Tips for the First Time Manager

You have worked hard for this, and finally you have been made manager of your department or business. This might not be as easy as you believed it would be. Now that you are the leader, you must teach, guide, direct, and set the example for the people who work under you. When they make a mistake, the responsibility falls on you.

It isn’t too soon to start planning ahead. Is this your final goal, or do you intend to advance higher? If you do, one of the first things you must do is teach those who are under you everything you know about the job. Before you can be advanced, the company will need to feel that there is someone who could replace you as you moved up.

Exerting authority on people you have become buddies with is not always easy. Somehow, you must find a balance between being friendly and firmly being the boss. Set rules and expectations that are consistent for all your employees.

Identify problems and act on them. If changes are needed, be objective but persistent. Discover what your strengths and weaknesses are, and work to develop and improve them. When you are hiring, choose people with the skills and experience to handle the weak areas of your department.

Fight for competitive wages for your staff. Paying well guarantees a better quality worker, and breeds loyalty. Praise for a good job will reinforce this. If you encourage their input regarding decisions, you are showing respect for their experience, which will add to the efficient and pleasant environment of the workplace.

Show interest and concern for the employees and for the community. Respect, loyalty, and honesty toward them will be returned tenfold to you !You need your employees to be comfortable coming to you with questions and problems, both work related and personal (if they affect the job in any way).

Most of all, remember that it used to be your job to complete a task. Now it is your job, as a manager, to see to it that someone else completes the task. Someone else may have a different way of doing things than you did. Listen to him/her, and if it seems feasible, let him/her do it their way. It may be more efficient, but if it isn’t, then ask to try it your way.