The Newly Appointed Manager: Five Must Dos

As a newly appointed manager, the first few months can be crucial to how you are perceived - particularly if your job involved a promotion.

According to the US Corporate Executive Board, 60 per cent of managers fail in the first 24 months - so hitting the ground running is pretty important!

And to make matters worse, many new managers have little or no training to prepare them.

First impressions form quickly - and can also be a big influence on what people think of you in the long-term.

Depending on their personality, new managers can respond very differently to this new increased visibility and pressure to perform.

Career advances often require us to move beyond our comfort zones - causing us to retreat into familiar behaviours and styles in order to protect our identity; and this is often counterproductive.

In the interests of a stress-free introduction to the new job - here are five handy guidelines for newly appointed managers:

1. Get to know people

When first taking the reins, it pays for a new manager to go out of his or her way to meet and get to know their employees and customers - and to familiarise themselves with as much of the organisation as possible.

After a time of course, it can be easy to lose touch with the day-to-day workings of the company and its employees. Therefore, spend as much time as you can meeting people in all departments.

2. Encourage open communication

As a newly appointed manager, you will likely find that the more open (and less judgmental) you are with people - the more they will trust you.

Trust in the workplace breeds engagement, so the tone you set at the outset will be crucial to how your employees relate and respond to you. By creating an open and communicative environment you will not only encourage great ideas and innovation - but also promote a happier and more productive workplace. 

3. Effectively resolve conflict

New managers who can both solve problems and resolve conflict are extremely effective. Effective managers (both new and established) know how to break conflict down into manageable pieces, and view it as an opportunity to build new relationships; rather than an ‘insurmountable problem’. Lastly, as a new manager it is important to learn how to train your team to manage conflict for themselves.

4. Set clear expectations

As a new manager, you will need to explain in detail exactly how you want your team to work. It is your job as a leader to set expectations and explain processes - making it very clear from the start as to exactly what the team is working towards - and how you expect it to get there.

5. Take swift action from the start

‘Making your mark’ as a new manager is very important. For example, if you can identify and solve a business problem early on - it will show the team you are able to listen to what people want - and get things done. By taking swift action you will not only ‘impress the troops’ but also show them you really mean business.

As a new manager, by following some or all of the above guidelines, it should not only help smooth your transition into the new job; but also enable you to stamp your authority on the position from the start.