First management position, any advice?

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kgtest

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Landed my first "official" management role within the IT sector. at a global 500 company ranked in the top 35... the definition of "megacorp".

I've lead teams on an unofficial basis, lead projects, programs and even strategy. I am a cub-scout leader and consider myself worthy of this, with a side of imposter syndrome. Some advice I have had was "stay away from the budget side", "just don't be the boss you always hated", and "you'll do great".

I will be doing more strategy, performance review, mentoring, program management mostly.

Curious if anyone has any solid words of wisdom.
 
I was an IT senior manager in high tech mega corp for many years. Depending on the position, you will have more or less a budget. One of the positions which I held for a couple of years within the megacorp, I had a $1B budget for capital purchases.

I do like the advice of not being the boss you always hated. Delegate and trust your staff. No one likes a micro-manager. But it is always a fine line - trust but verify. I HATED Focal/performance review period. It was always the most stressful time of the year and that's when I really wished I was an individual contributor.

Congrats and good luck!
 
I was surprised that I found the people part the most rewarding. I can be a real pain, but it also can be incredibly rewarding. My company was very invested in performance reviews, promoting from within and developing talented people; and it was most rewarding to get to help my best employees develop new skills and advance their careers in meaningful ways. I enjoyed pushing them to do more than they realized they could without becoming their nemesis. I take a lot of pride in the accomplishments and growth of my past employees, especially when I know I made a difference. A manager is only as good as his/her team members who actually do all the work. My best advice is to become a good listener and learn how to make a win-win out of every situation.
 
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When I got my first management job someone told me to read "The One Minute Manager." Little tiny thin book with great advice. If I had to summarize in one sentence I would say "Make your expectations clear. People usually perform on clear expectations."

Beyond that, treat your people fairly and be honest with them. Advocate for them. There will inevitably be people you like and don't like. That should never be apparent to anyone. Your job is to get the best performance from your entire team and that often means helping the ones you don't like the most.

The vast majority of people want to do a good job. If you constantly recognize that and see your role as facilitating that, getting them the tools, training, and so forth that they need they will appreciate that. You may be the boss but ulimately you succeed from the work of your team. When you have an underperformer your first question should be whether YOU are doing something wrong. Maybe you aren't but see the previous paragraghs. Maybe they don't have the tools or training they need or maybe your instructions have not been clear. Yes, sometimes there is deadwood that has to be purged but in my experience that is pretty rare.

I would also advise against major changes until you have a chance to understand the position better. This may not be an option if major projects or changes are already in the works. People will respect your decisions better if they are made after careful study. Your persepctive may be much different from a higher perch.

Finally, if you were promoted from within you may experience some animosity from rivals for your position. Respect them. Speak honestly with them that you value their work but your relationship may change.
 
Congratulations!!

I was a program Mngr of a multi-year and multi-Billion Program and Principal Engr of a very large organization.

Got a smile about the comment … stay away from budgets. A budget is simply a tool and a statement of priorities. You’ll need to be engaged in the budgeting process, or you won’t have all the tools needed to be successful. And I always had a bit of discretionary budget that few knew about. I quietly solved lots of financial challenges with that little back pocket money. Made a lot of friends with my ability to throw a few $$ at problem to make it quietly go away.

And you’ll spend lots of time developing, inspiring, and empowering your team members. (Note I never referred to my employees as “staff”). 99 percent of my interactions with team members were positive, but not all. Being a leader means you have to make the tough call sometimes and those aren’t fun. It’s just part of your responsibilities.

Best advice, find someone in a leadership position above you and ask if they would be open to some informal mentoring. Always worked for me, being both a mentor and the one being mentored.
 
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SecondAttempt said:
When I got my first management job someone told me to read "The One Minute Manager." Little tiny thin book with great advice. If I had to summarize in one sentence I would say "Make your expectations clear. People usually perform on clear expectations."

Beyond that, treat your people fairly and be honest with them. Advocate for them. There will inevitably be people you like and don't like. That should never be apparent to anyone. Your job is to get the best performance from your entire team and that often means helping the ones you don't like the most.

The vast majority of people want to do a good job. If you constantly recognize that and see your role as facilitating that, getting them the tools, training, and so forth that they need they will appreciate that. You may be the boss but ulimately you succeed from the work of your team. When you have an underperformer your first question should be whether YOU are doing something wrong. Maybe you aren't but see the previous paragraghs. Maybe they don't have the tools or training they need or maybe your instructions have not been clear. Yes, sometimes there is deadwood that has to be purged but in my experience that is pretty rare.

