5 Skills

Every New Manager

Needs To Succeed

TRAINING SOLUTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS & ORGANIZATIONS

 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................ pg.01

01 Play a Variety of Roles................................................................. pg.02

02 Communicate Effectively............................................................. pg.04

03 Delegate Successfully................................................................. pg.06

04 Give Useful Feedback.................................................................. pg.09

05 Manage Performance...................................................................pg.12

Conclusion & Resources.....................................................................pg.14

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

Introduction
With practice, you’ll As a superstar on your team, you’ve just been promoted and will take on
get comfortable management responsibilities for the first time in your career. Being a successful
with the basic contributor and doing your job well has gotten you here and now it’s time to channel
skills needed to be that talent and energy into a management position.
effective in your
new role. It’s normal to feel anxious about transitioning from an individual contributor to
overseeing the work of others. Making this switch comes with a whole new set
of challenges you’ve never been trained for. Beyond your own work, you’re now
charged with helping others succeed and develop to help meet your organization’s
goals. The truth is that the skills that made you a great team player won't necessarily
make you a great manager.

The good news: With practice, you’ll get comfortable with the basic skills needed
to be effective in your new role. In this download, we’ll cover the five essential skills
you’ll need to succeed.

Skill 01

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

01 Managers Need To Be Comfortable

Playing A Variety Of Roles

Achieve the right As a manager, you will have to play many roles—wear different hats at
results with and different times—to add value. Let’s look at the typical roles you must play in
through others order to achieve the right results with and through others.

Here are eight typical roles of effective managers:

1. LEADER
Looks beyond the current day-to-day work requirements and determines
where his/her organization needs to go. Leaders move their organizations
forward by thinking strategically about the directions they need to take.
They form relationships beyond the organization to build and maintain the
reputation of the organization

2. DIRECTOR
Is able to define a problem and take the initiative to determine a solution.
Using planning and goal-setting skills, the director determines what to
delegate and ensures that individuals understand what they are being
asked to do.

3. CONTRIBUTOR
Is expected to be task-oriented and work-focused, ensuring that his/her
own personal productivity is attended to

4. COACH
Is engaged in the development of people, helping them to acquire and
refine skills as well as to focus their motivation and commitment.

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

01 Managers Need To Be Comfortable

Playing A Variety Of Roles

Achieve the right Eight typical roles of effective managers:

results with and
through others 5. FACILITATOR
Fosters a collective effort for the organization, building cohesion and
teamwork and managing interpersonal conflict.

6. OBSERVER
Pays attention to what is going on in the unit, determining whether people
are meeting their objectives and watching to see that the unit is meeting
its goals. The observer is also responsible for understanding what is
important for the team to know and ensures that information overload
does not occur.

7. INNOVATOR
Facilitates adaptation and change, paying attention to the changing
environment, identifying trends that impact the organization, and then
determining changes needed for the organization’s success.

8. ORGANIZER
Takes responsibility for planning work as well as organizing tasks and
structures. He/she then follows up to ensure tasks are completed by
attending to technological needs, staff coordination, crisis handling, etc.

Skill 02

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

02 Managers Need To
Communicate Effectively

Communication Communication is the lifeblood of management.

is the lifeblood of
management With the transition from individual contributor to “getting things done through
others,” communication becomes increasingly important. The quality of a manager’s
communication affects his/her ability to:

• DELEGATE AND ASSIGN WORK

• COACH

• EVALUATE PERFORMANCE

• PROVIDE LEADERSHIP

The list could go on.

Without effective communication, the “right things” simply won’t get done
successfully in the long run. Without effective communication, a manager can’t
build a motivational work climate. Without effective communication, there simply is
no leadership. Most of the roles that managers have to perform absolutely require
effective communication. Even though we have all grown up communicating, doing it
successfully as a manager can require effort and practice. It is a process that can get
off track in a number of places.

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

02 Managers Need To
Communicate Effectively

Communication 4 QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

is the lifeblood of They’re common sense but people don’t necessarily practice them.
management

Clarity—Is your communication Accuracy—Is it true?

specific and descriptive? If it is an opinion or assumption,
Remember, if a statement is is it labeled as such?
unclear, its accuracy can’t be
determined and may leave the
receiver with questions.

Completeness Timeliness
Is all necessary information Is the message delivered,
conveyed? Are the emotional received, and understood
elements of the issue within a time period that will
communicated, as well as the allow appropriate response?
task aspects?

Skill 03

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

03 Managers Need To
Delegate Effectively

Managers who Delegation is the allocation of a job or task along with some defined amount
delegate effectively of authority to accomplish the task. Managers who delegate effectively have
have direct reports direct reports who are more capable and enthusiastic. Their direct reports
who are more are seen as competent and committed to taking on more projects or tasks,
capable and thereby freeing up the managers’ time to work on tasks that cannot be
enthusiastic delegated.

QUICK QUIZ: YOUR COMFORT LEVEL WITH

DELEGATION
You’ll gain insight into your skill and comfort level delegating work to others and
gain awareness for areas that you can develop.

