Many of us make our career plan with the idea of becoming the boss at some point in our lives. This move, at least for the first time early in their professional lives, can be exciting but also extremely overwhelming. You are now responsible for a whole team and need to make sure they meet their deadlines so that you can meet yours. Some managers fall into the trap of taking over work for their team just to do this and end up burnt out. If you are going to make being a manager work for you it’s important to have clear communication with your team, other departments and your boss in order to be successful and be considered for the next step.
Are You Sure You Want to be a Manager?
Harvard Business Review Article:
New managers face a wide variety of challenges when they are promoted. Their old peers are no longer peers and their new ones may be different in a lot of ways. The loyalty is now to the company and not to each other as non-management workers. As a newly promoted manager you might have to fire one of your former peers for job performance; is that something you are comfortable with? This new position puts you in the air of supervision over those you used to work alongside, which can lead to feelings of resentment on their part. You now have to actually face the fact that your decisions count and make a difference to the company and your employees. Are you ready to be a manager? Do you want to be a manager? Review this article and think about it before you take the job.
Full Article:
https://hbr.org/2015/09/are-you-sure-you-want-to-be-a-manager
4 Telling Traits of a Maverick Candidate
Careerealism Article:
A maverick employee is typically one that can draw a following from the rest of the company and will offer a highly creative approach to the business. They are most likely to jump into a risky venture and see it through regardless of the feedback they receive. Even though these are positive traits, a maverick is also a person who does not work well in a team environment, which makes for difficulty when a team is required to get the job done. As a company leader when you know you want to have a maverick on your team you do need to make sure you give them the space they need to get their job done. Are you a maverick candidate? If so, can you effectively express this to your employer or during an interview?
Full Article:
http://www.careerealism.com/maverick-candidate-telling-traits/
First-Time Managers, Don’t do Your Team’s Work for Them
Harvard Business Review Article:
We see it every day in business and it is one of the key factors that cause the fifty percent failure rate in the first year of being a new manager. Many new managers attempt to do all the work for their team themselves because they are under the impression that every deadline must be met and they are fully responsible for the work themselves. Managers need to be allowed to manage processes, show examples and give feedback. They should be the point of contact between other departments and be the one to report to the boss regarding progress on a project. When a first-time manager takes on the role they are often so excited to be in the job they forget to have their role defined, which is an important part of the process.
Full Article:
https://hbr.org/2015/09/first-time-managers-dont-do-your-teams-work-for-them
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