First Time Manager Coaching

The hardest part of being a first-time manager is learning to transition from working in a team to becoming responsible for that team. This transition comes with the need to acquire new skills, to effectively make this transition.

Every First Time Manager Needs Coaching 

• Although many companies are providing employees with various training programs to assist them with this transition, there still is a great deal of work to be done. Based on data from recent studies, out of ninety-nine percent of companies that provide management training programs, eighty-seven percent of first-time managers in those companies stated that the training they received was not sufficient to prepare them for the huge responsibilities that came with the job.
• Due to this unpreparedness, many first-time managers confuse their responsibilities with that of a mere personal contributor. Even though these managers were promoted as a result of their high potential and performance, they still require coaching to maximize their leadership skills and meet the expectations of those who now look up to them.
• A new manager first needs to comprehend the magnitude of their position. The responsibilities they were used to performing as normal staff members have changed to more complex duties which will determine the overall success of the business. We will highlight a few of these new responsibilities for better understanding.

Duties of a Manager 

For a company with an organizational structure, managers are often considered to be the potential successors of such companies. A manager functions to handle or regulate activities aimed at defining the success strategy of a company. They are saddled with the responsibility of coordinating the events which occur in the workplace to achieve the industrial objectives of a company or business. Their responsibilities fall under three categories: interpersonal, informational, and decisional.

Interpersonal

The responsibilities under this category involve acting as a source of motivation for the entire team. It further entails building a healthy interpersonal relationship with staff members, acting as a standard-bearer to promote a healthy work environment, providing effective leadership to the people in your organization, and efficiently networking with other industry stakeholders to promote the organization.

Informational

The responsibilities in this category consist of monitoring and disseminating information while acting as a spokesperson. Here, a manager strives to remain consciously aware of the latest developments or changes in the industry. He/she is tasked with the duty of monitoring the productivity of workers and communicating useful information to both members of staff and clients.

Decisional

The responsibilities in this category comprise the delegation of duties, allocation of resources, and making smart decisions. This category requires a manager to offer solutions to challenges faced by the organization. They resolve a conflict between staff members and distribute responsibilities among team leaders and supervisors ensuring the implementation of productive decisions and taking part in negotiations within or outside the company.

Other responsibilities include: hiring new staff, training new employees, handling terminations, conducting performance evaluations, translating corporate objectives into personal ones, controlling expenditure, planning, and setting goals that benefit the organization.

How Professional Coaching Can Help First Time Managers ?

It is evident that the responsibilities listed above differ from those of an average staff member, therefore how can organizations guarantee that their potential leaders experience a smooth transition from staff member to managerial positions?

While a management training program is one way to achieve this, professional coaching is a much more effective strategy. A professional coach collaborates with clients to offer a creative and imaginative experience for the sole purpose of encouraging them to maximize their individual and professional potential. 

A professional coach helps professionals to align their objectives with that of their professional objectives, thus helping them reach the peak of their careers. They do this by using various strategies such as group coaching, personal coaching, and online and offline coaching, all aimed at meeting the needs of their clients. The methods by which professional coaches can help professionals, especially first-time managers, in the effective discharge of their duties are highlighted below.

Develop Management Skills 

Every manager must possess certain skills. Some of these include leadership skills, effective communication, partnership, critical thinking, budgeting, and project management.By offering a healthy coaching platform, professional coaches guide their clients through the steps necessary to maintain and present leadership skills. New managers ought to be taught how to recognize the needs of their team members, understand their differences, avoid prejudicing, and positively make an impact on team members.

To effectively manage is to effectively communicate. Communication is key in every form of relationship, especially in the corporate world. Professional coaches teach clients how to listen more effectively and communicate feelings, thoughts, and emotions.

An important managerial skill is the capability to foster healthy partnerships. A professional coach helps not just new managers, but also professionals, by improving their ability to close deals and collaborate with stakeholders. The capability to proffer solutions, analyze situations and critically think, manage projects, and organizational funds, are skills that professional coaches integrate into the minds of their clients, through setting objectives and regular feedback.

Guidance in the Management of Age and Gender Dynamics 

Recently there has been a rapid change in the workforce as more people are moving from conventional physical workplaces to remote jobs. Companies globally are facing challenges associated with the retention of workers. Various reasons for this exist, one of which can be attributed to poor managerial skills. Unlike what was obtainable in previous years, managers are now tasked with the responsibility of overseeing a combination of various generations of workers with varying sexualities.

The silent generation, baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and the latest Gen Z generation, each have their specific needs, approaches, and inspirations. Professional coaching helps new managers cultivate the strategies to properly manage each of these groups of people. Without proper management, these generations operating in the same space will clash multiple times because of their differences. This will create a negative workspace for staff members, and eventually lead to the loss of high potential workers.

Conclusion

The importance of professional coaching cannot be overemphasized, various organizations like EDS, Chrysler, and Herman Miller use coaching techniques to promote a culture of growth, positive development, and communication. Key industrial leaders like Xerox, IBM, and Microsoft are aiming to help their managers become coaches by providing various training programs.