How to adapt as a new manager

Have you recently been appointed as a manager and find yourself feeling nervous about the bumpy learning curve ahead of you? This is what you need to know

Being an effective manager requires a number of essential skills. If you’ve recently been appointed to a management position, you’ll be familiar with the steep learning curve.

Marcel Pretorius from TowerStone Leadership Centre says managing the expectations of your team and management can be overwhelming. Being an effective manager starts with the right attitude, flexibility and an open mind.

Pretorius provides few tips on how you can get started in management.

Understand your role and where you fit in

As a manager and team leader, you have to have a thorough understanding of what exactly your role entails in the company structure as well as in the team you manage. Once you have figured out the group dynamics and how you fit into the scheme of things, you will be able to deliver a clear strategy and solid leadership to the people you work with. You will be able to enhance team performance and effectively manage office politics as well as potential conflict.

Master the art of thinking on your feet

When you are not in a leadership role, it is relatively easy to do what is required, honing your ability to master tasks and perfecting how efficiently you can replicate tasks. Once you have to lead a team and start to multi-task, you will find you no longer have the luxury of being super-focused on one aspect only. You are expected to learn on the fly, be open to new input and to adapt to an increasing whirlwind of demands. Thinking on your feet is the art of coming up with creative solutions to problems as they arise. Mastering this skill is an essential part of effective leadership.

Nurture communication skills to secure buy-in

Excellent communication skills are critical if you hope to become a first-class manager. In the digital economy, we tend to fixate so much on technology that enables instant communication that we forget how important real human connections still are. You do not need to be an extrovert to cultivate better people skills. The good news is that you can learn how to improve your interpersonal skills and become a better communicator that secures buy-in from everybody you deal with. Delivering clear messages in a language that your colleagues understand and take to heart will make your job so much easier.

Never stop learning

Honing your personal skill by learning all the time means keeping abreast of your surroundings and being brave enough to let your opinion be shaped by new input and perspectives. Learn from those around you and be receptive to new ideas – listen first, test and reflect. Be the catalyst that brings core business knowledge, communication skills and an eagerness for learning to your workplace. Embrace all opportunities to improve your understanding of the things that impact on your position. Become a thought leader in your work environment and you’re bound to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack.

Client: TowerStone

Coverage received in: Destiny Man

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