You’re now the manager, congratulations! You now have an exciting new journey at work to explore. Though it may seem daunting at first with such a big change of role. There is now a team looking to you for direction; they have different needs to take into account, and there are bigger decisions to make. Success isn’t just measured by your own achievements anymore; your team’s success will be partly determined by your leadership. You may feel the need to get the team to like you or make big decisions to put your stamp on the company. Many different ideas and thoughts could be blurring. It is important to keep the concept of leadership simple, allow time to adjust and trust the transition process. To make it easier, we have some snippets of advice to offer to help you get started. 

Tips for being a good manager

• Embrace your accountability. Following through with what you say and avoiding impossible promises will nurture trust along with setting a measurable standard for your team.
• Make yourself approachable. It’s essential that your staff feel comfortable engaging with you. If anyone feels intimidated, they will never interact or, in extreme cases, leave employment.
• Employ active listening techniques. This means taking in what is being communicated thoroughly. It goes deeper than just hearing. Notice body language and similar verbal cues to better understand what is said. Eye contact and using the other person’s words back to them will make them feel like you are giving them your full attention.
• Don’t feel like you must have all the answers. A manager who asks a lot of questions is not weak or lacking in anything. Being certain that your decision is best for the company and your team will earn you respect. Learning your staff’s unique skills will help you delegate tasks to those who are most compatible. Similarly, ask those with knowledge and experience for advice. You are still in charge of making the decisions, so arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible to help. Your staff will appreciate you listening to their ideas and enjoy working for you. 
• Avoid being a friend vs a manager. It’s good to feel liked, most of us care about what others think. As a manager, you are responsible for a team, and being overly friendly may lead to favouritism or less impartiality. A team needs leading and will respect a balanced authority figure who does not allow personal aspects to govern work decisions.

Try out these suggestions. It’s entirely possible to lead effectively and be liked or respected by your employees. Management is rewarding and enjoyable if there’s respect and rapport in a team.