I would also advise against major changes until you have a chance to understand the position better. This may not be an option if major projects or changes are already in the works. People will respect your decisions better if they are made after careful study. Your persepctive may be much different from a higher perch.

Finally, if you were promoted from within you may experience some animosity from rivals for your position. Respect them. Speak honestly with them that you value their work but your relationship may change.
Click to expand...
+1 Excellent advice. Worth serious consideration.



Cheers!
 
Congrats!

One of the things I remember from business school: Provide your people with an environment and tools that they need to excel.

I used to do this as much as I could and it worked very well. The employees were happy and my boss was happy, which made me happy and my job a lot easier.
 
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Think "we" and not "I"... you and the people who work for you are a team and you need to think that way... if you do they will follow your lead and think that way as well.

You're their leader, not their friend... be friendly, but at the same time recogognize that you'll occasionally be making decisions that they won't like or agree with and that is part of the job

To the extent that you can within corporate constraints, treat your people the same way that you would want to be treated... advocate for them where you can and be fair.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

Think and act as if you are an owner of the company.

Think long run over short run to the extent that you can.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.... you can't possibly be successful without good employees working hard... there is nothing to be gained by being a hard taskmaster... but at the same time don't be a pushover.
 
Congratulations! I concur with the advice you've already received here. One more for your consideration - don't ask anyone on your team to do something you won't do yourself. For example, if there's an unpleasant task that needs to be done, consider doing part of it yourself. Or if something has to be done at night or on a weekend, be part of it for at least some of the time once in a while.
 
Lead by example and treat others the way you would want to be treated. I always told my people I will never give you any assignment that I would not do myself. At times employees struggle, help them. When I felt someone is not putting forth the effort, I would say to them, do you want me to do it? Never got any takers.
 
I also would suggest ,"Who Moved My Cheese". Summary:

We all experience change in our lives. It can be distressing or rewarding, depending on our approach. “Who Moved My Cheese” is a parable that demonstrates in practical terms how to handle change better and avoid pitfalls, by practicing a few key principles: anticipate and prepare for change, overcome fears, envision success, and enjoy change. By depicting simple, memorable characters and scenarios, the parable gives you a framework for responding to change successfully.
 
Starsky said:
I was surprised that I found the people part the most rewarding. I can be a real pain, but it also can be incredibly rewarding. My company was very invested in performance reviews, promoting from within and developing talented people; and it was most rewarding to get to help my best employees develop new skills and advance their careers in meaningful ways. I enjoyed pushing them to do more than they realized they could without becoming their nemesis. I take a lot of pride in the accomplishments and growth of my past employees, especially when I know I made a difference. A manager is only as good as his/her team members who actually do all the work. My best advice is to become a good listener and learn how to make a win-win out of every situation.
Click to expand...

SecondAttempt said:
When I got my first management job someone told me to read "The One Minute Manager." Little tiny thin book with great advice. If I had to summarize in one sentence I would say "Make your expectations clear. People usually perform on clear expectations."

Beyond that, treat your people fairly and be honest with them. Advocate for them. There will inevitably be people you like and don't like. That should never be apparent to anyone. Your job is to get the best performance from your entire team and that often means helping the ones you don't like the most.

The vast majority of people want to do a good job. If you constantly recognize that and see your role as facilitating that, getting them the tools, training, and so forth that they need they will appreciate that. You may be the boss but ulimately you succeed from the work of your team. When you have an underperformer your first question should be whether YOU are doing something wrong. Maybe you aren't but see the previous paragraghs. Maybe they don't have the tools or training they need or maybe your instructions have not been clear. Yes, sometimes there is deadwood that has to be purged but in my experience that is pretty rare.

I would also advise against major changes until you have a chance to understand the position better. This may not be an option if major projects or changes are already in the works. People will respect your decisions better if they are made after careful study. Your persepctive may be much different from a higher perch.

Finally, if you were promoted from within you may experience some animosity from rivals for your position. Respect them. Speak honestly with them that you value their work but your relationship may change.
Click to expand...

+1 on these.
And congratulations! I always enjoyed my job (well, until close to the end) and Iii resonated to others. I think that helped to stay engaged in the work.
 
