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Twenty Tips for First-Time Managers
(First 5 Presented)
By Jeff Schmitt
Below is the first five of 20 tips for first-time managers from an excellent Bloomberg Business Article (click on the link below the title to read the whole thing). While it is not geared specifically to schools, the principles are pretty universal. And, while many of us may no longer be a first-time business manager, I find that as I start a new year I like to self-evaluate and I attempt to look at things through new eyes. Many of the ideas presented in this article are things that we should be doing regardless of whether we have been on the job for three days or 30 years:
How Not to Blow It
That semi-competent manager you and your colleagues used to complain about is gone. Guess who's in charge now? It's you, my friend. Sure, you have integrity; everyone knows that. But you also need a vision and a strategy, and you must execute it skillfully. Otherwise, you'll find yourself turning into the new bumbling fool. Here's how to succeed as a new manager.
1. Learn the Business
You'll feel tempted to overhaul and start fresh. But there's so much you don't know. Rather than risk moving too fast too soon, spend your first months observing, listening, and learning. Keep a log of everything you question. To know what's critical and what's clutter, lean on those with institutional knowledge and memory. In short, be humble and grow into the job. Take small steps so your employees have some continuity. You'll have time to leave your fingerprints as you mature.
2. Meet with Your People Individually
Don't judge the holdovers, at least not initially. Instead, give everyone a clean slate, no matter what you've heard. Remember, all your reports will be on their best behavior initially. You represent a fresh start; they want to be seen in the best light. So give them plenty of one-on-one time early. Learn about their history and aspirations. Watch them in action to see who'll tell the truth, help, or inevitably disappoint. Most important, get buy-in from your stars and respected veterans. Without their support, few others will follow.
3. Set Objectives
You have their attention: Capitalize on it. Set ground rules and expectations early. Outline your short-term and long-term vision for the department. Identify what's mission critical, why, and how everyone's roles contribute to the end result. Set goals, but keep them relatively short, unambiguous, and achievable. Establish time lines and benchmarks to measure progress. Help them understand they're working toward something larger, and how their careers, lives, and world will profit from their labor.
4. Make a Memorable Gesture
Want to make an impact in your first weeks? Strip everything down and simplify. That's right: Take them back to basics. Determine what's holding them back, such as a bad apple or redundant paperwork. Take a dramatic action to send the message that times have changed. Or build goodwill by skewering a sacred cow or making a symbolic giveback. Whether you're looking to drive service, productivity, or profitability, focus your team on that area and remove any obstacles or excuses for delivering it.
5. Have a Department Plan
An idea is doomed to failure without a plan behind it. After meeting with stakeholders, draft three- and six-month plans. Set targets, replete with starting and ending points (and the steps in between). Hold yourself accountable by evaluating progress weekly and making adjustments as circumstances evolve. At minimum, your job is to get your team members on the same page and level, and foster an environment where they can excel. Without a plan and a dedication to executing it, they will inevitably drift, gradually losing sight of their potential and value.
Read the rest at: http://www.bloomberg.com/ss/10/10/1008_first_time_managers/1.htm
Charter School Business Manager Support Group
This group is typically meeting every other month at 1:00 pm at the CES headquarters in Albuquerque (4216 Balloon Park Road NE). Our next scheduled meeting is: Thursday, February 18th.