Be promoted to supervisor
When employees are promoted to supervisor, they struggle the most in the first few weeks to meet the increased expectations. That's according to a quarter of HR managers in Robert Half's recent labor market survey. Enclosed you will find a checklist.
How promoted managers can master the new challenges as a supervisor has been summarized in a checklist by the specialized personnel service provider Robert Half. It shows so some professional yardsticks.
Swiss HR Responsible
The survey of 100 HR managers in Switzerland also shows that prioritizing projects is the second most difficult challenge for new managers in the early days. In third place is achieving a balance between one's own tasks and team leadership.
Rate which of the following tasks newly promoted managers struggle with the most in their first few weeks in their new position?
The executives' answers are:
- Meeting heightened expectations (25 %)
- Project prioritization (24 %)
- Balancing own tasks with time needed to lead team (16 %).
(Source: Robert Half, Labor Market Study 2016, Respondents: 100 HR managers in Switzerland)
Mentor recommended
"The first period as a new manager is like walking a tightrope. When you take on management responsibility, the expectations of both your superiors and your own employees rise," says Yeng Chow, senior manager at Robert Half in Zurich. "Especially in the beginning, it is important as a new boss to quickly grow into the new position. That's why I recommend finding a mentor within the company. He can give advice on many issues and help avoid missteps that he may have already made himself."
Checklist: Get off to a successful start as a new boss with these 6 tips
- Separate work and private life
The leadership role also changes your relationship with the workforce. If you want formerly equal employees to recognize their authority, make them aware of the change in cooperation and demarcate work from private life. Don't favor friendly colleagues to avoid damaging employee motivation or losing respect as a leader.
- Learn to delegate
With the higher position, the area of responsibility also increases. In order to still move the individual projects forward, you have to distribute tasks to your team. Even if you used to do this task quickly yourself and it initially takes time to explain the respective work order, this investment will pay off in the future. Because then you can concentrate on the essential tasks again.
- Be communicative
Take the time to learn more about your employees and also exchange ideas with individual team members in personal appointments. What are their career goals, for example, or in which areas can they still use support? The better managers know their team, the better they can lead and motivate them. At the same time, these meetings give you the chance to address your own situation as the "new boss" and explain the associated expectations of the team as well as measures of success.
- Avoid micro management
Instead of constantly controlling employees or constantly dictating decisions, give them room to innovate, succeed and make mistakes from which they can learn. Show interest and stay informed, and provide support by advising or decisively assisting when needed.
- Perceive your needs
Increased responsibility makes good time management - including consideration of work-life balance - more important than ever. Take regular breaks, use the vacation days you are entitled to, and block out time in your calendar to complete your tasks. This makes it easier to work through the task workload productively without failing in the medium term due to overload or not meeting expectations.
- Find a mentor
Find a mentor who can offer tips from his or her experience on how to deal with employees or how to assign tasks. If there is no in-house mentoring program, you can also approach a senior manager or your direct supervisor.
