10/29/2022 0 Comments First time manager advice![]() ![]() If you’re stuck working through a problem with someone in your team, it’s OK (and useful!) to be honest and vulnerable about that. Have the courage to be vulnerable Say when you’re stuck, let the other person see you as a human and help them to bring their own ideas for unblocking the issue. If you have someone who isn’t used to talking, or seems to be holding back, ask them “and what else?” to keep them thinking and talking. ![]() If you find yourself talking for more than 50% of a one to one meeting then you’ve failed. Treat everyone as the individuals that they are.Įveryone needs space to talk, some people need space to think before they talk. Just because they remind you of someone else doesn’t mean they are the same as someone else. Follow up with genuine questions to understand the other person better. Learning a couple of good opening questions (try “How’s life?”, or “What’s going on?” to get things started) and then actually listening will make a great start. Management isn’t all about keeping people in line, real management is about helping people achieve their goals. Coaching & mentoring If you find yourself talking for more than 50% of a one to one meeting then you’ve failed. You won’t always be liked by your team but make sure you’re always respected for having been honest, and trustworthy. After that, work together to find the best approach. If you really want to help someone improve then you need to start out by giving them honest feedback and clear expectations. Feedback models such as GROW or AID can be useful tools for structuring your conversation to have maximum impact.ĭifficult conversations will always be difficult, but they are also the most important. Prepare for the meeting, know the examples you’ll be referring to and then do it. Performance reviews where the recipient doesn't agree with your rating, resignation conversations, or even harder, disciplinary conversations. Sometimes you’ll need to have difficult conversations that neither you nor the other person really wants to have. It feels unnatural, like you’re stating the obvious, but you’re not. It can also be really uncomfortable to sit someone down and point out all of the things they’re doing brilliantly. Starting out it can feel uncomfortable to sit someone down and tell them they could be doing something better. Successful management relies on good communication. Difficult conversations Difficult conversations will always be difficult, but they are also the most important. Take care to reward, and encourage, the ones you want to see. The behaviours people exhibit are at least as important as the work they produce. If you promote someone who regularly misses the team standup don’t be surprised when the rest of the team also starts turning up late. Make sure you’re OK with everyone in the team imitating your behaviours before demonstrating them. Turning up late, forgetting meetings, or simply taking things easy tells others that this is fine. Demonstrate and reward the right behaviours If you promote someone who regularly misses the team standup don’t be surprised when the rest of the team also starts turning up late.Īs a leader you set the bar. ![]() Your new role is about guiding, inspiring, and unblocking your team. Focus on the ‘one thing’ that moves everything else. Become comfortable leaving some things undone, but make sure you’re leaving the right things. It also allows you to hand over some work and make space for the whole new set of work that management brings with it. Learning to delegate allows your team to take on more responsibility and learn. As a manager your job is to be the multiplier for your team, magnifying their energy and success rather than just contributing to it. Spending too much time on something that’s no longer your job means you’re spending less time on the things that you should be doing. But now you’re a manager you have different responsibilities and different priorities. Sometimes the more you managed to do, the more reward you received. Earlier in your career you were rewarded for doing things. One of the most difficult parts of becoming a manager is learning to let go. Drinking coffee and contemplating time-travel Focus & ruthless prioritisation Spending too much time on something that’s no longer your job means you’re spending less time on the things that you should be doing. Chatting over coffee, we discussed what we’d say if we could travel back in time and give advice to fresh-faced versions of ourselves, just as we were stepping into management roles for the first time. Hi, we're Aaron & Amy! We’ve been managing tech teams for a combined 12 years, and over this time have learnt (often painfully) what does and doesn’t work. Things we wish we were told, but learnt the hard way :) ![]()
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