First-time supervisors should properly prepare for the new challenges

By Sonja D. Brown
Black Enterprise

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Tyrone Dugan was a newly hired assistant manager at fast-food franchise Qdoba Mexican Grill in Florissant, Missouri, when he confronted one of the challenges new managers face -- a cold reception from some of his 10-member staff. Even though no one on his staff said anything to him directly, Dugan, 36, says he could tell that one person in particular had a problem with him. "Word got back to me that they were watching and critiquing my every move. They would tell my supervisors that I wasn't doing something that needed to be done, that I wasn't starting something on time, or how they would have done something differently to be more effective."

Becoming a manager for the first time is a big career step. But managerial skills don't automatically come with the title, and being good with people doesn't mean you'll be an effective leader. Most new managers are unprepared for their increased accountability and the new interpersonal relationships. According to Aya Fubara Eneli, career coach and author of Live Your Abundant Life (Xulon Press; $13.99), some 40% of first-time managers receive a bad review, voluntarily step down from their position, or get fired within the first 18 months on the job. But don't let those statistics scare you. Read on for tips on how to establish your credibility, build relationships with your co-workers, and handle difficult people and situations.

A number of reactions to your new role may come from fellow employees, especially if you were promoted in the same company and yesterday's peers are suddenly today's subordinates. "Your reports may step up their performance so things will reflect well on you," says Mary Stewart-Pellegrini, executive coach and co-author of Equity Checking: Managing Assumptions to Achieve Organizational Success (Stewart Management Group; $15.95). Dresdene Flynn-White, a career coach with Action International Business Coaching Team, says some of your staff may be cooperative for a different reason: "There may be those who are pleased with your promotion to manager because they believe they'll receive special treatment based on the prior relationship." Don't fall for it, cautions Eneli: "Resist the attempts of others to manipulate you, compromise your performance standards, or otherwise bend the rules. Always do what's best for the entire organization and your new management team."

What do you do in the face of opposition from your team? You can't engage members of the staff in a shouting match or ignore the dissention, hoping it will just go away. However difficult it may be, you must speak with your staff. Consider taking them away from the job site and going to a neutral environment where conversation is easier. But whether it's behind closed office doors or at a local coffee house, a conversation must be had. Dugan knew this. "We worked together every day so I just started talking to them. I was positive and let them know that they could have the same opportunity I had if they were willing to work hard. Some became managers at other locations."

Studies reveal that the No. 1 problem first-time managers face is failure to build partnerships and foster teamwork. Aisha Mootry, a media supervisor at Tapestry, a multicultural media agency in Chicago, has decided that won't be a stumbling block for her.

Mootry, 29, was promoted to her current position from media planner last July. Her main responsibilities are to develop African American media plans for company clients and to increase the company's African American client list. When she was a media planner, Mootry concentrated on one set of relationships. Now, as a media supervisor with two associates to manage, she has a whole new set of relationships to build. "There are many layers of relationships that need to be managed -- the people you supervise, your supervisor, and others you have to work with and give some direction to in order to get your job done," she explains. "I have an open-door policy and encourage my team to ask questions if something is not understood. I keep my directors well-informed -- good or bad -- and keep them advised on my progress with projects and my overall workload."

Mootry's cooperative approach extends beyond her supervisors and direct reports. "Occasionally, I work with associates on the investment and general-market teams. In the event I need them to chip in on an assignment, I first clear the project with their direct supervisor, then work with them to form deadlines that suit the client's needs as well as their schedule," she says.

When you're a manager, being sensitive to the challenges of your staff and co-workers goes a long way. "I suggest that the manager meet one-on-one with the staff to understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as to hear any concerns they may have. The manager should then meet with the entire staff to share his or her understanding of tasks and procedures and to look for any potential conflicts or misunderstandings," advises Flynn-White.

A year ago, Tarsha Polk was appointed director of sales and marketing for Fort Worth, Texas-based CrimeWeb Network, a Website that allows information collected by national public safety agencies to be distributed to citizens, news media, and law enforcement agencies. She manages two employees, and develops and implements sales strategies and marketing programs that will create brand awareness.

Thirty-two-year-old Polk, who was an independent e-commerce specialist prior to joining CrimeWeb, was not only new to her position and the company, she was the first manager the company ever hired.

Fulfilling the responsibilities of an established, defined position is challenging enough. Suddenly having to make up the rules as you go and doing it in an unfamiliar company or corporate culture can be overwhelming. "Many times I felt lost," Polk admits. "I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing or how to handle some situations."

In a case like this, experts say speak to your supervisors and make sure you are in agreement about what's required of you. Identify people and places in the company from which you can get the information you need to do your job effectively. This could include human resources for information about the company culture, another manager for information about meeting procedures, or an administrative assistant who can give you valuable insight about how a particular department operates.

Be creative, throw out some ideas, be your own professional advocate. And reassess your outlook on the situation. Think of your position as the grand opportunity that it is. After all, how often are you given near carte blanche to do something your way?

