New

Managers
Guide We know you’re super busy.
So we made this complete Managers guide
to give you a hand.

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 New
Managers
Guide
We know you’re super busy.
So we made this complete Managers guide
to give you a hand.

by

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 SECTION ONE

Welcome,
new managers!
Before we dig in, here’s a glimpse of what to expect.

You’ve just stepped into one of the most significant roles in

the workforce because you have the most direct impact on
employees -- the heart of every organization. Their success
and development will all be influenced by your leadership. No
pressure, right?

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But…We tend to more often speak about what employees need
from their managers in order to shine, and not what managers
need to help them get there.

That’s why we set up this complete one-stop-shop for new

managers like you. Learn how to prepare for the role like
a champ and be the leader you’ve always dreamed of being.

You’ve got an incredible opportunity ahead of you, and lots

to do. But for now, just sit back, relax and scroll.

P.S. We’ve included lots of helpful tips for you throughout

the piece, so keep your eyes peeled.

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A quick snapshot
of today’s workforce.

As you prepare to enter the workforce from a new vantage

point, we want to give you a little heads up about its current
state. Despite the upward trend of companies putting more
effort into improving their workplace culture, Gallup reveals
that only 33% of the population is currently engaged at
work. This means that an astonishing 67% of employees are
not engaged in their day-to-day work life.

According to Gallup, over the past 16 years, employee

engagement has increased by a mere 7%.

It’s a problem, but the good news is, there’s a clear way to fix it.

And it starts with you.

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 “The shelves are lined with books describing
effective and successful leaders. But very few
address the challenges of learning to lead,
We have especially for the first time manager.”

a theory. Linda Hill - Becoming The Boss

Leadership - for better or for worse - directly affects the level

of engagement and commitment an employee feels towards
their organization. In fact, 75% of employees who quit their
jobs, quit because of their manager.

So, why is there so little attention given to the critical time

when managers lay down the foundation for their leadership?
We believe that the lack of attention given to preparing
employees for their new role as manager is one reason why
engagement has been mounting at such a sluggish pace.

On a more positive note, we believe that if more organizations

offer employees the tools, support and resources they need to
transition, we can change the outcome.

Leadership training needs to start

before the role even begins.

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How did you
become a manager?
There’s more than one way to become a manager. Whether
you’re promoted internally or you’re hired as a first-time manager
at a new company, the bottom line is that in one moment you’re
an employee, and in the next moment you’re a manager with an
entirely different set of responsibilities and challenges.

Meet Mary, she’s a new

manager just like you.

There’s more than one way to become

a manager. Whether you’re promoted
internally or you’re hired as a first-time
manager at a new company, the bottom
line is that in one moment you’re an
employee, and in the next moment you’re
a manager with an entirely different set
of responsibilities and challenges.

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 Why did Mary get promoted?

1 2
Mary’s employers have faith It seems that after two years
that she will succeed as a of exceptional work, being
manager because she was an promoted to manager is the
outstanding employee. logical next step.

But there’s a glitch.

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You can become a great leader if you put the work into it

Ask all the questions you need regarding Develop your soft skills
the nature and demands of your role. & emotional intelligence.

Ensure that this is the best type Be certain that you

of promotion for you, compared want to lead a team.
to something lateral.

The Promotion Problem

1 Management is a trade in and of itself and it likewise requires

preparation, coaching, and time to get right. Just because Mary
was an expert in her field, It doesn’t mean that she’s ready to
be a manager.

2 Being a leader requires a unique skill set, and it’s not for everyone,
especially those who do not have the will to learn to lead.

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Yet in a snap, Mary is offered a promotion, given a raise, an
office, and a team. She quickly realizes that she isn’t sure of
what comes next. She has a whole team of people depending
on her but no clue what to do! Too ashamed to ask for help
or clarification, Mary’s stuck in a rut.

“Do you know how hard it is to be the boss, when you are so out of control! It’s hard to
verbalize. It’s the feeling that all of a sudden… it’s the feeling you get when you have
a child. On day X minus 1, you still don’t have a child. On day X, all of a sudden you’re
a mother or a father and you’re supposed to know everything there is to know about
taking care of this kid.”

Mary is not alone in this feeling, and neither are you. In our own
survey, we found that 53% of managers said they did not feel
like they had an accurate view of what it meant to be a manager
when they got started in their role.

But, it doesn’t have

to be this way.

