You will also undoubtedly have an impact on those who you manage – on an emotional, practical and career level. Your words and actions will carry weight in the eyes of those you are looking after.

This all leads to something significant. Gallup reports that companies with talented managers – I’m sure you’ll belong to that category – on average achieve 147 percent higher earnings per share than their competition.

That is a serious difference and managers are at the heart of that uplift.

So, as you step into your first managerial role, here are seven things that good managers do for you to copy:

1. Listen and respond with clarity and empathy.
2. Proactively think about your team’s growth and development.
3. Be transparent about how you make decisions, including your rationale.
4. Acknowledge when you don’t know something and hold your hand up when you fail.
5. Aim to create a clear culture of accountability and responsibility.
6. Recognize both successes and failures of team members, constructively.
7. Realize that everything is underpinned by trust; it’s the core of a high-performing team.

The Bad

Looking back to when I first became a manager, I now realize there were a lot of unknown unknowns – things I didn’t know I didn’t know!

I’d been promoted because I was good at my job technically. The next natural step on the corporate ladder seemed to be managing other people.

Most companies, and the people that work in them, make this assumption: that people “just” know how to manage other people.

But it’s wrong. In fact, it’s so wrong that there’s a concept created just to describe this situation: accidental manager.

Again, what does this have to do with you? Well, based on a recent report by the Chartered Management Institute, it means you are likely to be one of the 8 in 10 people who enter management positions for the first time and never receive proper learning and development to support them on this journey.

It means you are likely to encounter many unknown unknowns and make avoidable mistakes.

Here’s what you can do in your first few weeks to avoid “the bad:”

1. Consider reaching out to other managers in your company who can help you to adjust. This is you building your network and being proactive.
2. Explore what learning and development options are available to you, no matter how small they are. Most companies have a budget for this – and most have some form of leadership and management content to help you to deal with those inevitable in-the-moment challenges.
3. Take a moment to reflect on how you liked being managed. What made you feel motivated? How did a previous good manager (hopefully there was one!) look in terms of behavior, approach, and the actions they took? Take those lessons and put them into practice.
4. Everyone makes mistakes, and the easiest place to make mistakes is when you are dealing with other people. So it’s important not to be too hard on yourself.

The Ugly

I was dreading this part; I’m told I’m not supposed to scare you! But the fact remains, as reported by DDI, that more than 7 out of 10 managers report feeling burned out by the end of the day.

There are lots of other statistics that basically highlight the same thing: being a manager is not easy. In fact, it’s super hard!

I won’t dwell on this too much. But there are things you can do to minimize “the ugly” part of being a manager:

1. Learn how to delegate properly, early on. This is a very underrated quality and if not done effectively, your work can become extremely draining. It’s hard enough to do one job; you don’t want to end up doing several.
2. Prioritize. I know, simple – but so hard to do in practice! It’s critical that you set a vision for your team and work towards it. Focus on staying on track and only deviate when necessary, such as when there is a business case or a pivotal need. This means learning how to say “no.”
3. Take care of yourself. There’s a reason they say on airplanes, “Put your own mask on first before helping others.” It’s because you can’t do anything, let alone help others, if you aren’t healthy in mind and body.

What's Next?

You’ve absorbed quite a bit of information already! But, whenever you deal with the good, the bad and the ugly of being a manager or leader, below is a curated list of resources that will help you, guide you, and support you in your journey.

Setting your team up to succeed is critical, not just for you, but for them too! Here’s something to get you started, Developing Your Team.

As mentioned, not many people go through training or development before they become managers. Here’s your chance to find out what to expect from former professor at Harvard Business School and the JFK School at Harvard, Michael Watkins: The First 90 Days.

Last but certainly not least, being burned out is highly likely if you don’t take care of yourself. Your health and wellbeing, physical and mental, is critical. Our resource 6 Ways to Improve Your Health and Wellbeing will help you to think about that.

Tip of the Week

The Last Word on Rapport

By Kevin Dunne, Mind Tools Content Editor

Wherever you work, and indeed, wherever you go, a defining factor in how happy you feel is how you get on with the people you find there.

Luckily for me, I find it easy enough to be relaxed in new and old company most of the time.

Turning up at a party knowing hardly anyone doesn’t faze me. In fact, I quite like it. New people? I’m guaranteed to meet someone interesting and learn something new.

But, sometimes, despite my best efforts, it can be difficult to establish a rapport with the person or people you’re with.

There’s a simple solution I always turn to – switch the conversation around to most people’s favorite subject: themselves.

Of course, that in itself is not enough; you’ve actually got to listen to what they say.

Then you can find the common ground, the common interests, the new stuff you discover you’re really interested in, and away you go.

For further insights into how to get along with and understand other people better, try our articles Building Rapport and Active Listening.

Pain Points Podcast

What is artificial intelligence? On this week’s “Pain Points” podcast, we explore the headline grabbing topic of AI – what it is, what it isn’t, and what it means for work.

Many are worried about the dangers AI poses, but there are tangible benefits, too. And, like it or not, AI is here to stay.

Listen to this week’s podcast for our take on the new tech revolution and tips for surviving in an AI world.

Subscribe Today

News Roundup

This Week's Global Workplace Insights

Life Rise or Pay Rise?

Does money make you happy? Or is it more important to have a job you love instead?

U.K. newspaper The Independent tackled this ubiquitous subject this month, in the wake of data suggesting that salary increases are shrinking in 2024.

After getting a new job, the author was asked by a friend if she had gotten a pay rise to go with it.

Her reply cut right to the heart of the matter, “No, but I’m much happier now. It’s less stressful and more creative. I spend all day writing instead of updating spreadsheets and replying to emails.”

From that remark, her friend deduced that she’d had a “life rise,” not a pay rise.

Of course, as behavioral scientist Paul Dolan later points out in the piece, “When you hear people glibly say that ‘money doesn’t make you happy’, it’s always people who have money. You don’t hear poor people saying that.”

Life rise or pay rise? Which one would you choose (if you’re lucky enough to have a choice)?

The Future Was Here Yesterday

A major report into the impact of artificial intelligence in the workplace has found that it’s, not altogether surprisingly, being adopted at a rapid pace.

Workplaceinsight.net reported that a “quarter of people have now used or tried AI in the workplace” – up from a fifth of people only last September.

Citing data from Workforce Lab at Slack, who polled 10,000 people, the article revealed that not only are staff using AI more, they like it a whole lot too.

Around 80 percent of those asked said they had already seen productivity gains, quoting “writing assistance, automating workflows, and summarizing content” as the tasks they would be most likely to get AI to help with.

Good news for leaders and managers, with 81 percent reporting they “feel some urgency to incorporate generative AI into their organizations.”

The way to drive adoption, evidently, is with guidelines. Staff at companies who have produced defined usage guidelines are nearly six times more likely to have tried AI tools than workers with no guidelines to work to.

For a deeper dive into AI, see our latest articles, What Is AI? and How to Use AI as a Manager.

See you next week for more member-exclusive content and insight from the Mind Tools team!