You all are always wonderful contributors with thoughtful advice! I really appreciate all of the perspectives. I feel my biggest "fear" is that its a new company, new team, and new work efforts. The people management aspect does scare me a tad but I've been in enough conflict, and enough flourishment that I do believe I have the tools to succeed. I was also surprised that I landed this after only a single half an hour interview. There wasn't a lot of time to ask questions and prepare myself, but clearly the hiring manager and team saw something in me to move forward...or else I was literally the only candidate interviewing, lol.

Looks like I have a few books to read. I am really glad I decided to phone a friend on this.
 
kgtest said:
Some advice I have had was "stay away from the budget side"
Click to expand...

I'd disagree with that. If you fail on the budget side, almost nothing else will matter. If you keep the budget people happy, your boss will be happy. When I first took on IT management, it was the area I knew the least about. Make friends with the finance team, learn how to make them happy.
 
Aerides said:
I'd disagree with that. If you fail on the budget side, almost nothing else will matter. If you keep the budget people happy, your boss will be happy. When I first took on IT management, it was the area I knew the least about. Make friends with the finance team, learn how to make them happy.
Click to expand...

Yeah that was advice from someone I know that went back to engineering. I don't actually mind budgets and such but they mentioned they had a lot of pressure and it made the job less desirable. They said now their new job is less of the budgeting but still management with a little bit of the in the trenches engineering work.
 
Aerides said:
I'd disagree with that. If you fail on the budget side, almost nothing else will matter. If you keep the budget people happy, your boss will be happy. When I first took on IT management, it was the area I knew the least about. Make friends with the finance team, learn how to make them happy.
Click to expand...


plus 1!. If you miss the numbers you will not live too long in that position. I know that sounds harsh but very true. On a softer side read the book below. It teaches you that your subordinates will make mistakes but they do it thinking "it was the right thing to do" Another type of "emotional Intelligence " I managed for 30 years leading up to a C position. Management and Leadership are 2 different things. Never ever quit seeing things thru the eyes of your associates and customers. I think it is good that you are asking for advice
on this subject.

Managing from the Heart
By HYLER BRACEY, JACK ROSENBLUM, AUBREY SANFORD and ROY TRUEBLOOD
 
Ok a couple more:

Identify and weed out your weakest staff - they will take up 80% of your time, and reduce the confidence the rest of you team has in you, if you don't act. Even if you can't act, others know they are holding a heavier load and will resent you, so watch for it.

Similarly, as a new manager - don't take on anyone else's weak staff. Even the ones they are recommending (especially those...) as the newb you will be the dumping ground for the projects and people no one wants. Be alert for this. Push back selectively, but especially on bad apples, and the ones with a hard sell.

Make friends with your new peer group, your fellow managers reporting to the VP. Happy hour with them. You want to know them all personally before you sit down to duke it out at review time. Keep notes on their teams as well - when they want to pitch their dude as the star and knock your star down, you'll need ammo on both fronts. Your star looked at them sideways in a meeting once? It will come up. Build alliances. Yes it's survivor.

Schmooze: In the first couple of months, meet with all the VP's that influence your new team (ask your boss for recommendations if you're not sure). The main stakeholders. Don't prepare a lot of stuff to tell them, just have 2 or 3
questions for them. VP's love to have someone sit in their office and listen to them and nod at them for 20 mins.

Meet weekly, in person when possible, with your team. Include the contractors whenever you can. Make them close their laptops and phones. Have regular 1-2-1's with each team member. Don't blow these off, and don't make them about project updates. Don't get caught looking at your phone during one of these.
 
Lots of good advice here.

Always address employees as adults, whether they are 18 or 80, even if you perceive they are behaving childishly.

Ignore the budget-bashers. Get to know your budget & accounting folks, and learn their jargon. It is like learning a foreign language and culture. The "native speakers" will respect you for it, and can be of tremendous help.

Hone your ability to speak and write clearly and concisely for senior managers. OK, for everyone. Still, it has been my experience that senior managers appreciate it the most.
 
Pretty good stuff so far, except the idea of avoiding budgeting and cost management. These are important pieces of your job. Especially the cost stuff.

I will offer a small tool that I used often in a management and executive management career. Often you will have to make fairly quick judgments about people, too quick to be as deliberate as judgments should be. I do this:

With any new and important relationship I listen for two things. I want to hear "I don't know." and I want to hear "I screwed up." Nobody knows everything and everyone screws up at least once in a while. After I have heard these words, I make a tentative decision that I can trust this person. They are unlikely to BS me when I need accurate information and they are unlikely to cover up mistakes. This simple little test is useful with vendors, employees, customers, and even bosses. You need to surround yourself with truth-tellers and avoid BS-ers and liars. This will take you a long way towards success.
 
