With hard work and diligence, the promotable employee hopes to be given managerial responsibility one day. Often times however, the wrong choice is made, someone who was good in the job is promoted to manager, and he hasn't a clue what to do or how to treat people. To add insult to the problem, he seldom gets any management training and is expected to know what to do the moment he is given the new responsibility. Here are some of the more prevalent rookie mistakes for a new supervisor to avoid.
A Manager Promoted From Within in the Same Department or Work Group
This is failure in the making for even the well meaning manager. Though this is the fault of the company, the new manager needs to speak up and advocate for himself. Making the adjustment from being friends with a group of co-workers to being the boss of them is rife with sometimes unresolvable conflict. Promoting withing the same company is fine, but not keeping the new manager with his former buddies.
Jealousies are only part of the reason for this to fail. More often than not, the new manager tries to be overly authoritative to make his new position "stick." When this happens, many an underling has been known to ensure his lack of success through subterfuge or outright deception. All upper management knows in the end is that he couldn't cut it.
Managers Who Sleep With the Enemy or the Subordinate
This happens much more often than the company would like to admit. It may occur as the result of an existing relationship, where someone gets promoted or just from two people working long hours together. Even if this activity is not expressly prohibited by management, the best course of action is a transfer of the manager or the employee.
Even in the event that the manager is careful not to favor this employee in any way, the other members of the group will perceive favoritism even when it does not exist. A manager who thinks the relationship is secret is only kidding himself. As is the case with all juicy company gossip, it seems that the walls, do in fact, have ears and eyes.
Managers Who Correct an Employee in Front of a Group or Correct with Ridicule
An effective manager will never criticize an employee's behavior in front of her peers, unless there is the chance of imminent harm to someone. Any affront to an employee where they lose face in front in of others is not only an inappropriate behavior, it can be downright dangerous. People can be driven to do crazy things when their pride is at stake.
If the employee is not the retaliatory type, she may find other ways to express her hurt or disapproval. For example, she may show up at the president's office in tears or stage some other dramatic event, which will not be career enhancing for the new manager.
Even jokingly, do not insult an employee's performance on the job. He may laugh it off overtly, but be seething on the inside. Treat everyone with respect and in the same fashion the manager would like to be treated himself.
New Managers Who Buddy Up to the Work Crew
New managers need to understand that there is no excuse for bad mouthing the company, in order to be accepted by the work group. As a member of the management team, this is not only destructive to the integrity of the organization, it is harmful to the manager's reputation - both with management and with the employees. He will be seen as an outcast by both groups.
If the manager does not agree with a policy or a decision, he needs to take this up with his boss in a private office. After expressing his concerns and objections, if the company does not alter the policy to the manager's liking, he needs to carry through his responsibilities, provided they are not immoral or unethical actions. He can continue to work toward changing things by following the appropriate chain of command and policy.
There are many challenges for the new supervisor to deal with, particularly when he lacks training. Avoiding the common pitfalls that include managing a department of people who had been his peers, having a relationship with a subordinate, sloppy disciplinary practices and not walking the talk are all areas to monitor and avoid. Requesting management training or seeking it in his spare time will be effort well spent in advancing his career and candidacy for the future.
Therese Haberman - With a MS degree and 25 years in HR mgmt, in 2005, Ms.Therese began a writing career specializing in children and HR.
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