TIPS FOR FIRST TIME MANAGERS

How Not to Blow It : You need a vision and a strategy  to execute your work skillfully. Otherwise, you'll find yourself turning into the new bumbling fool. Here's how to succeed as a new manager.

 Don't judge the holdovers, at least not initially. Instead, give everyone a clean slate, no matter what you've heard. Remember, all your reports will be on their best behavior initially. You represent a fresh start; they want to be seen in the best light. So give them plenty of one-on-one time early. Learn about their history and aspirations. Watch them in action to

SET OBJECTIVES

You have their attention: Capitalize on it. Set ground rules and expectations early. Outline your short-term and long-term vision for the department. Identify what's mission critical, why, and how everyone's roles contribute to the end result. Set goals, but keep them relatively short, unambiguous, and achievable.

MAKE A MEMORABLE GESTURE

Want to make an impact in your first weeks? Strip everything down and simplify. That's right: Take them back to basics. Determine what's holding them back, such as a bad apple or redundant paperwork. Take a dramatic action to send the message that times have changed.

HAVE A DEPARTMENT PLAN

  An idea is doomed to failure without a plan behind it. After meeting with stakeholders, draft three- and six-month plans. Set targets, replete with starting and ending points (and the steps in between). Hold yourself accountable by evaluating progress weekly and making adjustments as circumstances evolve. At minimum, your job is to get your team members on the same page and level, and foster an environment where they can excel. Without a plan and a dedication to executing it, they will inevitably drift, gradually losing sight of their potential and value.

DEVELOP EACH PERSON

Start with recognizing each person's strengths, goals, and areas for improvement. From there, establish individual plans, no different from your department plan. Seek out opportunities where they can learn and contribute (and move out of their comfort zones). Check in regularly on their performance. Face it, your reports won't all stay in their jobs forever. Know where they want to go; motivate them by helping them get there.

Source :ET