IF YOU ARE A NEW BOSS, congratulations! You've taken an important step toward your career advancement. Being a manager means you can accomplish work on a greater scale, get more involved in your industry and make continued progress in your professional growth.
Being a new boss also presents new experiences and challenges. These challenges will propel you forward, but they can be intimidating during your first week as a new manager. To help you make those first days as smooth as possible, here are several steps that you can take to put your best foot forward and feel more at ease as you adjust to your new role.
1. Learn how to build self-confidence
When professionals are confident in themselves, this boosts employee morale and trust. If you aren't confident in your abilities, it will be hard to ask for support from your new employees. It's normal to feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure as you adjust to your new role. So how can you build your self-confidence?
Review past projects where you took the lead to see how you successfully handled previous tasks with your team and what leadership qualities you demonstrated. If you keep an accomplishments document, you may find that it's helpful to review any kudos from your boss and clients before you start each day to boost your confidence.
Instead of jumping into your lengthier projects, start with the small items on your list. As you successfully accomplish those tasks, you will feel more confident about working on larger priorities. This will also prevent you from feeling overwhelmed early in the week.
Get in the zone. You can boost confidence by listening to a playlist that inspires you on the way to work, repeating a phrase to yourself that makes you feel powerful or just taking a few moments to clear your head and focus on why you were hired for this role.
You might find it helpful to try all of these ideas and see which one works for you. Whatever you choose, don't succumb to impostor syndrome. Remember that your superiors felt that you were qualified for this role because you are qualified for this role.
2. Prioritize setting boundaries at work
Setting boundaries at work can be difficult as a new manager, but it's better to set them as soon as possible. Recognize that your work relationships need to change for you to be a successful boss.
To do this, think about what your superiors did when you were an employee. What did you like about their boundaries? How do leaders you admire set boundaries?
If you have a mentor, have a conversation about reasonable boundaries. You may find it helpful to talk to the human resources department to see if there are any company management guidelines in place.
Consider these questions:
- How often will you pass by your employees' desks to check in with them?
- Where will you eat lunch?
- How will you treat your former co-workers who are now your employees?
- How will you get to know new employees?
- What will you do to give employees their space?
- What will you do to give yourself space?
3. Build strong work relationships
The other managers at your organization are, in effect, your new co-workers. They face the same challenges of managing and training people and will no doubt have advice on how to handle various situations. You will want to build camaraderie with them, so make an effort to get to know them starting this week. Invite one of them for coffee or to your office during your break. Find out when they eat lunch and ask to join them. Take them out to lunch to learn what their best practices are for managing their department or employees.
4. Be observant
Observe how other managers interact with each other and with their employees. Decide what you want to copy and what new things you would like to try as a boss. While you will develop your own leadership style with time, seeing things you want to adopt and avoid can help you during your early days as a boss.