We’re going to give you

everything you need to
set yourself up for success
straight out of the gate.

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 SECTION TWO

It’s prep time

Now that we’ve covered the groundwork, let’s dig in.

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Ok, but what does
a manager do?

The Oxford English Dictionary

defines a manager as “a person
responsible for controlling or ad-
ministering an organization
or group of staff”.

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Let’s be honest, this definition just doesn’t cut it.

Being a manager is a complex, relationship-fueled position,

and anything human in nature can’t possibly be reduced to one
simple and clean definition. One thing that remains consistent
across the board is that a manager’s role is ultimately to sup-
port and lead their people to be the best they can be. It’s not
about the authority, the control or the power. In fact, if you’re
in it for the glory or the title, it won’t work out.

Being a manager is about bringing out the best in

people. That’s the bottom line. It’s a selfless, people-first,
heart-driven role, and it’s worth every second of the
complexity if you’re in it for the right reasons.

Every company comes with different expectations and with

each team there will be a different set of challenges. At a high
level, here are some of the main responsibilities of a manager.

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High-level responsibilities of a manager*:

Develop, support, coach, motivate and reward employees.

Plan ahead and evaluate projects and tasks.

Define (with employees) clear roles and responsibilities.

Establish goals and performance standards.

Create a healthy work environment by implementing

and maintaining work systems, policies and procedures.

Network and act as a liaison between employees

and upper management.

* https://www.thebalance.com/what-does-a-manager-do-in-the-workplace-1919121
* https://hbr.org/1989/09/general-managers-in-the-middle

According to our study, 40%

of managers did not receive
a clear list of responsibilities
when they started.

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Transition smoothly
from employee
to manager.

The most important thing to

understand about your role is
that it’s changing. It’s not a
continuation of your role as independent worker, and it’s
not “doing your current role but better”.

Being a manager is an entirely new job.

“Suddenly I realize how much I didn’t know”, is a common

lament during this transition, as Michael Watkins suggests.
You’ll have a lot to learn, but it should be embraced for the
great opportunity that it is.

For Mary, the transition from star employee to manager

means a transition from:

As a independent specialist, Mary was deep As a manager, she’s out of the production
in the nitty gritty of the action, focused on process, focused instead on the bigger
the details and producing work. picture while coaching employees to reach
personal and professional goals.

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 QUICK TIP:

How to let go of the details.

Focus on “what” the deliverables are, and by “when” they

need to be completed. Leave the details of “how” that gets
done up to each person.

One challenge you might face in this transition is putting

a hard stop to your old habits as an individual worker. Your
initial instinct might be to jump into the work alongside your
team and fix or even redo what they’ve done to reach goals.
You’ll quickly realize that this isn’t sustainable. Ultimately,
what it means to be a manager is to guide a team to reach
goals so they can run autonomously.

“The greatest misconception about my new role was my

job description. I quickly subjected myself to solving every
problem that came my way. Someone is having difficulty
learning a new technology? I can teach them. The project
scope exceeds the team’s capacity? I can balance the for-
mula. I can now safely say that my job is no longer to
fix things, it’s to guide and manage them.”

- Louis Bridgman, Software Development Manager at SAP

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 3
Get into the
manager mindset.

Moving from a “doer” to

a “generalist” all requires a
considerable shift in your mindset.

As an independent contributor, your focus was your individual performance and success.
Being a leader is a role that requires you to put the needs and development of others
before your own.

Without bursting your bubble, it’s no longer about you. But that’s the beauty of the job.
Watching others grow, learn and succeed because of your leadership will give you a more
powerful sense of success than you ever felt as an individual contributor.

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 Your own success will now be measured by the success of your team
and the professional growth of each individual employee.

Take care of yourself

As the airplane analogy goes, you have to put on your own oxygen mask before
helping the person next to you. Meditating and practicing mindfulness are ways to
alleviate stress and create clarity.

Manager Mindsets

Servant leader mindset. Growth mindset. Human mindset.

Focus on the needs of Encourage your team Being a manager does not
others before your own to be curious, to learn mean being superhuman.
and accept your own continuously and reach In fact, it’s one of the
success as the success of beyond their limits. This most human-based roles
the team. It’s a bottom-up will keep them engaged, out there. Be authentic
approach, instead of the creative and producing with your team and allow
traditional top-down. great results. yourself to be vulnerable.
Think helpful guidance The more real you are with
instead of commanding them the more real they’ll
delegation. be with you. That’s when
the magic happens.