1. When I am overloaded with work, I look to my direct reports to take on

some of my work.

Always Usually Sometimes Never

2. After I have delegated a project, my team members know who is leading

the project and what their own level of authority on the project is.

Always Usually Sometimes Never

3. When I delegate work to any of my direct reports, I provide them with all
the information I have on the subject.

Always Usually Sometimes Never

4. In my organization, delegation is perceived as an opportunity for growth

and recognition. I consider the skills and knowledge of my direct reports
before assigning them a project.

Always Usually Sometimes Never

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

03 Managers Need To
Delegate Effectively

Managers who
SCENARIOS WHEN DELEGATING IS A GOOD IDEA
delegate effectively
have direct reports
who are more
• When tasks are closely related to the work employees are already doing

capable and
enthusiastic • When tasks have clearly defined procedures and end results

• When tasks are repetitive and fit into the normal workflow

• When tasks enable employees to develop themselves

SCENARIOS WHEN DELEGATING IS NOT A GOOD IDEA

• When the task falls clearly within the manager’s personal responsibilities
(e.g., conducting a performance appraisal)

• When the successful completion of the task by the employee will require
more assistance than the manager can give

• When the risk of failure outweighs the benefit of delegating for

development (e.g., when your job is on the line)

• When the assignment might place the employee or the organization at risk

• When the task is not clearly defined or uncertainty exists

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

03 Managers Need To
Delegate Effectively

Managers who THE DELEGATION CONVERSATION

delegate effectively
have direct reports 1. Explain the Assignment: Be sure to explain the assignment, using an
who are more appropriate level of detail to fit the employee’s development level.
capable and Specify the importance of the assignment, the standards by which the
enthusiastic final outcome will be judged, and the reason that he/she was chosen.

2. Test for Clarity: One of the primary reasons delegation goes off track
is misunderstanding between tvhe manager and the employee. After
explaining the assignment, check to ensure that you have been clear and
that the employee has the same picture of the task as you do.

3. Identify Potential Problems: Work with the employee to identify and

discuss hindrances to the successful completion of the assignment. Ask
the employee what might get in the way, and be prepared to help him/
her do some proactive problem solving right then and there.

4. Identify Milestones: Employees sometimes feel that a manager

supervises too closely after delegating because the manager doesn’t
have confidence in them. The truth is that it’s often the case that the
manager is staying in close contact to ensure that the project is on track.
One way to avoid all the negatives of over-supervision and to keep
track of the status of the assignment is to borrow a tool from project
management methodology and build in milestones or checkpoints.

5. Recap: To further ensure clarity, ask the employee to summarize his/

her understanding of the assignment, problem contingencies, and
checkpoint schedule.

Skill 04

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

04 Managers Need To Give

Useful Feedback

We all need We all need feedback—it is essential for our development. As a

feedback—it is managerial tool, it not only helps employees to recognize what they
essential for our need to do differently, but it also reinforces what they are already doing
development. well. Managers, both new and experienced, sometimes don’t provide as
much—or as useful—feedback as they should.

HOW YOU SAY IT MATTERS

What makes feedback effective is its usefulness to the person receiving it.
As a manager, you are providing the feedback to achieve some outcome—
either to reinforce a positive behavior and make it more likely to occur again,
or to change a behavior to make it more useful. If you provide feedback
in a way that makes it difficult for the employee to hear, or if you say it in a
way that pushes the employee’s emotional buttons, then the likelihood of
achieving your desired outcome will be diminished. The employee:

• Won’t believe it

• Will be threatened by it

• Will not see a reason to change

It is in your self-interest to provide feedback in a way that the other person

can hear and accept it.

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

04 Managers Need To Give

Useful Feedback

It can be
GIVING FEEDBACK IN THE MOMENT
helpful It can be difficult to remember the rules and guidelines for useful feedback when you are
to use a in the moment and emotionally engaged. It can be helpful to use a memory tool to help
memory tool craft feedback “on the fly”:
to help craft
feedback
“on the fly”
When you… What I’d like…
(Describe the behavior) (Describe how you’d like the
employee to behave)

I feel…
(Describe the feeling) Because…
(Describe the benefit of
the new behavior)

Because…
(Describe the impact/
consequences of the What do you think?
behavior)

Continued

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

04 Managers Need To Give

Useful Feedback

We all need GIVING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

a pat on the Reinforcing feedback focuses on and identifies what the person has done
back. well. We all need a pat on the back. Your reinforcement of good behavior lets
direct reports know that you’re observing something positive. Direct reports
will feel more secure and motivated knowing you’re aware of their efforts.

Reinforce good behavior by acknowledging it. A positive comment about

behavior will make it more likely to occur again.

THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES TO

REMEMBER WHEN EXPRESSING APPRECIATION:
1. Describe the desired behavior in specific terms.

2. Explain why the behavior is helpful.

3. Actually express thanks.

Don’t assume they know you feel a certain way. Say it!

