Going into management for the first time can be a very daunting experience, especially if it’s an internal promotion.  Remember, people are often promoted because they are good at their job, not because they are a good manager.

There are several things that every new manager needs to focus on that will aid their initial development as a manager.  Four key areas that you can focus on in those critical few months:

Think about the best managers you have ever had – we have all had poor managers but forget them, focus and think about the great ones. Why were they good?  Look at emulating those best manager traits.

Knowledge on motivation – we often think that people are just motivated by one thing, money.  We need money to survive but by no means is it the most important thing.  A McKinsey survey reinforces this key fact in the workplace.  You can read their report here.

Be assertive, not aggressive – being assertive is all about being in control, you’re in control of your feelings and emotions.  Don’t get this mixed up with being aggressive when we are out of control.

Delegate and know how to do it – the key reason why we delegate is to develop others.  Another reason is that it helps us with our time management.  Knowing how to delegate and knowing how to give feedback is an essential skill that all new managers need to know.

Being a new manager can be a complicated process, but with the right attitude and the correct development, you can achieve fantastic results very quickly.  We cover all these areas (plus many more) in our Foundation Management Development Programme (FMDP) that we deliver in-house or as an open course.  Contact us for more details.

Ralph Moody is the founder of Target Training and specialises in trainer and management development.  You can read more about him here.