So you wanna be a manager...

Hi! This is a collection of tips for new managers put together by me. I did not invent any of this. All the good ideas you see here are things I have learned from great leaders and managers who have mentored me. All the bad ideas you see here are mine. Please feel free to leave any feedback or comments.

BASICS

1. Care about the people as people, they are not a limitless resource
There are very rare circumstances that warrant people overworking themselves for a sustained time period. That does not scale. Don’t do that. And If you observe this happening, intervene and help identify solutions such as prioritizing, load-balancing, etc.

2. Tell them the ‘what’, not the ‘how’
You won’t be able to scale if you micromanage and tell people exactly how to do things. Tell them the desired result and let them drive the process. However, some management trainings will tell you to ask questions and listen, but never tell them what to do. This is extreme. It's about finding the right balance and offering guidance without being too prescriptive. See next point.

3. But, do not be completely hands off
Think about every task (not every person) on the skill-will quadrant. Are they high in will and low in skill for a specific task? They might need more coaching. But if they are high will-high skill, you can be more hands off.

4. Everything you say or do is amplified 10x
You have a pedestal, know that. An off handed comment about how you are always late in submitting expenses might result in your whole team becoming expense report slackers (happened to my..err..friend).

5. You can’t ignore or pretend the power structure doesn’t exist
You will not be equals. You have a say in their livelihood a lot more than they do in yours. It is good to be friendly but you can’t really be friends. Because the most successful friendships don’t have inherent power structures.

6. Weekly 1:1s
Some management trainings will tell you the 1:1 is owned by the IC, not the manager. That is true. However, setting up the 1:1 IS owned by you. If they set up a weekly themselves, all good. If not, set it up. You won’t have a pulse on what’s up with them unless you chat frequently.

7. There is no template, individualize your approach to the person and the problem.
Be flexible in your approach. I have someone on my team who doesn’t really want to spend 30 minutes weekly talking to me. That’s fine. We do a 5-10 min 1:1 every week. I still schedule it for 30 minutes, but we don’t need to fill the space.

8. Ask them their opinion, but it is not a democracy.
Everyone needs to feel heard, and you need to get all the information possible. That said, they might not have the information you have. Do not feel compelled to go with the popular opinion, you can’t make everyone happy.

How I manage my calendar. All the coral colored slots are for 1:1s, an essential time investment for any manager

How I manage my calendar. All the coral colored slots are for 1:1s, an essential time investment for any manager

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

1. Start with high expectations for everyone
Watch for bias. Start out with high expectations for each person and give your time and attention to everyone equally. It is OK to level set once you get to know them better to position them for success.

2. Sell your team to higher ups, magnify their achievements
This is a big part of your job. Brag about your team and team members. Highlight their achievements. Tell everyone how awesome they are. When your team shines, you shine.

3. Be diligent in proactively planning for their career growth
If you don’t actively work on  it with them, they might think no one cares. Actively plan for career growth. Regular check-ins align expectations for both sides.

4. Don’t let performance conversation be a surprise (or make best attempt to)
They should already have a pretty good idea of how the performance conversation will go. Do not spring surprises on them. This is not a good time to point out something they could’ve done better 4 months ago.

5. Provide timely feedback
If they said something in a meeting that they shouldn’t have, tell them ASAP. Holding on to feedback only makes it seem like a bigger deal than it was. At the same time, don’t become too nitpicky. Delivering feedback is an important skill and well worth investing time in as a manager.

6. Mistakes, forgive them
How you react to their first mistake will define your entire relationship. Do not punish them. Show them it’s a safe space to create mistakes.

7. Be fair with your time and energy
Some people will need more of your time, while others won't, but even the rockstars on your team need time. It's easy to fall into the situation of all your time going to low performers. Timebox what you spend on low performers and make sure you give everyone on the team an equitable amount of your time and energy.

THE HARD STUFF

1. Bitch up, don’t bitch down (thanks, Paolo)
Complain up your management chain, not down. Complaining to your team is only going to worry them unnecessarily at best, and feel like an attack at worst.

2. Don’t portray powerlessness
You might not like a decision made by higher ups, but it is your job to sell it to your team. Don’t lie and say you love it if you don’t, but do explain the rationale for it and show you are bought in.

3. You are a part of the ‘system’: Do not pitch a ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ story
Like it or not, you are part of the system now. There might be policy changes you don’t like. Yes, be outraged and do something about it. But as a manager you are now part of the system that benefits from it more than ICs do. Recognize that and never pitch it otherwise.

4. Your team will feel how you feel
If you’re unhappy at work, change something to fix it! Do not continue to be miserable. Ask your manager and mentors for help.

5. You’ll hear a lot of complaints
It is not your job to solve all of them. Some, you might have to intervene. Some, you might have to coach them for. But sometimes, you have to just let people vent. If you ‘micromanage’ every time something goes wrong, they will stop coming to you with problems.

6. Some people won’t tell you about the problems.
Some people like to solve problems themselves. Create a safe space to let them air it out. This is what we try to do with the Highlights/Lowlights during our weekly stand-ups.

Bonus tip but probably the most important one: Be authentic and lead like YOU. Don’t try to lead like another leader. Find what you admire about them then do it your way.