First-Time Managers Start Here: Building a Solid Foundation for New and Aspiring Managers

By Donna Aldrich

First-Time Managers Start Here is where new and aspiring managers begin. 

In our fast-paced work life, companies don’t spend the time to cultivate and grow new managers. Often, they expect managers to know what to do, which leaves you with the question: 

“Where do I begin?” 

Ask yourself: How do

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aldrich Coaching
• Release date: Jun 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9780578671178

Book preview

First-Time Managers Start Here

Building a Solid Foundation for New and Aspiring Managers

By Donna Aldrich

Copyright © 2020 Aldrich Coaching

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 978-0-578-67116-1 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-0-578-67117-8 (E-book)

Editing by Dustin Bilyk @ The Author’s Hand

Front cover design by NinaArt @ 99Designs

Printed by Ingram Spark in the United States of America.

First printing edition 2020.

Visit: www.aldrichcoaching.com

To my mother, who is a great example of the value of

perseverance.

And to my father, who always led with his heart.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: YOUR FIRST WEEK

The First Meeting: Introduction to the Team

Meeting with Employees One-on-One

CHAPTER 2: GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR NEW BOSS

The Initial Meetings

Determining your Goals

CHAPTER 3: MANAGING PEOPLE

Goal Setting

Feedback

Performance Appraisal

Performance Improvement Plans

CHAPTER 4: INSPIRING & MOTIVATING YOUR TEAM

CHAPTER 5: HIRING

CHAPTER 6: DEVELOPING PEOPLE

Chapter 7: COMMUNICATION

CHAPTER 8: MEETINGS

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX/RESOURCES

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

INTRODUCTION

As someone who has been a leader, a manager and a coach working for many different companies, I have not seen enough attention given to first-time managers and their success. Even when companies do offer training, it’s generic at best.

So why this book and why now?

More than ever, first-time managers need guidance to drive them towards success, and when a manager succeeds so does the entire company by improving results through more engaged employees. Because, at the end of the day, it is your employees that will make you a successful manager and leader.

In this book I will offer you the techniques I’ve used over the last three decades to create a successful team and a happy, high-functioning workplace.

It is exciting to start on your managerial journey! But it also brings with it lots of questions about where to begin. My goal is to help new managers onboard more quickly and to hone their skills in order to become the best manager they can be.

I can still remember my first management job at Hewlett-Packard when my boss promoted me with great intentions and then wished me luck. He told me if I had any questions, just ask, and then he left the company. I started out my career as a Special Education teacher, and here I was four years later managing a team of professionals in an Information Technologies group. You can imagine that I had questions!

I was excited for the new opportunity, but it was complicated by the fact that I was now managing a group of my peers. Right off the bat I had to have a difficult conversation with an unmotivated employee, and I clearly remember the discomfort I felt because I had no idea how to approach it. So, I had to figure it out on my own, oftentimes not knowing if I was stepping on a landmine or making a great decision. For me, like many others, it was trial and error. My thoughts were:

Let me try this. If it works, I will keep doing it. If it doesn’t, I’ll find another way.

Does this sound familiar to you? Furthermore, do you really think this is a recipe for success?

The manager plays a crucial role in the company’s ability to retain their best employees. Fifty-two percent of exiting employees say that their manager could have done something to prevent them from leaving their job. Nevertheless, only 51% of employees who left their job had a conversation about their engagement, development or future during the three months leading up to their departure (Ben Weigert & Ellen Maese, How Your Manager Experience Shapes Your Employee Experience: Gallup Workplace, July 2, 2019).

The way you manage people makes a difference in whether people want to work for you. Many studies, such as one by the Boston Consulting Group, show that one of the reasons people are happy at work is that they are happy with their boss. This puts you right at the center of your company’s success, for the cost of losing great employees is very high to a business, and you the manager can make a big difference in improving retention by the way in which you manage.

This book is the beginning of your journey down the management path. It will help you feel more confident as you navigate managing a team for the first time, and give you tools and ideas so you have options and a roadmap to figure out what works for you and your team. Based on your company’s environment, your way of working and your personality, you get to choose what speaks to you and what is most relevant to your situation.

I have covered many different scenarios based on my experience in corporate management. We begin in Chapter 1 by reviewing the steps you must take during your first week on the job, including introducing yourself to the team and setting up the all-important One-on-Ones with each of your team members. The tables turn in Chapter 2 where I discuss the best approach to meeting with your new boss, how to prepare for your first meetings, and how to set personal goals that will allow you to establish yourself as a key manager on your team and build upon your successful brand within the company.

The following chapters get into the practical details of managing, motivating and developing your team. I also cover best hiring practices, as well as how to conduct meetings and communicate with your team in the most efficient and beneficial way possible.

Throughout, I have included important stories that clients have shared with me in my coaching practice. Previous colleagues and friends have also provided input, and while none of this is a guarantee of success, the book does include best practices that I have seen work over and over again. I am confident that this book will make a positive difference in your new role as manager with less frustration and expedient results.

We have all seen the speed of change in our world and in our businesses. The ability to manage through that change so employees are satisfied and productive makes a difference in employee cohesion and the productivity of the business. Employees want to work for that kind of manager. So ask yourself:

Isn’t that the kind of manager you want to be?

- CHAPTER ONE -

Your First Week

This chapter will give you some concrete steps that will allow you and your team to get to know each other. Employees want to know what to expect from you, and your openness and willingness to make your team a priority will create positive momentum for you as the manager and will spill into all aspects of your work for years to come.

So let’s get right into it!

The First Meeting: Introduction to the Team

You’re the new manager and you want to hit the ground running. It is important to begin positively in your new role. This is true whether you are new to the company or coming to the role as an internal employee. I recommend you have an introductory meeting early on after you have been announced to the team. This will signify your desire to have a great beginning, and it will build rapport.

I am not a fan of winging it so don’t go into this introductory meeting unprepared and without practice. Being prepared will help you answer questions that come up as a part of the natural dialogue in the room.

So, what do you want to know about your new team? What do you want them to know about you? If you have a Human Resource business partner, she can be quite instrumental in assisting you with this. She can reach out to the team and ask them what they want to know, then provide you with a list of questions to address during your meeting.

If there is no HR business partner, this is something you can do yourself. Send an email or memo to your team asking them the types of questions they have for you. You can say something like:

I want to make this meeting meaningful for all of you by answering your most pressing questions. As a manager, I value your input. I plan on talking about the following (see examples below). Please let me know what other topics you might like me to include.

Some Examples of Topics You May Include:

Your values

Your management style (or how you would like to manage)

How you like to work

How decisions will be made

How important fairness is in evaluating employees, especially if you were a peer and now the manager. (At some point, you may need to address favoritism and how to avoid it, especially if you were more friendly with some in the department and not so much with others. This does not have to be an obstacle if you behave in a way that is fair and professional.)

Your communication style

Your experience (if new or transferring into the team)

Your subject matter expertise

Your role as advocate for the team

Your interests and hobbies

Your family

This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a great start. Keep in mind, how much you share from a personal perspective is unique to you. However, let them know the total you. Paint a total picture, not just the picture of you at work.

Be authentic.

For me authenticity means showing up and behaving in a way in which my actions match my values. For example, if I say communication