You have recently been promoted and are now a manager. You are proud, excited and nervous. You recognize that you do not yet have all the knowledge and tools that you need to be successful in this position, but are willing and eager to learn.
There are two ways of gaining a new position, being promoted from with or being hired from the outside. Each of these has their own unique challenges. However there are some common criteria for success.

First and foremost you need to know yourself. What are your strengths and quirks? Are you a detail or big picture person? Are you cautious or a risk taker? Do you deal with things directly or avoid confrontation?

The more you know about yourself the easier it is to determine what works, what doesn’t and what areas you need to improve. How you function will impact your working relationships, what you accomplish and your success as a manager.

Second, your knowledge of how your industry operates in the world is very important; an “outside-in” perspective. Keeping abreast of the trends and knowing how to keep your company viable, makes you a valuable employee. When companies and their staff only focus inward, economic and global changes may be occurring which could directly impact your company. For example, if a company services only on one or two customers, they could be at financial risk if one of their customers stops purchasing from them. Or if a company concentrates on selling only one product, when a disruption in that industry occurs, if they have not planned for how to manage the shift, problems will arise. Presently the car industry is undergoing many changes and massive downsizing. If an auto parts company has not been looking at other ways to maintain and build their business, they will also be at risk.

Third, knowledge of the social culture of your company is extremely important. How do things work? What are the social relationships between people. Are there sub-groups? It is often the simple things which can be most relevant. Are birthdays acknowledged and celebrated and if so how? Is there an informal or formal atmosphere in the work environment? How are administrative and support staff involved on the team? Ultimately you might want to work towards changing the social culture, but in the beginning it important to recognize and accept what it is.

The fourth key is leading team meetings. This is operating under the assumption that your company uses a team approach. If so, how are meetings structured, what is the purpose of the meetings and how long and how often do they occur? You might be replacing an excellent team leader who understood and used group process effectively or you might not have a lot of experience at chairing meetings. Whatever the situation you will need to step up without being heavy handed.

I once had the experience of having a new manager who was very laissez faire in his approach to running team meetings. The result was that meetings went on forever and less was accomplished. Employees would become restless and impatient during these meetings and would find reasons not to attend. It was only after he was able to recognize that his style was interfering and that he needed to “chair” the meetings and move the agenda forward that the situation improved.

The fifth key is timing. The importance of this should not be underestimated. When you arrive in your new position, there may be the desire to make your own “mark.” No one wants to be a carbon copy of someone else and you may have exciting new ideas about how to do things differently and more productively. The challenge is also being respectful of other people’s reaction to change. If things are shaken up before positive working relationships are firmly established, then it often turns into a tug of war, as opposed to a collaborative effort. Be mindful of pacing changes and invite your employees to come forward with their suggestions. When decisions are always top down, employees feel their views and opinions are not valid. Remember they are the primary face of any company. What they see and hear is extremely useful in making decisions.

There is also the question of whether you were you an internal or external promotion? If you moved up through the ranks, there may be colleagues who are happy about your new position and believe it might helpful to them and others who are jealous and resentful that they did not get the position. This can be an incredibly complex issue. Will you be managing some of your former peers? How will the relationships change? In the past you may have shared conversations about various colleagues or company policies. It would not necessarily be appropriate for you to continue this practice. What about if you were friends outside the work environment and now you are responsible for managing them? It would be important for you to establish appropriate boundaries.

If you were an external promotion, there is generally a longer learning curve because you need to learn about all aspects of the company as well as the people. Boundaries and limit setting would also be important, but finding someone within the company to mentor you would be extremely valuable.

If you “know thyself,” your industry and the social culture of your company, as well as being a positive team leader and the importance of timing, then you are well on the way to being a masterful manager.
Copyright © 2007 by Gail Solish. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Gail Solish provides executive and personal coaching to managers, directors and executives focused on workplace development and relationship management. Claim your FR-EE e-course “Unleash Your Potential and Increase Productivity and Fulfillment” at http://www.ActualizeYourGoals.com or contact Gail at 416-322-0029.