6 Reasons Why 60% New Managers Fail

Research conducted by Gartner shows that 60% of new managers fail within the first 24 months of their new position. Many reasons are contributing to the failure. But, these are the six common reasons:

1.     Role Ambiguity

You’re excited about the job promotion. Aside from business knowledge, you know you have little experience managing a team. Deep inside the heart, you want to see yourself succeed but you’re not quite sure how to navigate through.

This dilemma is real and common. It won’t go away unless you’re clear with your job key deliverables and know your boss expectations.

2.     Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is about your ability to see things at different point of views. Over the years, you have developed tactical critical thinking ability through selling and servicing the customers. They’re operational and procedural.

The managerial role needs more strategic critical thinking ability. It means seeing the business at a bigger picture. If you can’t do that, your mind is pretty limited at growing the business at the tactical level.

3.     Empathetic Skills

You’re under tremendous pressure to prove your worthiness being new in the sales management role. The stake is even higher when you notice the team performance is not up to the mark. You switch to the crisis-fixing mode and take control of the situation. 

The salespeople are amused to learn your trick solving the problem skillfully. But they don’t know how you did it. Also, if you're fast-paced and bulldoze your way, you lose them.

4.     Fear of Failure

Though you know the power of teamwork, somehow you have a preconceived notion that your salespeople are less capable than you. Subconsciously, you notice their shortcomings more than the strengths they have.

You fear they will fail you and make you look bad. Therefore, you try to tell them what to do. Because you know they will succeed if following your instructions. Without you realizing, you’re cloning them to be like you though you don’t mean so.

5.     Fear of Conflicts

In a managerial position, it is not easy to be nice to everyone and get things done. It is easy to make popular decisions but hard to generate better results.

To get them to co-operate and deliver the results, we avoid conflict with them is an easy way out. Close an eye and let them do things that please them, as long as they deliver results. It hurts your job and the business in the long-term.

6.     Fail to Build Trust

Managers promoted internally may think they already know the colleagues well and therefore able to lead them. Often, it is harder to lead someone who was your peer before. 

Yes, they’re probably close to you. But now, they know you’re the boss. You have the authority and power on them. Some of them may be jealous, or critical about your leadership ability. The same goes with externally hired Sales Managers. You got to work extra hard to gain trust from the team.

The list can go on and on. We’re not here to debate which one is the winner. My point is, what it takes to help the managers adapt their new role with smoothly. I believe it boils down to the learning and development path.

If we let the learning path happen by itself, it will take longer time and more mistakes made before the manager learn and adapt to the new role. However, if the development path is clear, the learning is purposeful, adaptation is faster, and job transition is much smoother.  

Not many new managers would know what to include in their managerial development plan. It got to come from the management. I’m not talking about new manager onboarding program. That’s just a familiarisation program last for probably one or two weeks. A good one usually takes at least 3 to 6 months of management skills development.