When I think back on some of the mistakes I’ve made, I’m surprised I even survived my career as a manager. That role is full of potholes; I’ve stepped in most of them.
I admit I’m still making mistakes. I made one last week, and I will make one next week. But I continue to learn from them every day. And that will ultimately make me a better manager. Many people believe that when you make a mistake and recover from it, you often become better at your job than if you’d never made the mistake in the first place. That’s certainly true for me. We get better when we make a mistake and fix it because of the learning that comes from the experience.
In my role as a trainer, I’m aware that my mistakes can help me and others. I can help other people avoid making the same mistakes I did.
Although everyone is different, and management roles vary widely, several mistakes trip up just about every manager at some point. They’re potholes in the roadway and can cause a lot of dysfunction in the workplace. Fortunately, they’re avoidable.
These mistakes are particularly commonplace if you’re a new manager or supervisor. For instance, if you’ve been promoted into a management role from your administrative support role. You may have become the Office Manager or the Admin Coordinator; many of the people you used to work with are now either reporting to you or are on a different corporate level from your role. And that means the rules governing how you behave and interact with your colleagues are now different for you. They changed the moment you accepted your new role.
The first pothole to watch out for: Becoming one of the team.
I was young, eager, and excited when I became a new manager because my promotion meant more money and responsibility. I saw it as the first step on the fast track to success.
I didn’t realize my new role was light years from my old administrative role. I had to make some significant changes because, suddenly, I wasn’t exactly “one of the team” anymore.
However, I was determined to keep my place in my group of peers. I still had lunch with them daily, shared my personal life issues, and complained about the boss.
Wrong!
When you step into a management role, you must realize that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. You can’t be “one of the gang” as you used to be.
It didn’t mean I couldn’t have friends at work. But it did mean that I needed to create some boundaries. I could no longer join in when people complained about the boss or venting. Those days were gone for me.
Instead, I needed to treat everyone in my firm—including the bosses—professionally. I agreed with my old work colleagues that we wouldn’t talk about work issues outside the office. Those boundaries were essential and very helpful.
The second pothole is all too common: Throwing the team under the bus.
It doesn’t have to be someone’s fault when something goes wrong. We don’t always have to find someone to blame.
In fact, as a manager, you need to take responsibility. Focus on the issues and what can be done rather than on who did what.
When I walk into my doctor’s office, I don’t want the receptionist to complain that the doctor is always late. I want them to show leadership and take care of the situation rather than throwing the doctor under the bus to gain my sympathy.
Good managers take responsibility and ownership if things aren’t going according to plan. Looking to find someone to blame will make your team lose trust in you, eventually resulting in a team that doesn’t work well together and doesn’t support you. But you will have a loyal team if you are willing to take responsibility.
The third pothole is dangerous but easy to do: Being invisible.
I’ve written many times about the dangers of being invisible in an admin role. As a manager or supervisor, it is career suicide. We need to show others that we’re capable and willing to step up to the plate. We need to be seen as belonging in a management role because we have earned it.
That doesn’t mean we should walk around all day pointing out everything we do, saying, “Without us, the office would fall apart.” It means that we don’t dismiss their compliment when someone says thank you for something.
When I first dated my husband, he was very complimentary to me, but I was uncomfortable with his compliments and brushed them aside. He pointed out that when I did that, I was dismissing something that he thought was valid by saying, “No, that isn’t true” by my words and actions. He pointed out that I needed to be able to accept a compliment and not insult the giver.
When someone compliments you about your work, do you tell them they are wrong or give the compliment to someone else? Do you say, “Oh, Rachel did the hard parts”? While Rachel may have been instrumental in helping you get the task done, she doesn’t deserve all the credit—so don’t give her all of the credit. Learn to say thank you and learn to stop giving away your reputation and credibility. If you lead a team, everyone realizes you are not doing that alone. By all means, thank the team and give them credit where credit is due, but don’t ignore yourself.
Do you make a point of coming prepared to meetings and speaking up during them? You should, especially if you’re in a management role. Show yourself, the company, and your coworkers that you have something to contribute. Be prepared so that when you do contribute, your contribution is valuable.
Avoiding the potholes that lie in the path of a new manager takes skill. But knowing where the potholes are, you can avoid them and thrive in your new role.
This entire article was written by Rhonda Scharf and not artificial intelligence.
