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barongreenback
Beginner September 2004

Managers (and employees of new managers) - hints/tips/instructions to save my sanity

barongreenback, 12 March, 2009 at 08:47 Posted on Off Topic Posts 0 38

Well, have a quiet day to finish off a few boring admin bits before I formally take on the new job hence an opportunity for a bit of morning Hitching. As a little background I'm now managing 15 staff, many of them remotely, which presents an interesting challenge in itself. We have a fairly flat management structure so the people I'm responsible for are mainly senior staff who have been with the company for a while. That's good for me as they're all experienced and fairly self sufficient but in their situation I'd be a little nervous of change and working out what the new boss is like.

I thought before hurling myself into it, I would ask the great and the good of Hitched for some useful advice especially with regard to getting a new team working with you and managing staff who also went for the same job and are understandably very disappointed they didn't get it over me.

Thanks and over to you...

38 replies

Latest activity by Flowery the Grouch, 13 March, 2009 at 18:54
  • AnnaBanana
    Beginner July 2007
    AnnaBanana ·
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    I dont manage anyone in my current role but manages 2 in my previous one. I think one of the key things is to make yourself approachable - my boss has "team time" - 1 hour on a friday where he makes himself available for people to come and speak to him about any issues they may have, and it works. We have monthly catch up meetings too to keep the team coherent - understand this would be difficult if you're not all on site, but you could try conference calls? One of the things that annoys me but isn't always avoidable is not getting information fed down to me - things move quickly and even small changes in a project which affect me, I dont find out til later - something to keep in mind.

    Not sure if this is at all what you're looking for!

    ETA re dealing with others who applied for the job - its best not to mention it - H was in this situation and he just went into the job and never mentioned it or acted differently with the guy who didn't get it. It has worked so far but the other guy approached him once to say "oh I applied for your job but didn't get it" - something like that, and H just had to smile and say "oh right" - they have to suck it up, you were selected for a reason, so its nothing to do with them!

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  • Rosencrantz
    Rosencrantz ·
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    Not a manager but from an employees POV, whenever I've had new managers, its made me feel happier when they've made the effort to come and see me face to face. (This may not be possible for you, at least in the short term, by the sounds of it though).

    Its also nice to think my manager has at least a vague idea of my workload, what I do and any stresses I might be experiencing. Its nice when they appear approachable and receptive to any ideas I might have for change or to make my job a bit more comfortable/efficient.

    You will probably do all of the above as a matter of course anyway so this is probably not helpful!

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  • AnnaBanana
    Beginner July 2007
    AnnaBanana ·
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    Oh yeah Rosencrantz speaks sense - make yourself aware of what people do, and what their objectives are. Will you have to do appraisals and such? This is probably covered by your companies HR system but its helpful to be aware of what people do throughout the year (and let them know that you know) so that when it comes to appraisals, its not the first time you've been aware of what their job is - this can be uncomfortable!

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  • barongreenback
    Beginner September 2004
    barongreenback ·
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    Thanks. Anna - I was told who had applied for the job and one candidate in particular told me (we were both obvious candidates). I told him that I'd got the job and I've not discussed that with him since - I think anything else coming from me would sound crass at best.

    Rosecrantz - definitely on the list. I've been fortunate enough to work my way up the ranks so I've done all their jobs - something that I'll make sure they're aware of. Just about to embark on a tour to see everyone. All very helpful indeed!

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  • WifeyLind
    Beginner April 2006
    WifeyLind ·
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    I think it might be worth having 1-2-1's with each of them to have open and honest discussions of what their expectations are and also so that you can obviously express your expectations. It's also a great time to go through their latest performance reviews so you can understand what their ambitions/goals are so that as their manager you know what training/development points need to be addressed.

    Also, not that I think you'll do this, but it's important to recognise that these people are very experienced at what they do so there is no need to hand hold them....I had this issue with a manager coming in and wanting all my decisions to start going through her. Whilst I recognised that she needed to get established and learn what I did, it totally demoralised me and basically made me feel like I was crap.

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  • S
    spinster chick ·
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    Coffee and cake or beer depending on the time of day / industry. I don't try and be their friends but always have time to talk to them / catch up / help where required. When I started in this role I drank a lot of tea and coffee with them as a general hey who are you? who am I? what do you want to know type conversation!

