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New manager? Make a killer first impression with these tips! Starting a new job as a manager can be nerve-wracking, but with the right approach, you can set yourself up for success from day one. Don't let those first-day jitters hold you back. Check out our blog for practical tips on how to make a stellar first impression, build rapport with your team, and hit the ground running in your new role. https://lnkd.in/ggwSbB9w

I've been really privileged over my first 7 years of my career to have only worked for great managers. Here's the top 3 sure signs that you are working for a great manager: 1. They know when to support and when to let you figure stuff out. I remember the first time I had a pretty big deal in front of me. My manager tip-toed the line between being supportive and letting me handle it, while also insisting on some support. He had me tap a teammate and bring them in, because they were more well suited for some of the in-depth conversations we would have. He didn't jump in and take over. He let me lead the way. But simultaneously, he knew the deal shouldn't be handled alone. 2. They don't tie your personal worth to your job performance. Performance is important, every manager will let you know that. But good managers don't let it effect how they treat you or how they support you. Some managers likely have it in the back of their mind: "This person's poor performance reflects poorly on me", which then in turn, hurts the relationship. A good manager will shoot straight with you - but will also do what they can to support you even when things aren't going so well. 3. They let you trial and error In sales, ministry, and nonprofits, I had the chance the try things and fail. That only made me better each time. If you're so concerned about your employees failing you, you should maybe take a step back and let 'em fail and use it as an opportunity to help them be better next time.

Have you ever had a manager who always knew what was best for you? Someone who acted like they were a parent to you and believed that everyone in the team was part of a family. Someone who showed their disappointment when you acted against their advice, whether you asked them for it or not. Someone who constantly asked you to trust them and liked to speak about the achievements they enabled for you. Someone who was quick to point out the issues in other teams and express surprise about issues in their own. Someone you grew attached to because you seemed to be getting the right gains at the moments when you were beginning to question the power dynamics. I think there is a term that young people use these days for someone who exhibits these traits in relationships. (If anyone knows, please write it in the comments.) A term, I believe, is equally apt for such managers. Being an adult is about taking your own decisions. And for most white-collar professionals, you are an adult long before you start working. There will always be someone trying to take advantage of you, to make a quick buck, or even playing a longer con. Trust yourself, trust your instincts, trust the decades of experience you have about people before you even started at your first job. It is okay to disappoint your parents. It is definitely okay to disappoint your manager. You are the only one who can do what's best for you!

Things I have learned in 30 years at 3M: #1 Never surprise your manager – even with good news – especially in public. It is your job to keep your manager well enough informed of your activities and the possible outcomes that news does not come as a surprise. I have surprised my manager several times in my career, and some managers handled it better than others, but it never went well. Early in my career, it was my goal to come up with new ideas and flesh them out before presenting my “accomplishment” to my manager. I could never understand why my idea was not accepted with open arms. My friend and mentor, Ray Johnston, took me aside and gave me this nugget and I have tried to follow it rigorously ever since. There are reasons this is my #1 rule. Making your manager’s job easier will almost always make your job easier. Your manager can’t have your back if they don’t know what is going on. Your manager can set you up for success (and therefore their own success), but only if they know what you are up to, what you are going to say in that presentation, where the skeletons are, and how you might answer the awkward question. Think about this also from the manager’s point of view. A surprise, even a good one, will always mean more work for them. They have to change plans, communicate with people, reallocate resources. And everyone does this better with some forethought rather than on the fly. And having to react to new information in public puts the manager at great risk. Keep your manager informed and your job will be smoother.  

The world has changed consderably, employees expectations have changed regarding what they expect and demand from managers. We are living in a world where employees and new managers have not developed the new skills needed to thrive in chaotic work environments, resulting in stress and apathy. The article below looks at at some of these issues, management and staff development now sadly lack the training and development to develop and master continuious change, new working methods, fostering new relationships between staff and management. We are letting people down unless traditional management development thinking is thrown out and replaced with a shift to adaptability, constant change and distributed leadership and critical thinking. Lee Cuthbert

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Become a Manager - Tom Bartel

If you are a manager, be careful about getting caught in the "mushy middle". If you delegate very much - which you should - your technical skills will inevitably degrade. This could happen especially quickly if you are in a fast-changing industry. So you could wake up one day and realize that you've lost much touch with what got you to where you are. On the other hand, if you don't delegate enough: - You hinder the development of your people and alienate them - You hinder the impact of your team and the growth of the company by failing to leverage all of your team resources. - You hinder your own growth and opportunity by having too much internal focus, rather than developing skills and relationships that will allow you to expand your scope, or to move laterally, or into a more senior role over time. Managing your career - and others - is hard. Be aware of this balancing act and give thought to how you might maneuver as a manager yourself. In particular, be wary of getting stuck in the scary "mushy" middle where you are not delivering significant value either down or up. In my view, at some point, you need to have the confidence and maturity to let go of looking primarily downward to your team and let go of that which is safe and comfortable - and make an intentional reach for the next thing. Indeed, I would argue that it's how you stay relevant. What are your thoughts?

Want your manager to have your back? Focus on these 3 key areas: 1/ Good Work Performance Consistently delivering excellent work is crucial. Your reliability and quality of work will make people at the top notice you. And will make your manager’s job easier. But remember, good performance alone won’t get you to the top. 2/ Trust This is more than just doing your job well. It’s about your manager having confidence in you. They need to know you’ll: • Make sound decisions independently • Avoid unpleasant surprises • Help them look good • Deliver results Managers aren’t “shallow” or just worried only about their reputations, but no one likes to worry about being embarrassed. Trust is fundamental. 3/ Being Likable This isn’t about being best friends or that you are sucking up to them. It’s about being easy to work with: • disagree respectfully • avoid constant arguments • be open to following directions In one sentence, it's not painful when you are around When you excel in your work, are trustworthy, and easy to get along with, your manager will go out of their way to support you. They’ll fight for you out of self-interest, because you’re an asset to them and because you’ve built a personal connection. 📌 P.S. Which of these three areas is most often overlooked? 🔔 Follow Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis, I help you go from ‘surviving’ to ‘thriving’ at work.

Being a generalist used to be negative: “Differentiation will be tricky.” “Jack of all trades, master of none.” “The market won’t understand what you do.” Now, it’s very common to step off the straight and narrow career ladder And create your own squiggly career. The real question isn’t whether you’re a generalist or specialist. • It’s what value do you create? • And how successfully can you articulate that value? Some of the best leaders I’ve worked with have actually been generalists. They’ve perfected the ability to think cross-functionally, cross-industry etc to create a strong vision and connect the dots. In theory, the more diverse your experience, the more easily you can reinvent yourself and walk into a role. For instance, generalist Consultants who have done a bit of process redesign, sales and change management have very broad skill-sets that open up possibilities beyond these three roles. However, there are some fundamentals that need to be in place for this to be true: 1. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 -> if you don’t believe it, no one will 2. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 -> clarity on what problems you solve and how 3. 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 -> what makes you better than others 4. 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 around the value you bring I've helped many generalists define what they want and how they can achieve it. Being a generalist can be turned into a competitive advantage when approached in the right way. P.S - What do you think? Generalist or specialist? ---- 👋 I am Deena Priest and I help corporate execs create happier, more purpose-driven careers without compromising health or wealth. 🔔 Follow me for content on→ Effective Career Navigation, Leadership Excellence & Sales Psychology.