Embrace differences: Ask, don’t tell: Listen to your gut:

Avoid comparing your employees Ask questions more than giving Your instincts are
strengths and weaknesses to answers to help employees learn. probably right.
your own.
Think ahead: Be patient with yourself:
Stay out of it: Anticipate challenges, You’re new to this! Don’t be
Set clear deadlines, but leave roadblocks and expectations so hard on yourself, and try
the “how” up to your team. down the line. to have fun.

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 4
Don’t be shy,
ask for help.
Unfortunately, many companies
promote employees to a management role
thinking that they’ll “figure it out” because
they’ve always been great at everything else.
It’s like thinking that because you know how to
ride a bike, you’ll have no problem riding a
motorcycle. There’s some continuity, yes, but
at the base it’s an entirely different task!

So put any ego or fear aside and ask for the clarification and resources you
need to start off on the right foot. The more you understand and prep for your
role, arming yourself with the gear you need to take off smoothly, the more you
and your team will succeed.

Your future self will thank you!

New Manager Preparation Checklist:

66 % of the managers we surveyed said that

they did not receive any training or coaching
before starting out as a manager.

1 2 3 4
Ask for a leadership coach: Find a mentor within the Request a clear list of roles Find out the current state
Becoming a successful lead- organization: Find another and responsibilities: Use of the team you’ll be
er is not always intuitive. It manager you can turn to this template and fill it out managing: Hold individual
takes work. If you want to to discuss the role, what with your boss and HR so interviews with your new
coach a team properly, you to expect and how to deal you have clear direction, and employees to learn about
need a coach, too. with challenges as you run then get ready to go through everyone’s challenges and
into them. Having a support the same exercise with every work styles before diving
network is key to your member of your team. in. It’s a great way to
success. individualize your leadership
style per employee.

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 SECTION THREE

Busting the myths

of management
Forget everything you think you know about your position. We clear up the
most common misconceptions of management, so there are no big surprises.

MYTH #1

Independence vs. Interdependence

Mary was under the false assumption that becoming a Becoming a manager actually means having less autonomy
manager meant having more freedom and autonomy to do than when you were an independent employee because you
what she feels is best for the company. She was focused on the now have a team and a boss. It’s what we call The Sandwich.
privileges and power that come with the title, believing that Your job is no longer to get your work done autonomously, but
she would finally “no longer be burdened by the unreasonable to help a whole team reach their goals, while responding to the
demands of others”. expectations of upper management. You have to manage both
up, and down.

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It’s a job that requires Mary to wear many hats. She’s no longer a subordinate, she’s a
“subordinate, equal and superior”. She still has a boss, and now she is a boss too. This
three-hat-balancing act takes some time to figure out, but the first step in conquering it
is knowing to expect it, and understanding that the nature of the job is not as simple as
having the final word and giving your approval. Being a manager is a role founded in
relationships. Finding the time to balance each one will come with time and experience.

MYTH #2

Control vs. Commitment

Now that you understand that the essence of your job is managing and balancing
relationships, let’s look at how to run these relationships successfully.

Mary was under the misconception that she’d have control Success isn’t your employees doing what they’re told because
over her employees simply because she’s now the boss. But, they have to. Success is your employees being personally
thinking that employees will listen to her because ‘they have committed to a course of action because they believe in you,
to” is a myth. So too is believing that achieving success in her and have fully bought into your vision and capability as a
role means maintaining this control. leader. The bottom line is that success comes from connection,
not delegation, and your credibility as a leader has very little to
do with formal authority in the end.

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 10 ways to earn the trust
and respect of your team:
1 Be transparent with motives and goals.

2
Demonstrate your character and intention to do the right
thing for your team.

3
Put the team’s needs before your own.

4
Help employees grow by letting them test, learn
and fail without fear.

5
Trust employees off the bat, don’t make them feel
they have to earn it.

6
Let yourself be vulnerable, and admit to mistakes.

7
Use inclusive words like “we” to show that you’re part
of the team, not above it.

8
Ask for feedback and take action quickly where change is needed.

9
Be yourself - people respond best to authenticity.

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Be open to learning from your team -
everyone will have something to teach you!

