Navigating as a First-Time People Manager

Many people aspire to be managers and lead people, but few know what their job truly entails beyond the elevated title. Let's find out more from our CareerSocius community.

As a first time manager, there are several new responsibilities expected of you.

Leading and Managing Team Goals

Your core role now involves directing, motivating and developing your team members. You are responsible for setting priorities, delegating work, and evaluating performance.

"There was an increase in the number of guidance sessions where I would be judging team members' work and suggesting areas of improvement. Moving from an individual contributor to an advisor was not quite what I expected." - Community Partner V

You will also be managing resources such as budget and keeping an eye on the quantity, quality and timeliness of your team's work. This means having a bird's eye view of all projects, assessing if they are on track and that everyone has a productive workload.

Consulting and Being A Judge for the Team

As a people manager, you will handle performance issues. You are expected to properly manage underperformance and take corrective action when required.

Part of this would be giving constructive feedback to help your team members improve their skills and work habits. Help them to reach their potential.

This includes putting people on performance improvement plans if needed. It is not an easy feat when you need to manage peoples' emotions and expectations, which thus great emotional intelligence and communication skills to manage such situations.

"Knowing that I would have to have difficult conversations with team members wasn't easy, but communicating tactfully and giving clear directions for improvement can ease the situation." - Community Partner M

Mentoring and Career Development

Help guide your team members' career progression through mentoring, advising on career moves, and identifying opportunities for growth, both lateral and vertical.

"I have the opportunity to observe the top-line journey of more junior team members, and provide them with advice that I learnt on hindsight." - Community Partner B

Strategic Planning

Contribute to higher level organizational planning by sharing your insights on your team, clients, projects, risks, and opportunities. Help determine key priorities and initiatives for your group. See the organization for its potential on top of its business-as-usual operations.

The key differences from an individual contributor role are: greater responsibilities, more accountability for people and resources, a need for strategic thinking, and less emphasis on your own personal output or expertise.

"The mindset shifted from how I can do my best at my work scope, to thinking longer term for the company's interests, and how I can inspire my team to take on company visions." - Community Partner V

Your focus should be on enabling your team to succeed. It is a big step up that requires a new managerial mindset. Now that you have a better idea of what it takes, go forth and grab the opportunity.

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Here at CareerSocius, we hope to empower individuals to find a job they love. We would love to be part of your journey.

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