Don't rush to become a manager

I guess like most junior corporate rookies, becoming a people manager was like the ultimate goal. I thought that becoming a manager at a young age was a sign of success. A significant step up the hierarchical corporate ladder.

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It took me 38 life years to become a manager or 16 in professional years. And yet even at the age of 38, I was not prepared. My company had neither trained me nor even prepped me in the slightest to become a manager, let alone a good one.

 

And so I had no idea what the hell I was supposed to do. How on earth do you begin? "Hi, I'm Margarita and I'm your new manager and I have no idea what I'm doing!!" 😂😂 Great start!

 

What's my management style? How the hell am I supposed to know if I've never been one, if I've never taken any type of assessment to tell me what type of professional I am and what type of manager I might be.

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And yet just like that, from one day to the next, I was responsible for a team. I was responsible for the results of this team. But more importantly, I was responsible for the people in this team. I was responsible for the development of these people.

 

I was not ready (obviously), and I was not good. Likeable? ...probably yes. Inspirational? ...definitely not...Someone to learn from? ..another definite no.  Not sure I was adding any real value to my people. Just went along making sure that the work was getting done, basically trying to secure my director's goals, and definitely not leaving any personal mark. I was a high performing individual contributor, but a good manager? Nahhh... I'm pretty sure I was learning more from my team members than they were learning from me.

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I didn't feel I was conveying any sense of authority and I didn't feel I was in control. Actually I think I felt quite uncomfortable being a people manager. I observed other managers who came across as much more confident and assertive. I observed them because I wanted to be like them, displaying that impressive sense of confidence, command and leadership.

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Having been a what I think was an - unremarkable - manager for 4 years, I changed companies and during the hiring interview I was asked to describe my managerial style...Hmm...I thought shit... I've never been asked that before. No one took the time to give me feedback let along mentor or coach me, so I never had given it much thought because I thought my job as a manager was mainly to secure my director's peace of mind and help him achieve his goals.

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So my answer was slightly impulsive and instinctive "I am a consultant type of manager", I answered, trying to explain that I don't dictate how everyone should go about their work, I don't micromanage but I do give direction and I am there to consult with at any time when in doubt or in need of help and/or escalation.

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The word 'coaching' wasn't really a buzzword back then in 2014, at least not yet in Greece. Managing in 2014 during the Greek financial crisis was all about delivering results and not so much about the people. Mentorship was around as a concept but the idea of a manager being a coach was still very nascent (and not preached in the companies I worked for back then). And we definitely were not in the era of the empathic leader (today's overused buzzword around leadership).

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But since this article is not about analysing what type of manager I actually turned out to be, what I want to convey to the younger audiences reading this article is to NOT RUSH to become a people manager.  It's a tough job. Managing people is first and foremost very time consuming (something that no one really warns you about) but more importantly it's a huge responsibility. For some team members, you might be the key influencer (or detractor) of their career. To younger people you are the mentor, the coach they are looking to learn from and looking to be inspired by. For others you are the energy they need to keep them motivated.

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Being inspiring and motivating are not easy tasks. Do NOT take them lightly.

But going beyond the people management part of the role, a middle manager is a peculiar role. It's a sandwich role. And it is much tougher than people estimate. It's double accountability.

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You find yourself having to serve and please upper management by delivering their often-demanding goals and asks while at the same time having to keep the harmony and high energy flowing below.

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You are sandwiched between the push from above and the pull from below.

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You need to know how to filter the 'noise' coming from above in order to secure a high functioning, motivated team that can deliver on the results. There is a lot of pressure coming simultaneously from above and below (and remember how time consuming that 'below' can be).

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You may have been a great individual contributor (IC). I mean a really good one. A recognised one. And then comes the reward - The Promotion to Manager (with a capital 'M'). Your IC skills don't necessarily equip you for your brand new managerial role which requires all the 'being-a-good-people-manager' stuff, but also tough and sometimes uneasy negotiation skills, keeping the balance, the harmony, trying to keep everyone happy but also having to deliver bad news, harsh feedback, resolving conflicts in which you used to be just an observer, yet now you are the peace-keeper. You probably where always good at handling and delivering on the demands 'from above', yet now, the new variable in the equation that now consists of the pull 'from below' changes that dynamic towards 'the above' even if you had it in check until now. New parameters, new equation.

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Finally, I think one of the biggest let downs as we become first-time managers, is the reality that in fact we don't get as many decision-making powers as we thought we would. In fact, we continue to be a vehicle for execution except with more pressure, more responsibility and a much longer to-do list.

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So, my advice based on my own experience is DO NOT RUSH.

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Great leadership often comes without grand titles.

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(For much more interesting stuff than this article can offer, on the role of middle managers, the impact of AI etc, please look up my ex-Microsoft colleague and personal mentor Erwin Hartenberg)