All beginnings are difficult… yours too?
For some people, taking on a management position is the fulfillment of a long-held career dream. For others, however, this sceptre falls into their hands rather unplanned at a certain point in time. But regardless of whether it is planned or unexpected, the transition from specialist to manager is no small matter and often requires a major change and a correspondingly steep learning curve.
Through my many years of work as a coach, I know that the enthusiasm of prospective managers is often just as great as their insecurity, self-doubt and feelings of being overwhelmed. If this situation sounds painfully familiar to you, you’re in good company. However, the good news is that your doubts and fears are important signposts in the initial phase and do not mean that you are not up to the challenge. They merely call on you to deal consciously and seriously with the transition to your new position. The following questions offer some food for thought when starting out in leadership:
1. how can I make my transition to the new position as smooth as possible for me and my new team?
Good preparation, especially in the first few weeks, will make the transition easier. If possible, gather as much information about your future team as possible, ideally from various sources. Think about when and through which channels your future employees should find out about the upcoming change in leadership and how you would like to organize your official introduction. The first impression cannot be repeated and lays the foundation for the mood of your first weeks in management.
2 Which management style suits me and my employees best?
The ideal leadership style always lies somewhere in the balance between what is authentically yours and what your specific constellation of employees actually needs. Exploring and reconciling these two poles is an art in itself, but it’s worth it: only those who don’t have to bend can lead in a powerful and relaxed way in the long term. However, if you cultivate a style that the majority of your team can’t relate to, you’re missing out on your team.
3. what qualities characterize me as a person, and therefore also as a manager?
Even if we appear differently in our roles as private individuals and managers, we remain the same person on the whole. Being able to assess yourself well is an important basis for anticipating which of your characteristics you can specifically bring to the management position as strengths and which could become a stumbling block. Reflection exercises, feedback, coaching and scientifically based personality analysis tools can help you to identify these characteristics.
4. what values do I want to exemplify and live by in my role?
Values are ideals and ideas that are so important to us that we consciously and unconsciously align our actions with them. For example, if “fairness” is an important value for you, you will feel more comfortable in your leadership role in the long term if your decisions and actions can take into account the needs of all employees as equally as possible. If “reliability” is close to your heart, you can consider how you can visibly exemplify this value yourself and thus establish it as a standard in the team.
5 What role should and do I want to play as a bridge between my employees and the higher management levels?
Managers are usually intermediaries between the level of their employees and a higher management level, or at least an important interface to the outside world. How you shape this role, where your ultimate solidarity lies and how you can reconcile the interests of the various parties are tricky questions. If you ask yourself these questions in advance, you can enter the initial negotiations in a clearer and more relaxed frame of mind.
6 What skills do I bring to my role? Where do I still need to learn?
Before taking on a management position, it makes sense to realize what skills you already have to fill such a role – there are usually far more than you realize! Acknowledging potential learning areas will make it easier for you to recognize your limits and catch up on the necessary skills in a targeted manner. A comparison of the requirements profile for your position and your personal skills profile can be very revealing.
7. which goals and topics do I want to prioritize in my initial period?
Many managers expect to have a lot of time in the first few weeks to get an overview of all the tasks and slowly get to grips with day-to-day business. However, the first six months can pass more quickly than you think without you having achieved even one of your goals – which causes frustration. Avoid the phenomenon of initial inhibition by defining right at the beginning which goal or topic you want to work on even in the chaotic early days.
8. how can I deal with initial reservations and tensions in the team that relate to me as a new manager?
Newly appointed managers must be prepared to face skepticism, reticence or even mistrust and envy from their new team. This is especially true when you move up from the role of team colleague to the role of manager. Prepare yourself emotionally for headwinds and think about possible strategies and contacts that you can use. Don’t despair if not all of your employees are enthusiastic when you take up your position: Change takes time.
9. how can I motivate myself to tackle the challenges ahead of me?
In the light of the first few difficult months, the benefits you previously dreamed of, such as more responsibility, creative freedom, material rewards, etc., can seem like a small consolation for the immense extra effort. Therefore, make it clear in advance how you can motivate yourself once the original incentives have lost their shine. It can help to focus on your overarching life goals and remember how you have managed to stay on the ball in times of hardship.
10. where can I find supporters to accompany me in my early days?
It’s lonely at the top and at the same time, professional exchange with other managers is of great importance in order to successfully navigate the first obstacles in your management career. Especially if your internal company network is not particularly large, support from an external mentor or coach can be a valuable resource. Preparatory and introductory coaching for prospective specialists and managers is a sensible and long-term economic investment that more and more companies are happy to make.
Your leadership makes a difference
I firmly believe that the world would be a nicer place if more strong and smart women dared to take the lead. From my clients’ experience, I know that this involves overcoming a bumpy and doubt-filled initial phase. Those who prepare well for this initiation ritual, remain willing to learn and open to support, will ultimately enjoy the real incentives of a leadership position: The trust of others, sustainable success, personal development and the unsurpassed feeling of making a difference in the world. Good luck on your personal journey!
Your Christina
About the author
Hallo, ich bin Christina!
Als Sozialpädagogin, Coach und Trauerbegleiterin stehe ich Menschen genau an den Stationen des Lebens zur Seite, die normalerweise nicht so gerne im Reiseführer gezeigt werden: in privat oder beruflich herausfordernden Zeiten, nach dem Tod eines geliebten Menschen oder Haustiers, Trennungen und anderen Umbruchsphasen, die eine persönliche Neuorientierung notwendig machen.
Ich bin der festen Überzeugung, dass gerade die Täler und Umwege des Lebens uns dazu herausfordern, uns zu vielschichtigen, starken und mitfühlenden Persönlichkeiten zu entwickeln. Mit Herzblut, Erfahrung und einer deftigen Prise fränkischem Humor unterstütze ich meine Klient:innen dabei, diese Herausforderung anzunehmen.