SecondAttempt said:
When I got my first management job someone told me to read "The One Minute Manager." Little tiny thin book with great advice. If I had to summarize in one sentence I would say "Make your expectations clear. People usually perform on clear expectations."

Beyond that, treat your people fairly and be honest with them. Advocate for them. There will inevitably be people you like and don't like. That should never be apparent to anyone. Your job is to get the best performance from your entire team and that often means helping the ones you don't like the most.

The vast majority of people want to do a good job. If you constantly recognize that and see your role as facilitating that, getting them the tools, training, and so forth that they need they will appreciate that. You may be the boss but ulimately you succeed from the work of your team. When you have an underperformer your first question should be whether YOU are doing something wrong. Maybe you aren't but see the previous paragraghs. Maybe they don't have the tools or training they need or maybe your instructions have not been clear. Yes, sometimes there is deadwood that has to be purged but in my experience that is pretty rare.

I would also advise against major changes until you have a chance to understand the position better. This may not be an option if major projects or changes are already in the works. People will respect your decisions better if they are made after careful study. Your persepctive may be much different from a higher perch.

Finally, if you were promoted from within you may experience some animosity from rivals for your position. Respect them. Speak honestly with them that you value their work but your relationship may change.
Click to expand...


+ 2
I would also concur about getting to know your fiscal people. Find the person most knowledgeable that can break the information down for you. You don’t need to get into the weeds but you need an understanding of what they are talking about.
Good luck!
 
Find a style that works for you. There are numerous books and people with excellent advice, but if its not 'you' it is far less likely work.

Cost and schedule are two core elements of program management. "Staying away from budget" is horrible advice. You may well find you spend more time with finance than your technical people.

Hire well. Working development projects, working with technical leads we always made the decision it was better to be somewhat understaffed with quality people vs. fully staffed with marginal contributors.

Two pieces of advice I received early on which proved true:
1. If your people believe you care about them they will do anything for you
2. If you need to get something done, assign it to a person that is busy

Aggressive and incompetent people are deadly. Know who they are. If you can't get rid of them make sure they are not on the critical path or in a position to affect your deliveries.

You can't fight hard for everyone in reviews. Know who your key people are and make sure you take care of them.

Not everyone is a superstar. Find a way to reward the 'average' performers who do the grunt work that actually gets product produced.

No surprises. Bad reviews should absolutely never come as a surprise to those receiving them. Let people know early that there are performance issues and try to work with the person to fix the issues. If not fixable with reasonable effort, try to move person off team or into a position where either they can either contribute or do minimal damage.

No surprises. Be aware of how your team is performing. People are optimistic and generally don't want to admit things are going south. Actively look for cues (verbal & non-verbal) that there are problems. When found, let your managers know there are risks and what you are doing to mitigate them. Try very hard not to walk in with a risk you don't have a plan to address. Telling your manager at the last minute you won't make a delivery is death.

Most importantly, be true to yourself. If you are not, people will see through it and you will lose credibility.

Congrats and good luck!
 
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OldShooter said:
.... You need to surround yourself with truth-tellers and avoid BS-ers and liars. This will take you a long way towards success.
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+1 These jobs are hard enough if you're getting the truth from your team... lies or even half-truths make your job even tougher... and tougher than it needs to be. I think that by reputation I had made it clear that I would not tolerate any BS even before I got into management and I didn't get much. The other side of that equation is to not over-react to bad news... just deal with it calmly and don't point fingers... just express disappointment if the situation warrants. After that, you own it to fix it and notify up the chain of command of "our" problem/mistake and what "we" are doing about it.
 
pb4uski said:
+1 These jobs are hard enough if you're getting the truth from your team... lies or even half-truths make your job even tougher ...
Click to expand...
Flaws in your troops are easiest to deal with, though not necessarily easy. Vendors can be very difficult, as they fear financial retribution, so you have to work at teaching them that truth is what is rewarded and at being the best customer they have ever had. Bosses, OTOH, can be nearly impossible. A boss who can't or won't admit mistakes is a boss who will avert blame by throwing you under the bus one day. "Nearly impossible" is code for "you need to make a plan to get out from under such a boss."
 
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