How New Managers Can Lead Without Disrupting Productivity

March 27, 2019

The success of any business is heavily influenced by the efficiency and skill of its managers. Managers play a key role within an organization and contribute to the growth of the business in significant ways. However, new managers often find themselves in the midst of challenges when trying to acclimate into their new position. They need to ensure a smooth transition without disrupting the performance of the team. This is especially true for managers who take up positions of pivotal importance. Entrusted with a new leadership role, managers face challenges which are not always easy to deal with.

The Challenges Faced by a New Manager:

New managers often find it difficult to lead a high-performing team while ensuring that there is no disruption in its productivity. The team faces the risk of lowered productivity in the face of an inexperienced new management. This is perhaps one of the most daunting challenges for a new manager.

Many times, new managers would have been members of the same team they are now leading. But now, they find themselves to be managing the same people they had previously worked alongside with. These new managers want to ensure that the internal processes of the team improve without negatively affecting processes that are already working well.

So, in such cases, what can inexperienced managers do?

Tips for New Managers:

Irrespective of the sector, managers need to follow certain approaches to equip their team with the capability to perform better. Listed below are some ways in which new managers can lead a team without affecting its performance.

Take Time To Train

According to one study, around 60% of newly promoted managers performed poorly in the first two years of their job. They did not meet the results expected of them by their companies.

One way of beating these odds is if managers invested in training themselves before becoming a team leader and even while taking up the new position. New managers are often provided professional development opportunities or training that help them improve their leadership skills. It enables new managers to adapt to their work environment and manage teams efficiently.

Leadership skills are important for new managers, especially when they have not had training in this area. So, even if their company does not provide any management training, prospective leaders can train themselves using online information, training and self-help books.

Another tip that can help them along is that new managers need to review what didn’t work and what worked for the team while working under the previous management. This, along with some training, can help managers understand what is expected by them and what elements make the team function.

It is also essential for new managers that they regularly communicate with their executives and make sure that they are doing a good job.

Base your communication on the employee’s terms

Now that you have the skills and the training, how do you utilize them effectively on your team? That’s right: through communication.

No matter what industry they work in, communication is one important element that all managers must do.

According to a study by ‘Interact’, about 69% of new managers often feel uncomfortable communicating with their employees. Moreover, the study also found that 37% of managers are uncomfortable giving direct feedback to their employees about their performance. This apprehension from the managers stemmed from the fear of getting a negative response from the employee.

An important aspect of managing a team is communicating with employees in a way that makes them feel comfortable. Managers need to understand that every person is different and should be handled differently. They need to find a good way to communicate with each team member in a way that will help reinforce an idea. Some employees may be shy and may prefer feedback via mail or chat rather than a face to face talk. Other employees may require a face to face chat to get a point across.

Employee growth and job satisfaction

As a manager, it is necessary to make sure the team is performing well and happy. Since performance and happiness levels go hand in hand, this is an important step that new managers need to master. Additionally, it is found that 50% of employees quit their jobs because of their managers.

New managers need to make sure that everyone on their team has enough growth opportunities, is being challenged, and is being given the proper amount of work. Nobody would want to feel stuck at their dead-end job that is not going anywhere.

Employees need to feel that they have enough opportunities to develop professionally. This will make them feel valued and feel more satisfied with their jobs. In many companies, it is the manager’s responsibility to ensure that all members of their team have these opportunities or training, so this becomes a vital element of being a good leader.

Workflow and feedback

Managers need to find a fine balance between disrupting workflows and letting everybody resume daily duties. Some managers allow employees to continue normal work even if they face problems, while other managers make drastic changes and interrupt everything. New managers need to find a balance between both.

To find any internal hiccups, managers need to talk to the team. What does not work well? Are any new resources necessary? What works well? What processes need to be continued and which ones need to be improved? This way, new managers can enhance the workflow drastically without affecting the team’s performance.

Good Managers = Good Employees

According to an eye-opening survey by The Gallup, bad managers could negatively impact the workplace. While it should be the organization’s responsibility to give managerial training, unfortunately, not all companies adhere to it. Therefore, it falls on the new managers to take a proactive approach and learn to lead.

The benefits of good management practice are evident, and new managers need to find a fine line between keeping productivity rates high and changing workflows and processes. Managers who take the time to speak with employees and listen to their feedback are likely to have a better chance of success.

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