Mentoring New Managers
As a Leader, and Project Manager, we may be coaching new team members to become Managers. Or we may be hiring new managers in to our projects. How do we help these new managers become successful in their roles? Managing is not always intuitive. What can Leaders do to coach and encourage young managers? And if you are are new Manager what are the key things you can do to ensure you’re successful? I have advice for Leaders and New Managers - so keep reading.
Preparing new Managers for Success
Understand what Managers Do
Build Management Skills
Share the Art of Servant Leadership
What Managers Do
Being a team lead, a manager, or a department head all require similar qualities. These Leaders share the ultimate job: to help make their teams successful, which, in turn, makes the work done by the team successful. As part of their job, Leaders may have obvious things to do, such as:
Planning and managing the execution of the team's tasks
Oversight and tracking of work goals and outcomes
Preparing for team meetings
Ensuring the team members have what they need to complete their tasks
Answering questions
Dealing with issue escalations
Managing stakeholder expectations and requirements
This may be some of what Managers do, but, it's not the only things that makes them, or their teams, successful. A key role of every Leader is to coach and encourage the next generation of leadership.
How to Build Management Skills
Let's look at how Leaders and New Managers can work together to learn and adopt these new behaviors and skills.
In working with New Managers, Leaders need to focus on their own skills in coaching as well as awareness of what makes a Leader successful. Remember one size does not fit all. So don’t try to give New Managers a cookie-cutter approach to how you work, rather, give them the tools and support they need to build their own natural ways of working.
What are 3 things Leaders can do to make new Manager's ready for their role?
1. Invest in training
Help someone else find their personal management style in this video.
Leadership requires many skills and a high level of EQ. These skills require training, role-playing, and coaching. Formal training programs for new Managers can help them build these skills. See this video for more on the concepts new Mangers need to master.
2. Onboard the new manager
Make sure you onboard the Manager properly, even if they have been part of the team for some time. New Managers need to know their role, expectations, and the processes and procedures associated with their new job.
Onboarding is for new team members but also staff in new roles.
Create a moment for a team announcement of the new Manager. Share your confidence in their ability to do the job and make a positive impact in the team. This is especially important if the new Manager is also new to the team. Celebrate the start and share the journey the new Manager is on. Onboarding is important for every member of your team, see more on my onboarding guide here.
3. Check in with the new manager
Leaders can assess if Mentoring or Coaching is the right approach.
It is not enough to coach someone until they are ready for a promotion. Coaching should continue to allow the new Manager to address issues and build their confidence. Be sure to check in with the team as well. An occasional, informal walk-around can help you know if the new Manager is struggling or has landed in the role well. There may be times you will need to coach and other times you need to mentor. See this video to know how each of these options can help you be more effective at helping the New Manager succeed.
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
5 Things New Mangers can do to succeed
1. If you don't know, ask
As a New manager, you may feel that you have to know everything. But that is not realistic. If you don't know, ask. And if someone asks you a question, and you don’t know the answer. Hold back on giving an off-the-cuff answer. Go find out and then share the correct information.
2. Learn to listen well
New Managers need to learn to listen well. This is true when asking a question, getting an update from a team member, or learning something new about your job. Learn to listen and make notes to help you remember what you have learned. Making notes will help you follow up on actions or refer to the information as you make reports or decisions.
3. Build your communication skills
The above two points focus on communication skills. But there is even more to learn. Understanding how to communicate well can ensure your team is informed. Failure to inform your team properly can lead to team disconnects, misunderstanding, incorrect work done, or disagreements. So focus on your communication skills. It may help to role play conversations and get feedback on your communication style.
Storytelling is an important way Leaders share ideas.
And learn to be an inspirational storyteller. Leaders inspire others. Telling a compelling (and short) story of why the project, team or work is important can help engage others. Share a story about the user your project will help, (and make them the hero of your story). This helps you make a connection, not just share facts. Need help learning how to do this? Check out the video and download the guide here.
4. Know when to make a decision and when to wait
Taking time to understand underlying issues or solution options is important. New managers need to know when decisions are needed and when they can wait. Sometimes there may be more to unravel to understand the problem or the solution. So take your time, and if you need advice, take time to get it. A fast, but wrong decision, can cost you more time later.
5. Be a fast learner
New Managers have a lot to learn. Not just about their job, but about the work and people they manage. So learn to learn. Assess the way you build understanding and remember important facts. What works for you? Is it:
Building models,
Making Visuals
Mind Maps, or
Checklists
Use these tools to organize the information you need and are given regularly. The project or department may have documents you are required to use. But for your own information tracking - use methods that fit the way you naturally work.
Share the Art of Servant Leadership
Moving a team member to a team lead or Manager demands more than a title change. It’s one thing to understand the authority that comes with the new title, but don’t forget to focus on the increased responsibilities as well.
It may that your new Manager understands this approach intuitively because they have seen you at work. They have seen how Managers can be respected, confident, and authoritative but also understand the art of servant leadership. If not, spend time to make sure your new Manager appreciates the importance of learning this new skill.
What is servant leadership? Harvard business review put it this way?
Servant leaders view their key role as serving employees as they explore and grow, providing tangible and emotional support as they do so. To put it bluntly, servant-leaders have the humility, courage, and insight to admit that they can benefit from the expertise of others who have less power than them.
- HBR, How humble leadership works
Servant Leadership is in contrast to autocratic bosses who are aggressive or domineering. If this is the first impulse for new Managers, it will impact their success and the teams.
What is a high-performing team and what is the Managers role?
It is the goal of every Manager to create a high-performing team. New Managers need time to master these skills. Coaching is required to help them build the confidence they need.
To create a high-performing team, Managers need to appreciate the importance of several key factors. Find out more here.
And more than that, Managers must lead by example in each area core to high-performing teams:
Personal Security
Openness to people and ideas
Vulnerability in asking for help or admitting an error
Trust in the team, and
Confidence in their abilities
Servant leaders understand that their success and the team's success are linked. Therefore, they are there to make sure every individual and the team collectively is set up for success.
Learning to be a new Manager is not just a role change; it's a mindset change. Learning a new skill set takes time. So Leaders need to work with new Managers to ensure they learn the tools they need to succeed and address their concerns or questions. After all, you, too, are a servant leader.
