{"id":704,"date":"2014-07-18T00:00:50","date_gmt":"2014-07-18T00:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/?p=704"},"modified":"2025-03-10T01:12:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T01:12:28","slug":"advice-for-new-managers-dont-be-a-jerk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/advice-for-new-managers-dont-be-a-jerk\/","title":{"rendered":"Advice For New Managers: Don\u2019t Be A Jerk"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you\u2019ve finally been promoted \u2013 well done. Your hard work, extra hours and perseverance have finally paid off and you\u2019ve taken the next step up the company ladder. You\u2019re a manager now. Life is pretty good.
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But even before the champagne stops flowing, you\u2019re probably going to make one of the mistakes listed below. Rookie managers, like anyone else, take a while to settle into a new role \u2013 but getting off on the wrong foot in the early days can make life very difficult. Once you\u2019ve established yourself as a jerk, it\u2019s very difficult to remove that label \u2013 and it could set a precedent for the rest of your career with the company. People talk and reputations stick.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the fastest ways to establish yourself as a jerk when you\u2019ve been promoted to a management role.<\/p>\n

Not letting go of your old role because you\u2019re the \u2018expert\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Sure, you can probably do your old job better than the new person \u2013 you\u2019ve just been promoted after all, so you clearly know what you\u2019re doing. You can guarantee that the new person is aware of this fact too. It\u2019s likely adding extra stress on top of their efforts to learn their new role. Don\u2019t insist that they do your old job exactly the same way that you used to \u2013 they\u2019ll resent you for it. Just make yourself available to give advice when it\u2019s needed, and let them take ownership of their job.<\/p>\n

Not recognising that your words carry more weight now<\/b><\/p>\n

A manager\u2019s words, body language, mood and tone are all open to interpretation by their staff. Your offhand comment or attempt at humour can ruin someone\u2019s day or even sow the seeds of significant ongoing anxiety. Your staff will be acutely aware that your actions and decisions can impact their lives. Don\u2019t take that responsibility lightly.<\/p>\n

Talking yourself up as the company\u2019s saviour<\/b><\/p>\n

This is a common mistake made by new managers \u2013 talking down the business, or banging on about how much trouble the company is in. It\u2019s a way of hedging your bets when it comes to your own performance; if you get poor results, it\u2019s because of the company\u2019s failings, and if your get good results, you\u2019ve been the successful underdog who has worked miracles to keep the company going. Nobody will buy it \u2013 not your staff, not your superiors and probably not even yourself.<\/p>\n

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Trash-talking people who have quit<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re venting about past employees to your team, the only thing you will accomplish is making your team wonder what you say about them when they\u2019re not around. It\u2019s not difficult to be gracious \u2013 remember that your personal feelings will often be interpreted as the company position. Burning bridges rarely helps anyone.<\/p>\n

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Immediately choosing a team that looks like a personal cheer squad<\/b><\/p>\n

There\u2019s always a strong temptation to choose your own team and to put your friends into the plum roles ahead of people you don\u2019t get along with so well. But remember that the best business strategies often emerge from conflicting ideas \u2013 and that means having people on your team who are willing to challenge you. You don\u2019t need to hang out with them on the weekend, just recognise and respect their contribution to the business.<\/p>\n

Forgetting your clients<\/b><\/p>\n

When you take on your new management role, you\u2019ll find it very easy to spend more time away from your clients and customers. There will always be paperwork to do, and it can be a lot more straightforward than dealing with clients \u2013 but putting yourself on a pedestal where you\u2019re perceived as being too busy to deal with customers will leave a bad taste in the mouths of your staff AND your clients.<\/p>\n

Moving ahead on strategy without the team\u2019s support<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s no longer acceptable to simply announce a strategy and then expect your team to execute it. A strategy that doesn\u2019t incorporate what your team and customers can offer is a strategy for failure. Strategies that discard previous work and set bold new paths tend to pile up on top of each other as managers try to make their mark with an eye to short term results. Don\u2019t become another suit passing through the revolving door \u2013 involve your team, work with their strengths, listen to their ideas and reap the benefits.<\/p>\n

Acting like you\u2019re bulletproof<\/b><\/p>\n

Being absolutely certain about something \u2013 and then being proven dead wrong \u2013 can be the end of the road for a new manager. It\u2019s ok to be unsure. It\u2019s ok to ask advice. It\u2019s ok to change your mind as new information comes to hand. Let your team see you sweat a bit. It will remind them that you are a person too, and show that you are willing to challenge yourself and strive for the best result. It\u2019s called leadership.<\/p>\n

Talking without listening<\/b><\/p>\n

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Your staff will generally be the frontline of your business. They know what happens from day to day and they\u2019re worth listening to. Making speeches about your perspective on the business, without listening to the people who are actually carrying out that business can make you feel important \u2013 but will ultimately backfire. If you\u2019re not approachable and willing to listen, why would your staff come to you with suggestions or solutions? Remember, even though you\u2019re the manager now, it\u2019s unlikely that you know everything about every aspect of the company.<\/p>\n

Not making sure that you\u2019re all on the same page<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve settled on a strategy and communicated it to your staff, make sure that they\u2019ve heard it. Most people have to hear something several times, often from several sources, before it sinks in. Acknowledge the contributions that your staff have made to the strategy. Let them take ownership of their ideas and they will support yours in return.<\/p>\n

Being a rookie manager is an exciting, heady time, but it\u2019s really easy to fumble the ball at the beginning. Remember, your new team will be watching your every move and wondering whether you are going to make their lives easier\u2026 or whether they need to burn your effigy in the broom closet!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So you\u2019ve finally been promoted \u2013 well done. Your hard work, extra hours and perseverance have finally paid off and you\u2019ve taken the next step up the company ladder. You\u2019re a manager now. Life is pretty good. But even before the champagne stops flowing, you\u2019re probably going to make one of the mistakes listed below.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-whats-new"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=704"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":712,"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704\/revisions\/712"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oryxpeople.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}