On Being A New Manager — Some Misconceptions
One of the scariest things about being a new manager is handling people, that can keep you up at night.
This feeling has dogged newbie managers for as long as we can remember, and majority would list it as their #1 fear. One of the unnerving and at the same time exciting transitions in any company is going from an individual contributor to a management role. Contrary to what one might say, no one is fully prepared to lead from day one and be a great manager — great managers are made, not born[1]. The reason for this is simple and can be attributed to the lack of specific training programs for aspiring individual contributors in most organizations. Before climbing the management ladder everyone in some way or form excels in their respective fields, hence the reason for the elevation. A person can be smart, confident, a strategic thinker and resourceful as an individual contributor but may have trouble adjusting to the new realities of being a rookie manager. I
Companies most often do not offer comprehensive training and structured coaching programs to their employees in preparation for any management role. Rookie managers are expected to learn on their own through guidance from senior management, peers and to a large extent by the process of trial and error. A new manager must project confidence when they don’t feel confident and are hesitant to ask for help as in their mind, they should know all the answers. The excitement and euphoria generated by the new position starts giving way to apprehension and a deer caught in the headlights feeling soon enough. It doesn’t have to be this way if the rookie manager has a clear understanding of what to expect and how to successfully navigate the myths that bedevil all new managers. Let us analyze the five most common myths experienced by all individual contributors when they become a manager. If you feel fear and apprehension, do not worry as this is quite normal and you are not alone.
Misconception #1 — Manager’s Source of Power is ‘Authority’
Abstract: Most new managers are firm believers that their source of power comes from the authority they automatically acquire once they go up the management ladder. Although authority is inherent with the new job but is not the only source of power. A new manager will need credibility, confidence and trust building along with authority in order to be truly effective and ultimately successful.
Every new manager should develop a leadership philosophy by which he or she should navigate. Does he feel empowered about the new role because he can order people around — or he feels excited because he can help others in reaching the same level[2]. That clarity of purpose is essential in the initial stages of any manager’s first months. Many senior managers I talked to subscribe to the view that people follow leadership not authority. One of the senior managers was quite candid about the play between authority and credibility. In his view managers should first establish credibility and trust with their team which will automatically generate the authority inherent in the position. He further surmised that if the manager doesn’t win credibility or trust from the team initially, he really doesn’t possess any real power. Imposing your will on the team without consensus is counter productive and plays havoc with the morale and productivity of individual contributors. To be fair it is not entirely the fault of the rookie managers if they believe in the power of authority as they most probably were never trained for this role.
New managers should realize that besides formal authority that comes automatically with the job there are other avenues available.
A new manager who flaunts authority from the outset will not win any admirers from his team and instead will cause a hostile barrier which will block even his good ideas and intentions from getting through. A great approach for such a person would be to exploit his freshness as an advantage. He is coming in with a clean slate unburdened by any mistakes or stale ideas from his predecessors. Famous Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki said it best — ‘In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few[3].’ New managers should realize that besides formal authority that comes automatically with the job there are other avenues available. Linda A. Hill, a professor at Harvard Business School is clear with her assertion when she says, ‘Many new managers don’t realize that there are numerous sources of power besides formal authority such as expertise, appealing personal qualities, position in key networks and visibility.[4]’
Coming in as a beginner and asking for ideas and input from the team will spark innovation and create an ownership stake for the team members in the success of any process thereafter.
Misconception #2 — Technical Competence will Win the Day
Abstract: Individual contributors are promoted to become managers based on their impressive technical knowhow and prowess in prior positions. These newly minted managers start off with the misplaced confidence that their technical competence will win the day. What most fail to realize is that the qualities that paved the way for their promotion are quite different from those that will help them as a manager.
It is quite ironic for new managers to get hit with the realization that the technical skills and talents that paved the way for their promotion are quite different from what is required from them in this new position. Technical skills that helped you shine and become a peak achiever will not help much when dealing with direct reports in diverse scenarios. Almost no company offers managerial training opportunities for people aspiring to climb the management ladder. New managers are expected to learn these skills by themselves and barring few exceptions most feel overwhelmed, frustrated, angry or beyond their comfort zones.
The incoming manager should take his hands off the steering wheel and give other members of his team a chance to drive.
Consider the example of Uber — a technical startup founded in 2009 which grew to 110 million users world wide in just 10 years. One cannot imagine that Uber’s technical force that joined the company in its initial formative years had any sort of management experience and training before they assumed positions of authority.[5] Francis Frei is a Harvard Business School professor, who was tasked by Uber recently to help with company’s leadership and other scandals. She cautioned against any hasty conclusions about the company having bad managers but instead opined that those managers have not been given the guidance they need. ‘It turns out we have not been giving leadership training to our managers,’ she said. ‘So, the managers have not been set up for success.’
Individual contributors (ICs) in their technical roles are fully in control of all aspects of their professional lives. It is easy as they only have themselves to manage but managing a team is a completely different story. A new manager initially should listen and learn and never impose. The incoming manager should take his hands off the steering wheel and give other members of his team a chance to drive.
