Pointers For New Managers

10 Mistakes That New Managers Make. Avoid Them Like The Plague.

Acting too quickly >> new managers frequently believe that they need to change everything. They place the stamp of their own ideas on every policy, procedure and rule. And if there are no policies and rules, they’re eager to create new ones.

Acting too slowly >> other new managers act too slowly…buying into we’ve always done it that way.

Failing to assess properly >> a new manager must assess the situation of the organization, the expectations given by senior management and the strengths & weaknesses of the department and each employee.

Acting on old performance appraisal data

Focusing on weaknesses, not strengths

Failing to communicate >> they want to understand things before saying anything to their new team. The solution is simple: communicate now and communicate often. Give your team the opportunity to learn about you as you learn about them.

Failing to ask questions >> too many new managers fail because of both inaction and action driven by the failure to ask. Some of the most successful managers were the most curious – asking questions of their bosses, other managers and members of their team.

Treating everyone the same >> the biggest mistake all managers make is trying to motivate all team members the same way. The solution – understand your team members’ strengths and weaknesses and you’ll know more about individually motivating them.

Having a my way or the highway attitude >> new managers often believe that they must be the know it all decision maker for the team – failing to realize the job is coaching people to become top performers – and not being the I can do it myself manager. In today’s multiple skilled workforce, a manager is likely to be the least knowledgeable in terms of specific job / technical knowledge. The solutions are communicating, asking and listening.

Being afraid to fire