First impressions are lasting. Ease in to the team humbly by “asking” rather
than “telling”. Learn about your employees, let them learn about you, and
make it clear that you’re there to be part of the team, not for yourself.

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 MYTH #3

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

Think of hard skills as your technical skills, and soft skills as your human skills.

Mary is sure that people will trust her

direction due to her expertise, because
it’s the hard skills and technical ability that
will help her find success in her new role.

Your hard skills will now take a backseat

to your soft skills. What matters more is your
ability to help your team build up their own
expertise – not do the job for them.
Employees want to learn and grow, not be
saved. In fact, jumping in with your own skills
will usually be perceived as micromanaging.

Since the essence of your new role is relationship-driven, the skills required to excel as a
manager are human-based. To be effective, you need to be open to learning about your-
self, your vulnerabilities, emotional strengths and weaknesses. It takes discipline and
commitment. If you commit to your own self-learning and nurturing your emotional intel-
ligence (EQ), you’ll build the capacity to help others succeed. Try building your empathy by
exercising it in day-to-day situations. For example, consider a point of view different from
your own and come up with a strong argument to support it. Even if you don’t change your
own perspective, this is a valuable exercise in critical thinking.

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 The 5 domains of EQ
by Daniel Goleman

1 Self Awareness: Knowing and understanding your emotions

2
Self-Regulation: Managing your emotions and the ability
to think before you act

3
Internal Motivation: Setting goals and motivating yourself
to follow them

4
Empathy: Recognizing and understanding emotions in others

5
Social Skills: Building and handling relationships, collaborating
and managing conflict

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 MYTH #4

Center Stage
vs.
Behind the Scenes

Mary believes that she’ll remain center stage

under the spotlight, but even more so now
that she’s the boss. She looks forward to
receiving more recognition than ever!

True success for managers comes from step-

ping out of the spotlight and moving behind
the scenes! It means guiding a team from
the bottom up and shifting the recognition
that you’re used to receiving to others. A
great leader is happy to let others shine and
understands that their success is found in the
reflection of their people’s accomplishments.

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 QUICK TIP:

How to recognize your employees

1 2
Offer recognition on specific Recognize them publicly to

projects or incentives. expand appreciation and build

a positive vibe on the team.

3 4
Encourage peer-to-peer Give praise as close to the
recognition to help colleagues event as possible to keep
build relationships. it timely and relevant.

How to measure behind-the-scenes success

It might not always be tangible, but it will always be great.

The Curiosity Factor : The Collaborative Vibe:

A professor measures their own success by A dance instructor measures success by how
how well their students perform, but even well their students perform on stage as a
more so by the questions they ask in the cohesive whole, and not just individuals.
classroom, and their desire to learn more.
Brainpower is always stronger when
In the workplace, seeing your employees it’s collective, this is why a team that
test new initiatives, challenge ideas, and supports each other and works together
ask out-of-the-box questions is a great sign harmoniously to achieve goals will produce
of success! It means that you’ve removed better results than a team that works in
fear from their day-to-days. Curiosity and silos. Helping employees form bonds by
creativity thrive best in environments creating a culture of trust, respect and
where people feel safe to dream big and vulnerability will ensure successful
fail without shame. co-creation. Try holding open monthly
retrospectives where employees can share
their feelings on what worked well and what
can be improved upon.

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 Bravo!
You did it.
You should feel proud. Feel free
to visit this hub whenever you need
a refresher - we’re always here for you.

Now go on!
Be awesome.

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 Meet 
Officevibe!
At Officevibe, we believe that the future of work is We take pride in designing technology that
human. humanizes business, and we distinguish
ourselves by walking the talk of that people-first
That’s a simple way of saying that when organizations
mindset in every customer interaction.
commit to bringing the best out of their people,
those people can quickly become their greatest Officevibe is autonomous and self-financed. Every
competitive advantage. product decision we make is in service to our mission
of helping the world create a better workplace where
Our mission (read: passion) is to help our clients do
every employee can reach their potential.
just that. Our approach is motivated by a simple yet
powerful truth: We believe so strongly in what we do that we recently
made the basic version of our platform free for any
Team engagement is the ultimate driver of team
manager or team in the world that needs it.
performance, and both are most directly influenced
by a team’s manager. Discover more about how Officevibe works,
and how we can work together, at officevibe.com.
And so, our platform, built on the science of employee
engagement, with the manager and team at its heart,
focuses on strengthening those relationships that
matter most.

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