Establishing yourself as a manager is crucial to your success as a leader. Infiltrating the ranks of leadership is exciting but "can be very lonely," says Eneli. If the promotion occurs in-house, "there will be a transition period where he or she is no longer completely at ease with his or her peers and not quite accepted by other, more established managers." It's a rough time for managers new to a company as well, as they try to establish alliances with, and earn the respect of, their new staff, peers, and upper management.

If you have recently become a new manager, understand that developing the trust and confidence of your co-workers will take some time. Immediately revamping how everything is done will, in most cases, be resented and perceived as arrogant. So what do you do with your authority and how much or how little of it do you use? Here's a secret: Making a good impression has a lot to do with what you don't do and say.

Being a good listener is one of your most important leadership skills. After a few weeks as manager, when your staff has gotten used to the idea of you being there, sit down with each staff member and let them talk about work-related issues, suggests Gary Topchik in The First-Time Manager (AMACOM; $17.95). The key here is to let them do most of the talking. This opens the lines of communication between you and your staff. It lets them know that what they think and how they feel is important to you, that you care about them as individuals and are there to help them achieve their goals. Also, share stories of your own professional successes and failures. This makes you real to your team.

Sometimes other managers can be slow to accept you. Don't take this personally. In most cases, they're just waiting to see what you're made of. It may be helpful to "spend social time with your fellow managers -- even those with whom you may not initially think you have much in common," says Stewart-Pellegrini. This kind of networking can be especially beneficial if you or your colleagues change positions or move to other departments.

Leadership training and a support system are must-haves for every new manager. Polk worked with a professional coach for three months to better learn to prioritize, delegate, and manage her time effectively. She also has a mentor who gives her helpful advice. "She told me not to second-guess myself. Being a new manager, I would sometimes second-guess my decisions and be indecisive. She told me to go with my first instinct," says Polk.

Regardless of the amount of training and sage advice you receive, know that your role will consist of a lot of on-the-job training. There are many strategies you can learn from a program or seminar -- how to identify and successfully manage various work styles and personalities, for example -- but identifying the right opportunity to implement them and then doing so is something you can't really be taught. "Managers are supposed to make decisions," says Mootry. "But there's a very thin line between knowing when to step up as a decision maker and when to transfer power."

The world of management is a great unknown in many ways, but with a little observation and study, it can be successfully navigated. Think of it this way: Someone thought you worthy of your new position. This is your chance to prove them right.

The Laws of New Leadership
Find a mentor and join professional organizations. Identify someone in your company who manages well or managed you well. Ask if he or she will mentor you. Get involved with an outside club or association. "It's through sharing ideas and issues and hearing about the experiences of others that new managers grow," says Dresdene Flynn-White, a career coach with Action International Business Coaching Team in Chicago.

1. Be patient and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Developing strong managerial skills takes time; don't expect to have all the answers right away. "Mistakes are an aspect of learning," says Oak Park, Illinois-based author and executive coach Mary Stewart-Pellegrini. "Allow yourself a learning curve." And be sure to seek guidance when you need it, from your own supervisor or colleagues in your professional network.
   
2. Support your staff. Regularly ask your staff if they have the direction, training, and resources they need to do their job. Maintain an open-door policy so your employees know you're willing to listen and help provide solutions to any problems they may have. "It says a lot about you as a manager if your direct reports are promotable," says Aisha Mootry, a media supervisor with Tapestry in Chicago.
   
3. Be firm but fair. Set high goals and standards for your staff. Talk to each of them about the importance of their job to the rest of the company. Don't allow substandard work but understand that mistakes are going to be made. Working with and through others requires a fair amount of flexibility and sensitivity.
   
4. Applaud effort and achievement. It builds team confidence and encourages future contributions.

Managerial Missteps

1. Not stepping up to the plate: You're in a leadership role now. Others will be looking to you for direction. Don't be afraid to give it. "One mistake I made early on was to be too passive with others. I had to be more aggressive in making sure employees were meeting our guests' expectations and following up with them to make sure they were responding to my directions," says Tyrone Dugan, assistant manager at Qdoba Mexican Grill in Florissant, Missouri.
   
2. Trying to be everyone's friend: Many new managers want to show that they are just "one of the crew" and inadvertently give away their authority in the process, explains Danville, Illinois-based author and career coach Aya Fubara Eneli: "Friendship works best between equals. If you were already friends with some of the staff, expect those relationships to change. It's difficult to be a friend while giving orders and judging performances."
   
3. Micromanaging: Your responsibility as a manager is to get the job done through others; you don't have to be involved in every single aspect of a job. Learn how to delegate. Don't overburden yourself and waste the talents of your staff members.
   
4. Not communicating clearly: Fully understand what your managers expect of you and make sure your staff knows what you expect of them. Set clear goals and deadlines. Encourage feedback and respond promptly and positively to questions.
   
5. Becoming complacent: Don't rest on your laurels. You've proven yourself worthy of the promotion, now prove that you can handle your new responsibilities.

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