Lots of employees complain about their bosses. After all, if your company has at least one employee, they are probably going to have a complaint. These complaints about managers can be simple frustrations to full-on discontent. But what if the manager secretly agrees with some of these complaints?
A new survey from CareerBuilder asked more than 2,480 employees and 3,910 workers to rate their company’s leaders. Among the managers that were surveyed, 26% said they weren’t ready to become leaders when they first took the job.
Why are some new managers not ready for the role and responsibilities that come with the job? Well, some managers have been promoted as a way to reward and encourage high performers. Sure, these employees may have contributed to the bottom line, but it doesn’t mean they will automatically become a great manager.
Many times these managers do bring a specialized talent to their new position, but they need to broaden their competencies in order to become models of leadership for the whole organization. They have to grasp bigger picture issues and motivate teams to tackle problems.
Without proper transition into the role, the organization could lose a great individual contributor and gain a mediocre manager. And a mediocre manager could eventually become ineffective at motivating and engaging employees.
New managers need the appropriate tools and training to help fully understand their new role. One tool to aid in this transition is the 360 feedback process.
Candid feedback on one's management competencies gives the new manager clarification on their role, as well as what behaviors need to continue, be stopped, or be changed.
Making use of such feedback can be a powerful development tool for leaders who are looking to mitigate any weaknesses and capitalize on strengths. Both positive and negative feedback can help leaders improve their performance.
Instilling a feedback culture is one way to soften the transition from peer to manager.
Now it’s your turn, what tips do you have for new managers?
