At Asset Resourcing, we know that the candidates we place are exceptional and driven with career aspirations. Given that, it’s only natural that at some point they will start thinking about moving up the hierarchical food chain into management or senior management roles.

For some, making the transition is seamless but for others, it can be an anxious time and you will start to question how to make the leap, if you can handle it and what you might expect. Asset Resourcing’s consultants are here to help you. We pride ourselves on nurturing and developing long-term relationships with our clients and candidates and if we find ourselves in a position where we can help your career advance, we won’t hesitate to do so.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Without realising it, you will have more inherent management skills and experience than you realise. You will have undoubtedly picked up appropriate skills from previous (and current) managers and you will have learned, through good and bad experiences, how to manage and how not to gauge people.

What Is Management Like?

Initially, there may be a culture shock. Promotion into a managerial position is not without its advantages (increased salary, benefits etc.) but with it comes additional responsibility and having to learn and utilise new skills. The transition from being part of the team to leading the team can affect your relationships with colleagues but it’s a learning curve for all involved. Your staff can’t expect you to have perfected your managerial skills by the afternoon of day one so it’s important for all that you take your time to develop and grow into your new role.

Find Your Own Style

Ask any employee what they deem to be the key skill they want in a manager and communication should come very near the top of the list. Effective communication is a two-way street and coupled with timely and regular feedback, team briefings, individual performance reviews and brainstorm sessions, you will quickly get the respect you deserve and team morale will increase.

You will make mistakes from time to time, it’s inevitable. Learn from them, take the positives out and leave the negative traits behind. It’s about finding a balance and that will only come with time.

It’s an often-used cliché, but manage others how you’d like to be managed. Every member of your team is different so take your time to talk to them and understand their goals and career aspirations – just like your manager should have done with you – but above all, be clear about what you want and expect from your team. There is no place for ambiguity in a management role so use defined, easily measurable goals so you can gauge progress against them.

Setting Boundaries

This is often the hardest part of making the transition from team member to team manager. You don’t need to have a personality transplant overnight, however personal friendships and office ‘banter’ may have to be toned down (in the office, but especially at work-related social occasions) in order to maintain a level of professionalism and potential accusations of favouritism. Senior management will be keeping a closer eye on your performance. Don’t give them any reason to regret promoting you.

Managing Yourself

Of equal importance to your success as a manager is how you manage yourself. Specific traits such a time management, delegation skills and being able to prioritise tasks are important, but your team will look to you to provide a strategic framework to their day-to-day tasks in order to hit or exceed set targets. Align your team’s goals with your own where possible and again, make sure you have an open dialogue and communicate constantly.

Finding A Mentor

Regardless of where you are on the hierarchical ladder, we all need someone we can talk to. A trusted source who you can go to for guidance and advice as you begin to familiarise yourself with your management role. Some companies will assign you a mentor but if not, identify someone – either within the company you’re in or elsewhere – and ask them if they’d be willing to give you a regular block of time (weekly or monthly) until you feel more secure and confident in your new role.

Additionally, keep your own manager up-to-date on your progress and make sure you identify any training you’d like or need where appropriate.