coaching with newly appointed managers we spend time on slowing you down.
3. Know Your Time
The guru on all things management Peter Drucker wrote extensively on the manger must know his or her time. One thing for sure many of my CEO clients share with me that the higher they climb in an organisation the one thing they feel they don’t have is enough time! During our 1:1 leadership coaching we ensure you are spending the right amount of time on the right things. When I was doing my coaching accreditations we had to log down our time and note what we actually did. Keeping a journal is a good starting place for managers, reflect each week on where your time is being spent and then ask yourself is my time being spent wisely? If not course correct.
4. Let It Go
It is not your job to do everything. Understanding what aspects you must let go off will be hard to do at first, most managers who I have the pleasure of partnering care deeply about their organisations success, there people success and there own success. Have you ever witnessed a juggler at a fun fair spinning 15 plates, he/she constantly rushing from one plate to the next trying not to drop any of them. What I encourage any new leader to do is drop every single plate, let them smash hard to the floor, now your job as a manager/leader is to understand what plates you MUST pick up and look after!
Understanding what to stop doing will really make a positive difference in your new role. Delegation will be put to the test. And this leads onto our 5th point, deepen your people relationships!
5. Deepen Your Relationships
Exceptional managers will know their people better than they know themselves. What motivates them? What de motivates them? What are their strengths, areas of development? What do they enjoy doing? What are they contributing towards? Are they clear on the vision/direction.
Getting to know your people over your first 90 days will be your main focus and use of time! Don’t underestimate the importance of time with you people.
If you find this blog of value and your are interested in our 1:1 Leadership Coaching then I’d encourage you to check out our Award Winning Leadership Coaching work at nickroud.com, and if you want to invest in yourself or your people’s leadership development contact Nick directly on +6421375630
Nick x
Nick Roud is a multi-award winning leadership coach, his clients are CEOs, executives and emerging leaders. His work is evidenced based, structured & forward focused, he attracts the very best leaders to his coaching business.
nickroud.com | global award winning leadership coach | +6421375630