    Patience - lots of it

    Ability to count to 10 before reacting!

    I am rarely too busy to talk to them, even when I am, so am always approachable

    I don't manage lots of senior people though so it probably is different but actually not that different!

    Again I don't mention who may or may not have gone for jobs until they bring it up

    Just thought as well - I didn't make any changes immediately but sat and watched for about 3 months and didn't / don't criticise the person I replaced. I also always stick up for them in public although I might disgree with the decision they made we discuss it away from "the bosses"

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  • AnnaBanana
    Beginner July 2007
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    My boss's boss does this a lot as he has worked his way up too - he uses the phrase "poacher turned gamekeeper" ALLL the time - which sounds like something from The Office [rofl]

    Following from what WL says, let them get on with it, my boss's boss wants to get involved with a lot of detail which he shouldn't and doesn't need to, he's a bit of a control freak which is part of it, but keep fingers out of pies that don't need them ?

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  • Tulip O`Hare
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    Tulip O`Hare ·
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    Baron, I can kind of relate - I was promoted to manage a team of five over a colleague who had been at the company much longer than me, plus one of the five used to manage the team (she'd gone part time and taken a step back from family reasons).

    It was daunting at first, but I had a lot of support from my boss, which really helped. I also had some very honest conversations with the person I was promoted ahead of, which weren't comfortable, but cleared the air a bit (although she was more upset at how it was handled than the fact I got the job).

    One of my team moved to London last year so I now manage him remotely. Fortunately, he's very reliable and conscientious, but to help things along, I make sure he comes up regularly to spend time with the rest of the team, and I go down there to see him once a month or so. I've also found our internal instant messenger is a useful tool for keeping in touch with him - it's easier than phoning through to reception, finding he's not there, having him calling me back... It's almost the equivalent of talking to him across the desk. Appreciate this doesn't work for everyone though! I also try and remember to chat to him about non-work stuff when I can, as I think that's pretty vital.

    We also have weekly team meetings with a set agenda to discuss immediate action points, progress on longer term tasks and forthcoming work and events. Anyone who's not in the office that day dials in on a conference call (my part-timer works from home mostly and London guy isn't always in the office on meeting day).

    In summary (sorry this has raged out of control somewhat!), openess and communication is key - I hate having the difficult conversations with people, but they're never as bad as you think they're going to be.

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  • barongreenback
    Beginner September 2004
    barongreenback ·
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    Exactly the situation I have at the moment. I've cleared the air but I get the impression that this person still wants to be seen as the senior person in his team. I think that will soon turn into demotivation and disillusionment with the job. He's been with the company longer than I have and has nearly 10 years on me.

    Wifeylind - 1-2-1s are definitely on the agenda, just awaiting a handover with the old manager so I can read through the files and get up to speed with everyone. One thing I'm not looking forward to is finding out how much everyone is being paid, especially if it was more than me ?

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  • WifeyLind
    Beginner April 2006
    WifeyLind ·
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    WSC said too.

    Also, not that you'll necessarily need this but when H was given his last job (note, he didn't apply for it he was just told my his manager that this is what he was going to be doing) he was a team leader and managed 6 members of staff but whilst being in the same team they had different clients so didn't work together so there was no team feeling IYSWIM. So H decided that every Thursday they would have a team meeting but for the last 30 mins of the meeting would be 'cake meeting' and they all took it in turns to bake cake for every Thursday and spend time together, socialising and eating cake. My response when H first told me...."you've just done that because you love cake", but it actually worked. They had something that everyone in the team was involved in together and even after H left they are still having the cake meetings....it's become an institution in their team.

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  • barongreenback
    Beginner September 2004
    barongreenback ·
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    Definitely can't criticise him - he's one of our most senior execs now ?

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  • Tulip O`Hare
    Beginner
    Tulip O`Hare ·
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    Yeah, that's a bugger. I think the best thing to do is make it clear that you value his wealth of experience, and make as much use of it as you can. Give him as much of a challenge as you can, really stretch him. This is a mistake I made recently with my situation - I assumed she was ok, when she was actually getting bored rigid and feeling demoralised. So I've set her some challenging objectives that will get her doing more of the stuff she's interested in, and the change in her has been remarkable.