Misconception #3 — The Boss is supposed to have All the Answers
Abstract: An often-paralyzing myth faced by new managers is the misconception that a boss is supposed to have all the answers. So, seeking help from your immediate supervisor is a sure sign that the new manager is a promotion mistake. New managers sometimes erroneously think of their bosses as an adversary and not an ally. In addition, they view their relationship more in terms of servitude than partnership[6]. There is always a perception of danger in sharing anxieties as this information can be used against you later if things don’t go well.
This is a very well trenched myth, and no one is immune to it whether they be the new manager or their direct reports. If you are a new manager and feel immense pressure from all the expectations associated with your role, do not worry — you are not alone. The pressure on a newly promoted manager is multifold — from his bosses, peers and his direct reports in varying degrees.
Feelings of incompetence, letting others down, looking foolish and even being fired are commonplace. One thing is certain, no new manager can have all the answers. If that were true, then we would need a fewer individual contributors (ICs) in any team. ICs are conditioned in their careers to believe that their immediate bosses have all the answers even when they do not. This adds to their own hesitation in asking for help when they climb the ladder themselves. New managers should embrace their initial vulnerability as this potentially creates avenues for positive change. Anthony Tjan (CEO and author of Good People) argues convincingly that, ‘For new leaders and managers, the challenge and opportunity comes from the humble (and humane) recognition that no one is invincible.’[7]
First 3 months for any new manager are a period of incredible transition and not in a bad way. He can do no wrong during this time as his bosses, peers and direct reports give him the benefit of not knowing much about being a manager. This time should be used wisely — asking questions and then some more awkward questions, saying ‘I don’t know’ without hesitation, being humble and respecting your team’s views. Julie Zhuo (Facebook’s VP of Product Design and author of The Making of a Manager) very succinctly narrates the following about the honey moon period, ‘Use the newbie card to your advantage by asking as many questions of as many people as you can.’ She further adds, ‘You feel pressured to preserve the status quo, but change is a prerequisite for improvement. Be yourself, as everyone else has been taken.’
Misconception #4 — Delegation is Abdication[8]
Abstract: New managers almost always make the mistake of equating delegation of tasks with abdication of their duties. This myth puts undue pressure on the new manager as he tends to do extra work which should have been properly delegated. ‘No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.[9]’
It should be understood by new managers that delegation is not abdication of control or authority. It follows naturally from our last myth about an all-knowing boss that any new manager should be doing all the work himself. Newly promoted managers are reluctant to delegate for a variety of reasons — awkward to ask peers who are now direct reports, lack of self-confidence, mindset to do everything yourself (or arrogance) and their own perfectionist bias. What they fail to realize is that they are neither helping themselves nor their direct reports but instead are hurting their developments. Learning to delegate and its acceptance requires a radical change in behavior and mindset.
Effective delegation of tasks may look simple enough to the uninitiated, but it is a difficult endeavor. According to Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of What Were They Thinking: Unconventional Wisdom About Management), delegation benefits managers, direct reports and organizations. ‘Yet it remains one of the most underutilized and underdeveloped capabilities’, he adds[10]. Doing everything yourself and be great at it is a good trait to have as an individual contributor but runs opposite to what being a manager means. Its hard for a ‘go-to expert’ to let go and acknowledge that someone else in the team can do a better job. At the same time delegation should not mean pushing a task completely off your plate and not bothering about it anymore. The direct reports should be observed and supported but not dictated to and instead given space.
Learning to delegate and its acceptance requires a radical change in behavior and mindset.
Jesse Sostrin (Author of The Manager’s Dilemma) in a Harvard Business Review article explains an unavoidable leadership paradox, namely; ‘You need to be more essential and less involved.’ [11]When a newbie manager does not delegate and justifies his hold on work, he confuses being involved with being essential — the two are not the same. He further stresses that proper delegation of tasks elevates your presence through the actions of others. Delegating tasks to your direct reports frees you to do more strategic planning, prevents you from burning out and at the same time develops your team for the long term. If done equitably, delegation staves off resentment amongst staff members as they do not feel that lack of opportunity is hindering their advancement. Proper delegation is never abdication and is an essential aspect of a new manager’s growth.
Misconception #5 — Abundant Time & Few Monkeys on Your Back
Abstract: This myth is about the abundant time a new manager will have as you only supervise and manage people. Consequently, there are very few monkeys on your back as you can assign them to your direct reports.
One of the resources most in demand for a new manager is time. A deluge of activity for any manager should not seem like a problem but it allows almost no time for reflection or purpose driven goals. Putting out fires, rushing from meeting to meeting, countless conference calls and checking emails constantly may overshadow the fact that they may not be using their time purposefully. This is what is called ‘unproductive busyness’ [12]by authors Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal in their wide-ranging behavioral study of managers in a dozen large companies (Lufthansa, Sony, LG etc.). Their study found that these companies went hugely profitable when they undertook transformation in their new manager’s attitudes.
One aspect of their extensive study is particularly interesting for this article namely The Focus Energy Matrix shown below.
