How to be a brilliant first-time manager

1. Shifting your identity from an individual specialist to an enabler of others

The transition from being responsible solely for your own success, into a role which requires delivery through others, is new territory. It requires letting go of some assumptions about what good performance is and shifting how you see yourself as a manager.

This change of identity, from individual contributor to enabler of others, is a difficult mindset shift to make, especially when you’re strongly attached to being a specialist in your field.

Here are some helpful ways to manage this transition:

• Change your thinking to ‘us’ not ‘me’ – Aim to let go of the concept that it’s just about ‘me’, and instead shift the focus onto it being about ‘us’, the team. This means valuing the outcome of your team’s victories over your individual contributions.
• Develop good relationships –Work towards letting go of the need for independence and self-sufficiency. Instead, focus on developing good relationships with others and work together with a shared purpose.
• View situations from multiple perspectives – Doing your job fast and with clear-cut solutions becomes less valuable as a first-time manager. Gathering information and seeing situations from multiple perspectives is increasingly important. It may take more time at first, but the insight you’ll gain from acknowledging different viewpoints will help your team on the long-run.
• Create consensus and accountability in your team – Although useful, your authority and the hierarchy will start to lessen in value as a first-time manager. In fact, if overly relied on, it might stifle your team’s autonomy. Rather, you should focus on creating consensus, mutual accountability and shared decision-making in your team.

2. Building an engaged team

One of your biggest tasks ahead is the responsibility for building and managing a high performing team. Here are some tips on how to keep people engaged:

• Release control to enable the team – When starting as a new manager, you will inherit accountability for a whole team overnight. With this pressure you may revert to behaving in ways which previously worked for you such as doing the technical, specialist tasks. You’ll need to let go of these tasks and have confidence in your team to handle them instead.
• Think about your communication style – It’s important you learn how to communicate effectively with your new team. Not just in emails and meetings but also in the non-verbal cues of body language, voice and how you treat people, too. For example, think about how you act in team meetings: do you ask for ideas and views making the meeting a two-way conversation, or are you using meetings to dump information onto your team?

• Be clear about your team’s purpose – Having a shared goal is essential to creating a cohesive team dynamic. One of the first things you can do as a new manager is co-create a really clear team purpose which inspires each of your team members to overcome challenges.

3. Managing work-friends and peers

Moving into a first-time management role could mean leading people who were previously peers or friends, which can feel awkward for all parties involved. So, here are some pointers to help everyone feel more comfortable:

• Use a ‘contracting’ approach – Talk together about what will be different, what the issues might be and how the situation could be approached. Talk about how support can be given both ways; it’s important to see the other person’s point of view. Then make an agreement about how to go forward so you both feel positive about the transition.
• Be honest and vulnerable – You should not be expected to be a brilliant manager straight away. Instead, be honest with your team and ask for support while you learn. Ask them to trust you and let them know you’re open to feedback.
• Be yourself – Becoming a manager does not mean changing your personality. It’s ok to be the same person you were previously. Your authenticity will shine through if you stay true to yourself.

4. Developing yourself as a manager

In your new role, you’ll need to add to your specialist knowledge and begin to specifically focus on your development as a manager. Considering these tips can help:

• Get to grips with the basics – Make sure you know the basics of being a manager such as information about holiday entitlement, hybrid working policies, and how to hold a
• Make self-awareness a priority – Being self-aware and reflective is an essential skill to develop. This will help you to understand your existing skills and what your gaps are, which you can then seek-out ways to develop. Thinking about the managers you’ve encountered before will help, the good and the bad, and what you can learn from them. Then model the best behaviours going forward.
• Ask for feedback – Ask your team for constructive feedback. Although daunting, it can provide the rich data you need to identify blind-spots and develop from there. Crucially, this assists with developing a culture of openness and trust in the team, which will help to activate your team members’ potential.

• Learn from every situation – Being a new manager can feel a daunting task. The ability to ‘fail fast’ and learn from mistakes will help you thrive and become a better manager each time you face a challenge.