3 Realities of Being a New Manager
As new managers transition to their new role, they face new challenges, responsibilities and opportunities. There are four new realities that new managers must face to accelerate their transition and succeed:
Reality 1: The skills that lead to success as an individual contributor differ greatly from those needed to manage. As a manager, the expertise that made you so good at what you did as an individual contributor will still be used to coach others but the role of manager requires you to work through others.
Reality 2: Power and authority granted as a manager does not earn you influence. As a manager, power doesn’t grant you the ability to change or drive behavior; it only grants you the potential to do so. Influence is won through the personal characteristics you model and that guide your treatment of others and the way you collaborate with others.
Reality 3: Managers have far less freedom (and free time) to act alone than they may have anticipated because managers need the cooperation of others to get things done. Additionally, managers assume an entire new set of duties, obligations, and relationships.
What other realities do new managers face that, if realized, can help them transition into their new role faster and help them become highly productive?
Are you a new manager or know a new manager who would like help in their transition? Check out the online course ML110 - New Manager Transitions, sponsored by Harvard Business Publishing.
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