What To Do With Your New Manager Identity Crisis
Posted on May 24, 2023 by ANDREA LOUBSER, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
The transition from individual contributor to manager can be likened to a shift in identity. This is one of the hardest changes to go through.
Are you finding it hard to move from being a DOER of the work to getting the work done through others? Is your mounting to-do list leaving you overwhelmed. Rest assured; you are not alone in this. Many New Managers struggle with the transition from an individual contributor and subject matter expert to Manager, much as one would if you were having an identity crisis.
It happens time and again. You’re appointed or promoted into a Manager role for the first time, usually because you have excelled in your individual contributor role. There’s an exciting buzz and rightly so, because you’ve worked hard and your efforts have been recognised. But then its time to start delivering. As you start settling down, finding your feet it there is so much to learn; new people to get to know, new systems, new reporting structures, new deliverables….the list goes on. When confronted with so much newness, it can be tempting to gravitate to what feels comfortingly familiar, the work that comes easy because you’ve mastered it before. Usually this involves technical skills in your area of expertise which formed part of how you defined yourself before becoming a manager.
Now that you are a Manager, you may still be holding on to work that can be delegated to others, partly because you have high standards and you want to ensure those standards are met and partly because its reassuringly familiar. But at some point, this approach is going to stifle your growth and that of your team.
Holding on to the individual contributor identity when you are a Manager is like driving a car with one foot on the brakes and the other on the accelerator. Doing this is going to get you nowhere fast! Ultimately this habit can become a trap that holds you back from achieving your goals.
Effective managers take their foot off the brakes and delegate work to the right people, outlining expectations clearly. This allows teams to accomplish much more and with the right processes in place, you can still achieve the level of assurance you need that the work meets the desired standard. Remember that delegation is not abdication, and when done properly, it can help build trust and ensure the work is done effectively and efficiently.
The bottom line is that you will never stop learning. The world is changing at a faster and faster pace. You will need to keep up to remain relevant. Whether you manage a department or a project team, it is important to know how to get the right work done, at the right time, by the right people in a way that brings a quality result. Getting work done with the help of others, is a complex endeavour – much of your time will involve managing relationships instead of doing the actual work. If you want to succeed you need to include the soft skills side of management in your development plan, in addition to technical skills.
Start by focussing on the key areas outlined below and you will be well on your way.
1. Getting to know the skills and strengths of your team.
2. Cultivating positive relationships.
3. Selecting and developing the right people.
4. Delegating wisely
5. Holding yourself and others accountable
6. Dealing with conflict promptly
7. Communicating clearly and regularly.
8. Avoiding common mistakes such as Micromanaging.
Remember, as a new manager, your role is to help your team succeed. Trust your team and yourself and tackle the new challenges with a growth mindset. It starts with shifting your identify from being a “doer” to MANAGER and LEADER!
© 2023 CoachTalk Dynamics
