What you need to know if you have been promoted to manager

Being promoted is a huge recognition of our work, it goes to show that our talent and our efforts have paid off and our company believes in us, and our potential to keep growing.

Once you are promoted to manager, you definitely have a moment of celebration and joy, buy it is usually followed by some weight and stress because of the challenge it represents and the pressure we feel when our company puts its trust on us.

To avoid those fears and help you begin your trip in the managing position, here are some of our best tips to follow when you become a manager.

1. Get ready ahead, because it might happen

Is not about being cocky, it about believing on you and your abilities. If you feel like a promotion is right around the corner, then start preparing for the responsibilities. Read about it, join courses and watch closely what good managers do, you don’t want to regret it the day you actually get the promotion.

2. Learn situational leadership

This is a must for managers, but in case you are not familiar with this term, it means that you must adapt your leadership techniques to each employee. Not everyone needs someone watching over every document that is produced, some people can fly solo, while others will need more help and support over the process.

Yes, you have to find your own managing style but remember that every employee is different.

How do you adapt your leadership to each employee? Well, by knowing them very well. If you have just been promoted, that might mean that you already know them in a different level. Make sure to get to know them now as their manager too.

3. Listen to your employees and have an open door policy to allow communication but don’t forget that you are their boss, not their friend.

A fluent communication is important when you become a manager. You want to make sure that your employees know that they can reach out to bring ideas or share concerns at any point that might make things work better and solve problems.

A good way to incentive them to bring up their ideas and solutions are to ask every so often the following question: What do you think?

This is a proactive question that demands them to participate and begin a dialogue and brainstorm.

But as much as a fluent communication and active listening on your part are key for the success of a team, it is also necessary that every part have their role very clear and that some lines are not crossed.

Teams need a leader, someone that works as a reference, and that position needs to be clear and defined for both you as a new manager and for the members of your team.

4. Disregard personal issues that will rise up from your promotion

So you were a colleague and now you are the manager. Some people will be happy for you and some people won’t. No matter what everyone will have to adapt.

Also be prepared to find out more information than you thought about your former coworkers, things that the previous manager knew that you will have to deal with now.

There is a large chance that some of your relationships at the office will change with your new position, but this is all part of evolution too, so just embrace it and be the best professional you can be.

5. Learn to deal with people’s mistakes but always with respect

Before you became a manager you most likely had an opinion about how the previous person in charge dealt with mistakes and poor performances from members of the team. You might think that they were not tackle correctly or that actual problems were not solved.

Now that you are the manager, you have the chance to deal with those mistakes correctly, to turn them around and making sure they won’t happen again. When doing so always remember to treat everyone with respect. Be mindful with their privacy and their self-esteem. Work with your team to bring out the best of each one of them.

Be your team manager and don’t be afraid to be a leader, set a plan, choose the right people and trust them, and eventually start getting ready for your next promotion.