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  • hazel
    VIP July 2007
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    From the other side of it, I definitely agree that it's good to sit tight for 3 months or so and see what happens before you make any changes. Communication is essential, and more so if you are managing remotely. You have to put more time into relationships if you aren't meeting face to face because you miss all those 2 minute conversations by the photocopier, as well as the non-work office stuff. My previous manager was based 100 miles from me but it worked well because I knew that I could ring her any time. She said when I started that I should pick up the phone as often as I would ask a question if she was in the same room. Of course there were times she wasn't able to talk but that was fine.

    Good advice about the air-clearing stuff. In some ways you don't want to draw attention to it but if there is something there, it's better out in the open.

    Good luck!

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  • Flowery the Grouch
    Beginner December 2007
    Flowery the Grouch ·
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    In my last job (my first as a manager) my team was spread over 22 countries, so most of them were remote. The one person who wanted for my job worked in the same office as me. He gave notice within the 1st month, which wasn't good (and wasn't my fault!).

    the key thing for me was communication, communication, communication. Don't assume anything. It was particularly important in my case, as only about 2 of them had english as a first language. FInding the balance between making sure everything was understood, and not being patronising was a little tough to start with.

    I also found it helped to make them know that to anyone outside the team I was on their side. I past on their ideas as theirs, letting them take any credit they were due, but took their faults on my shoulders (inside the team they got a bollocking if I'd had to do that though)

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  • Zebra
    Beginner
    Zebra ·
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    I work remotely and I find it helpful if, as Hazel said, you can pick up the phone for a 2-min chat rather than writing convoluted emails where the meaning/tone can get completely misconstrued. Even though ti's difficult for me to get into the office sometimes, even a once a month visit for team meeting helps me stay in touch.

    I also second the comments on not taking over people's decisions, not second guessing people who are happily getting on with their own jobs, and looking for ways to increase their responsiblity as appropriate rather than presuming only you can do x y and z or that only you will want to do x y and z. Use your staff, delegate rather than feel you need to do it all yourself.

    And from recent experience, not choosing to keep people in the dark on what is going on for no reason other than your personal need to feel in control of everything is really helpful - I have lost a lot of respect for my boss who has been caught out on doing this on so many levels in recent months.

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  • stafoo
    Beginner October 2007
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    WEES really

    I manage staff who are certainly more experienced in years then i am and most of the time I just let them get on with it. They know their jobs, but they also trust me to give them information and feedback when they need it. Most of my job involves keeping them up to date with what's going on the industry, any changes in working practice or organisation process etc. If I have to pull someone up on something, I simply tell them what happened, what the consequences were and how to stop it happening again, although most of them can come to those conclusions themselves.

    My manager has been managed remotely by the Director of Ops for years. It works fine. He's a great listener, very thorough and a decision maker. I think being available and contactable is the key. He visits her probably once every few months, and in the past they had team meetings every month, either face to face or via teleconference. Actually he's probably done one of the most difficult jobs I can imagine - managing six office managers across the country, all of them with very strong personalities and opinions, generally trying to run their own fifedoms. I don't know how he did it, but in the end it was a pretty tight ship, and I know my manager has great respect for him.

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  • Kazmerelda
    Beginner August 2006
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    Agree with what everyone else has said, the approachable thing is the key area. I was a deputy team leader before my role now, and one thing I did was catch up and clear the air meetings. I tackled things head on but fairly and honestly and listened. And while I got criticised by my TL for it, the staff actually appreciated the approach. More work was done and relations were better.

    Also feedback, I allowed during 1-2-1's for them to give feedback as well as me giving it. Meant for a happier person in the long run.

    I learnt if you have any bad news don't give it on a Friday, as it is more likely to cause people being sick the following week.

    Hope it goes well for you, I was in my job 2 months before going for a promotion against someone who had been there 5 years. She was understandably annoyed when she didn't get it and made my life hell for a while (very vocally stating how rubbish I was, trying to turn people against me). Best thing is to keep calm and not get drawn into it.

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  • minerva
    Beginner January 2007
    minerva ·
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    A couple of small additional points

    - ask the team what changes THEY think should be made or what can be done better/more effciently etc before drawing up any plans

    - don't over promise eg I've had managers say things like "X project is kicking off and there will be lots of opportunities to get involved" but then doesn't get anyone involved which makes everyone feel worse than had it not been mentioned at all

    - with the person who didn't get the job there is no real harm in a little ego flattering eg "and of course I'll be relying upon you as a senior and experienced member of the team"

    - don't change things for the sake of change and to look like you're doing something. Highly annoying.