Skill 05

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

05 Managers Need to Effectively

Manage Performance

Effective Managers must be able to help their direct reports perform at a high level.
performance The consequences of not being able to are serious— business goes away;
management operations are downsized, right-sized, or otherwise affected; plants close;
is the avenue organizations disappear. Even organizations that have discovered a strategic
for achieving advantage that gives them a leg up on their competition maintain it only through
organizational the performance of their workforce.
goals that
From a personal perspective, the consequences of not managing performance
impact the
can be devastating to a manager. A manager whose unit is “just getting
business’s
by” is a prime candidate to lose resources, thereby limiting the potential for
bottom line.
improvement.

Effective performance management is the avenue for achieving organizational

goals that impact the business’s bottom line. By mastering this important skill,
you will be able to create a greater alignment of the organization’s interests and
those of the individual employees

The greater the alignment, the greater the success for both the organization and
the individual.

Continued

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

05 Managers Need to Effectively

Manage Performance

Performance FIVE FOUNDATIONS OF SUCCESSFUL

Management is PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
NOT something you Hint: Performance Management is NOT something you do once a year.
do once a year.

Partner with your Clarify expectations.

direct reports. Don’t leave comments or
They’ll feel they’re comments or conversation up
working with you, not for interpretation. The greatest
for you, and you’ll gift you can give someone is
both be more clarity.
successful.

Schedule regular
performance
Make open
conversations.
communication
Performance
an ongoing
management shouldn’t
process.
consist of an annual
Make the time to
appraisal…It’s an ongoing
interact with your
process.
direct report at least
once a day.

Provide regular feedback and coaching

to help employees develop.
Adult learners need to hear things
many times and in many different ways.
Communicate your messages regularly.

Conclusion

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

Conclusion & Resources

8 ROLES EVERY SUCCESSFUL MANAGER NEEDS TO
PLAY
Here are the typical roles you must play in order to achieve the right results with and
through others.

1. Leader: Looks beyond the current day-to-day work requirements and

determines where his/her organization needs to go.

2. Director: Is able to define a problem and take the initiative to determine a

solution.

3. Contributor: Is expected to be task-oriented and work-focused, ensuring

that his/her own personal productivity is attended to.

4. Coach: Is engaged in the development of people, helping them to acquire

and refine skills as well as to focus their motivation and commitment.

5. Facilitator: Fosters a collective effort for the organization, building

cohesion and teamwork and managing interpersonal conflict.

6. Observer: Pays attention to what is going on in the unit, determining

whether people are meeting their objectives and watching to see that the
unit is meeting its goals.

7. Innovator: Facilitates adaptation and change, paying attention to the

changing environment, identifying trends that impact the organization,
and then determining changes needed for the organization’s success.

8. Organizer: Takes responsibility for planning work as well as organizing

tasks and structures.

Continued

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

Conclusion & Resources

4 QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION EVERY
MANAGER MUST MASTER
They’re common sense but people don’t necessarily practice them.

1. Clarity—Is your communication specific and descriptive?

Remember, if a statement is unclear, its accuracy can’t be determined and
may leave the receiver with questions.

2. Accuracy—Is it true?
If it is an opinion or assumption, is it labeled as such?

3. Completeness
Is all necessary information conveyed? Are the emotional elements of the
issue communicated, as well as the task aspects?

4. Timeliness
Is the message delivered, received, and understood within a time period
that will allow appropriate response?

Continued

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

Conclusion & Resources

5 FOUNDATIONS OF SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT
Hint: Performance management is NOT something you do once a year.

1. Partner with your direct reports

They’ll feel they’re working with you, not for you, and you’ll both be more
successful.

2. Clarify expectations.
Don’t leave comments or comments or conversation up for interpretation.
The greatest gift you can give someone is clarity.

3. Make open communication an ongoing process.

Make the time to interact with your direct report at least once a day.

4. Schedule regular performance conversations.

Performance management shouldn’t consist of an annual appraisal…It’s an
ongoing process.

5. Provide regular feedback and coaching to help employees develop.

Adult learners need to hear things many times and in many different ways.
Communicate your messages regularly.

From communication to feedback and positive reinforcement, you now have a grasp
on the skills you’ll need to effectively deal with your team, your boss and senior
management. Put these people skills to work and you’ll be equipped to handle new
management challenges with confidence.

Continued

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

Conclusion & Resources

READ MORE
New Manager? How to Manage Friends and Former Peers

What’s Your First Task as a New Manager? Managing Yourself!

WATCH A WEBCAST
Managing for People Who Hate Managing

SIGN UP FOR A WEBINAR

Crash Course for New Managers

TAKE A SEMINAR
Management Skills for New Managers

Continued

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 5 Skills Every New Manager Needs To Succeed

Conclusion & Resources

ENSURE YOUR ONGOING SUCCESS AS A MANAGER
WITH AMA’S TOTAL PROFESSIONAL

Building skills in these four areas is key:

Professional
Management Skills for New Managers
Effectiveness

Relationship
Developing Your Emotional Intelligence
Management

Analytical
Critical Thinking
Intelligence

Business Fundamentals of Finance and Accounting for

Acumen Non-Financial Managers

Learn More

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TRAINING SOLUTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS & ORGANIZATIONS

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