Congratulations on your promotion! Now what? Stepping into your first management position can feel daunting, even overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. New managers stumble for the same reasons, and most are avoidable. Here are some common ones I’ve seen throughout my 17 years in the nonprofit sector, and how to get past them.

Doing the work yourself

Your promotion likely means you’re a high performer, but that’s about to change. A manager’s job isn’t to get the work done, but to pursue outcomes through others. You’re not doing the work, but you are making it happen.

Still confused? Google has done substantial research into what makes a good manager, and they identified three key areas of focus. Delivering results, developing people, and building community.

Delivering results

Your job as a manager is to make the work possible. Provide clear goals and priorities, eliminate obstacles, and offer encouragement.

Developing people

Managing a team is more than just monitoring them. Good managers set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, coach team members through success and failure, and seek out development opportunities for their teams.

Building community

Managers are the glue that holds a team together. They’re also a bridge to the other parts of the organization. Good managers develop strong team cohesion, but also encourage collaboration and connection with other teams.

Treating your team members like peers

Many new managers struggle with their relationships with former peers. This causes awkwardness and even resistance or resentment, making it challenging to lead and develop your people effectively.

It’s essential to sit down with each former peer and have an explicit conversation about how your new position will and won’t change relationship dynamics. Set clear expectations, but be fair and transparent. Remember that this is a dialogue; be open to feedback and suggestions, too.

Avoiding tough conversations

If tough conversations put knots in your stomach, you’re not alone. I’ve worked with experienced managers and top executives who still struggle with them. But to be a good manager, you need to make the most of them.

Having regular one-on-ones with your team can help identify potential problems before they require a crucial conversation, and they can help you understand how each employee likes to receive feedback. Take the opportunity to ask a lot of open-ended questions about their role and the challenges they’re facing.

That won’t catch everything, though. And at some point, you will need to have a tough conversation or give some feedback. It’s important to remember that feedback is best when it’s impartial and fair. Focus on the facts, highlight a behaviour, the impact it’s having, and what next steps need to be taken. And remember that while you can praise in public, feedback should be given in private.

On the topic of praise, take every opportunity to provide specific praise whenever possible. Praising the behaviours you want often gets better results than giving feedback on the behaviours you don’t.

Not being intentional with your time

As a manager, there will be more demand for your time than you can meet. You can read all the books you want about time management and efficiency, but you cannot add more hours to the day.

Good managers learn that time management is actually about priority management; understanding what provides the most benefit for your team. If they’re struggling to stay engaged, you may need to focus on coaching and motivating them. If they’re getting stalled by other teams, you may have to play ambassador and smooth things over. If they’re getting too much pressure from on high, you may need to give them cover (more on that next).

One final note: trying to be everything for everyone is a recipe for burnout. Learn to get comfortable with delegating. You need to focus on the things that only you can do. Have your team help you with the rest. And remember, saying ‘no’ or ‘not right now’ is a viable option.

Losing alignment with your boss

Until now, these problems have focused on your team, and it can be easy to get caught up in tunnel vision, focusing on them. But you aren’t just responsible for your team, you’re also responsible to your boss. And how you manage them (yes, manage) directly affects how you manage your team.

As a manager, you won’t have all the answers, nor will you have all the right information to make the right decisions. The same goes for your boss. As you develop an understanding of what your team needs, do the same with your boss.

Have regular check-ins to discuss potential issues, upcoming decisions, and to confirm priorities. Come prepared with the information your boss will need to give your team what they need.

Forgetting to manage yourself

While managing your team, don’t forget that you have to manage yourself. I have always found this challenging, so know that you’re not alone.

You will have moments where you don’t feel cut out for this, like you aren’t ready to be a manager. Here’s the truth. It’s more common than you think. I’ve worked with managers with decades of experience who still don’t feel ready. But they show up anyway.

That feeling of discomfort comes from vulnerability. Being a good manager means stepping outside of your comfort zone. It means having tough conversations even if you’re naturally introverted. It means learning to really listen, even if you’re extroverted. And it means recognizing that growth is uncomfortable.

You will make mistakes, and you won’t be a perfect manager. But, so long as you own your mistakes, apologize for them and learn from them, the people around you will appreciate that you are doing your best.

Adam Revay has over 17 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, motivating small teams to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Now he helps nonprofit leaders fix team problems and boost morale by getting people talking and working openly together. If you think your team needs help and don’t know where to start, check out his free DRIVE framework for getting teams back on track.

 

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