    - if you're drawing up plans for team direction or whatever then when you've come up with them then do put them out for consultation first - people will feel more engaged rather than trodden on

    - support your team - be willing to back them to get them equipment/training/opportunities they need and fight for it rather than just thinking "oh I'm a new manager, I don't want to put my head above the parapet".

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  • barongreenback
    Beginner September 2004
    barongreenback ·
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    Thanks all, really useful stuff. I don't think for a second all the courses I've been on will prepare me for the very steep learning curve so it's been good to read through this.

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  • AnnaBanana
    Beginner July 2007
    AnnaBanana ·
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    Also, be prepared to not win either way i.e. trying to get people involved and communicate so call briefing meetings, but then get criticised for calling too many meetings therefore not allwoing people to get on with the day job ?

    My boss's boss gets this all the time poor chap.

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  • Zebra
    Beginner
    Zebra ·
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    Especially when these plans will affect your team's working life more than your own - we spent months having to deal with fall out of some staffing cover that my boss put in place. If she'd just consulted with us beforehand rather than announcing it when everything was signed off we'd have been spared months of hassle and misery and wasted time and money all round.

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  • Kazmerelda
    Beginner August 2006
    Kazmerelda ·
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    The courses help Baron, but practical experience is the best way of learning. I think they help you see situations which is helpful.

    I agree with the team direction thing stated my Minerva as well and Zebra's comment.

    Not meant to sound patronising you do just learn as you go, you judge each situation in turn.

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  • Tulip O`Hare
    Beginner
    Tulip O`Hare ·
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    It is a learning curve, and I remember feeling sooo out of my depth at first! Soon wears off.

    At the risk of sounding like a management training course, the important thing when you're on a learning curve is to keep reviewing what you've done, figuring out what went well and doing more of that (and less of the stuff that didn't go so well, natch!).

    It sounds daft, but if you take a few minutes to think about the past week/month/whatever and pick out a few things you're pleased with, it's a real confidence boost.

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  • NickJ
    Beginner
    NickJ ·
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    If theyre experienced and work well i d just phone them, say hi, tell them you wont be changing the way they do things, and its business as usual.

    the first time there is an issue is the time to stamp your authority on it and that way they ll all then know where youre coming from and whats important to you.

    probably best not to do what i used to do and have a pointy hat with "MORON" on it in black marker pen, and make people wear it for a day when they fucked up ?

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  • H
    Beginner
    Headless Lois ·
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    ?

    I can't offer any advice, I only have a handful of staff and I manage them badly

    L
    xx

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  • NickJ
    Beginner
    NickJ ·
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    The other thing i d add is dont try to be their friend. in my exp lots of people do that when they first start managing people and think its the way to make them work well - it isnt, and can be really damaging and lead to huge issues further down the line

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  • P
    Beginner May 2005
    Pint&APie ·
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    That's what I did. I was aware they were a very stable and close-knit group, who had been working under the same manager for almost 10 years.

    I told them I wouldn't be changing anything for at least 3 months. That gave me the chance to see how things were done, what worked, what didn't and what each individual's strengths were. After that we all sat down to discuss possibilities for improvement, re-allocate some workload and change a couple of procedures. Everyone seemed pretty happy with that and I think it has been largely successful.

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  • Peaches
    Super January 2012
    Peaches ·
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    You just sack them!! ?

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  • NickJ
    Beginner
    NickJ ·
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    admit it P&P, you just said "look at my green vase, isnt it pretty?" ?

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  • P
    Beginner May 2005
    Pint&APie ·
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    Bah, you're just jealous because I got to meet Fiona Bruce.

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  • H
    Beginner
    Headless Lois ·
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    I would like to say 'not all of them' but I am about to lose someone else, and I don't much like the temp to perm person I was looking at either. I possibly have too high expectations/a complete lack of ability to train

    L
    xx

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  • Tulip O`Hare
    Beginner
    Tulip O`Hare ·
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    Actually, we do have a 'Chump of the Week' hat, but it's a bit of light-hearted fun, and no-one's made to wear it all day. ?

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