According to the study a mere 10% of managers are purposeful. A company that strives to improve the purposeful metric (higher Energy & Focus) and teaches its new managers to be proactive about it will be successful.
One of the reasons that new managers are always short on time is because they keep on taking too many tasks (or monkeys on their backs). Some of these tasks are vital for their job-related activities but most are not and should have been delegated wisely. In the classic and highest selling HBR article ever (Who’s Got the Monkey[14]), authors William Oncken and Donald L. Wass divide a new manager’s time into three categories — Boss-imposed, System-imposed and Self-imposed. The first two kinds of management time are vital and neglecting them will incur swift penalties. However, the last category (Self-imposed) is what the manager ‘believes’ is as important as the first two and this one alone is a drag on his time resource. There can be no penalties associated with it as neither the boss nor the system is aware of what the manager intends to do with this time.
New managers should be cognizant of how they spend their self-imposed or discretionary time as this is the one management time they can control. Firstly, a manager shouldn’t take too many unnecessary monkeys on his back. Let us consider an example of an interaction between a manager and his subordinate. A direct report asks his manager for advice or help for a certain problem and the manager has other tasks he is prioritizing at that time. He tells the employee, ‘Let me think about it and I will get back to you.’ The monkey (task) just jumped from the subordinate’s back to the manager’s back. Now this manager is under his subordinate’s-imposed time and has used a part of his precious ‘discretionary’ time. Imagine another subordinate asking for help on a product review that she wrote and so on and so forth. If the new manager is not careful and keeps on taking monkeys from the backs of his subordinates he will be ‘working’ for them and not ‘managing’ them. The manager will never be able to completely clear his plate as his time will be eaten up by meeting the boss-imposed and system-imposed requirements.
So, what can a manager do when he is perpetually short on time and there are too many monkeys on his back? He must firmly set some ground rules with his subordinates from the very beginning. The basic outline for these ground rules should be the acknowledgement that their problems will not entirely become manager’s problems. The manager will help but the ownership, care and feeding of the monkeys will firmly remain with the subordinates. This way a new manager can purposefully use his discretionary time to better strategize, plan and guide the department. In general, a new manager can only keep as many monkeys on his back which he can feed adequately as the only way to increase his self-imposed time is by eliminating subordinate-imposed time.
Works Cited
[1] The Making of a Manager — Julie Zhuo. 2019 Portfolio publisher
[2] 5 Things New Managers Should Focus on First by Anthony K. Tjan (Harvard Business Review May 2017)
[3] New Managers Don’t Have to Have All the Answers by Steven D’Souza and Diana Renner (Harvard Business Review September 2015)
[4] Linda A. Hill is an American economist currently the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
[5] New Managers Should Focus on Helping Their Teams, Not Pleasing Their Bosses by Karen Dillon (Harvard Business Review July 2017)
[6] Saving Your Rookie Managers from Themselves by Carol A. Walker (Harvard Business Review April 2002)
[7] Good People: The Only Leadership Decision That Real Matter by Anthony Tjan (April 2017)
[8] Saving Your Rookie Managers from Themselves by Carol A. Walker (Harvard Business Review April 2002)
[9] Andrew Carnegie, 19th century business magnate and philanthropist.
[10] Jeffrey Pfeffer is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business
[11] To Be a Great Leader, You have to Learn How to Delegate Well by Jesse Sostrin (Harvard Business Review October 2017)
[12] Study by Authors Heike Bruch & Sumantra Ghoshal
[13] Beware the Busy Manager by Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal (HBR February 2002)
[14] Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey? By William Oncken, Jr and Donald L. Wass (HBR Nov-Dec 1999 issue)
§ Book by Brene Brown. 2018. Dare to Lead. Random House
§ Book from HBR’s 10 Must Read — For New Managers. 2017
[1] The Making of a Manager — Julie Zhuo
[2] 5 Things New Managers Should Focus on First by Anthony K. Tjan (Harvard Business Review May 2017)
[3] New Managers Don’t Have to Have All the Answers by Steven D’Souza and Diana Renner (Harvard Business Review September 2015)
[4] Linda A. Hill is an American economist currently the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.
[5] New Managers Should Focus on Helping Their Teams, Not Pleasing Their Bosses by Karen Dillon (Harvard Business Review July 2017)
[6] Saving Your Rookie Managers from Themselves by Carol A. Walker (Harvard Business Review April 2002)
[7] Good People: The Only Leadership Decision That Real Matter by Anthony Tjan (April 2017)
[8] Saving Your Rookie Managers from Themselves by Carol A. Walker (Harvard Business Review April 2002)
[9] Andrew Carnegie, 19th century business magnate and philanthropist.
[10] Jeffrey Pfeffer is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business
[11] To Be a Great Leader, You have to Learn How to Delegate Well by Jesse Sostrin (Harvard Business Review October 2017)
[12] Study by Authors Heike Bruch & Sumantra Ghoshal
[13] Beware the Busy Manager by Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal (HBR February 2002)
[14] Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey? By William Oncken, Jr and Donald L. Wass (HBR Nov-Dec 1999 issue)
