How to step up to a management role

31.03.2015

Being promoted to management is a big deal. In order to impress your employer in your new position of responsibility, it is important to reassess your place within the company and consider how you will adapt your usual working behaviour in order to excel in this new role.

To help you make the transition, here are some general tips for anyone stepping up to a management role.

Take action

Prove yourself in your new management role by taking clear and immediate action towards common organisational goals. This can be difficult when many workers are bogged down in the everyday reality of work and emails. However, pulling your team together to take action on a long-standing goals or problem shows that you are serious about your new authoritative role, care about the success of the organisation you work for and want your team to work together cohesively to achieve perceptible results.

Multi-task

Carrying out your everyday work on top of the responsibility you have to manage a team is all in a day’s work for someone in your position. Expect to juggle a wide array of duties and put every skill you have learned in your career to the test – a manager will often have to step in where an employee is unable to fulfil their usual tasks, but being able to roll with this while remaining on top of the rest of your team’s responsibilities shows that you deserve to be in the position you’re in.

Delegate effectively

Delegation doesn’t mean dumping all your work on other members of your team – it is about knowing what you can pass onto others to free up more time to take important action on other things. If you cannot delegate effectively, you will quickly find yourself swamped with more work than one person can manage, distracting you from the bigger picture of your team’s success. Make an effort to recognise the individual strengths of each person in your team and delegate tasks accordingly.

Foster team spirit

You can motivate your team as a whole by being open and honest about the goal that you are collectively working towards at a given time. Ensure that you are holding regular team meetings to check the progress on these goals and ask team members to share their ideas that will help these goals to be achieved successfully. By encouraging collaboration in this way and actively taking on the best ideas, you show your team that you value their place in your organisation and enjoy working with them, encouraging positive behaviour.

Remain approachable

Being promoted is no excuse to hide behind an office door, away from the team that you are managing. Being approachable will mean that your team can raise their concerns about issues that may otherwise threaten the successful completion of a company goal. It also encourages trust and respect between all team members, which means a more productive working environment.

While moving into a management position can be a somewhat daunting experience, it is also incredibly rewarding when you successfully oversee a team that is consistently producing quality work. Trust that you have been promoted to the role you’re in for a reason and lead with your own unique style while remaining focused on the overall team and the great things you can achieve together.