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8 Effective Strategies to Onboard a Newly Promoted Manager

Being an effective manager entails a steep learning curve that is often times unanticipated by those newly promoted to management roles. A robust manager onboarding plan can help reduce time to proficiency and get managers acclimated to their new role quicker and easier. Consider your current manager onboarding process. How much of it prepares managers to be proficient in their role? Consider the following onboarding workplays to help onboard your next newly promoted manager.

Play #1. Start development before a promotion.
Once a team member shares their interest in leadership and you detect potential in their abilities, begin the process of developing their leadership skills. Create opportunities where they can learn and stretch themselves. Development ideas don’t always involve a fee. It could be as simple as allowing them to shadow a leader at an event, running a meeting, participating in the interview process, assisting with the budget, etc. These example development activities give an employee the opportunity to get more exposure to the leadership role and kick off their preparation period for a future promotion.

Play #2. Include peer mentors.
Newly promoted managers should be paired up with peer mentors who can share smart insight on everyday management situations. These mentors can be selected internally and externally. Just ensure there is a diverse mix of subject matter experts that can share relevant best practices and strengthen their network.

Play #3. Engage the manager’s manager.
It is common place for a manager’s manager to think that their newly promoted manager is able to hit the ground running with minimal supervision. Unfortunately, even the most experienced managers need some type of nurturing by their direct supervisor. Some may need a lot, others may need a little but everyone needs some level of guidance on a consistent basis.

Share suggestions on how much face time managers should have with their management team. Don’t let them leave discussion initiation solely to the newly promoted manager. The reality is some managers will not seek help even when they are floundering. So, have them stay in close contact with the newly promoted manager to help them navigate the managerial terrain.

Play #4. Pace the delivery of knowledge.
Many onboarding programs cram a lot of knowledge (i.e. HR information, compliance training, etc.) in a short span of time. Information is stuffed into a program without any consideration that the employee needs time to process and figure out how it all connects to their role. Keep in mind that most of the information shared will not be used immediately. It is a good idea to share the information but also provide refresher materials on a shared location that can be easily referenced, when needed.

Play #5. Invest in formal training.
A newly promoted manager is most open to learning when they are first promoted. If you start developing managers as soon as they start, you have the best opportunity to develop a foundation of good habits and skill. In turn, they will be more inclined to pass those good habits to others who need it on their team and throughout the organization. 

Play #6. Leverage a coach.
A coach has the ability to guide managers through a series of exercises and brave discussions to help them address work and team challenges from a different perspective. While some companies reserve this path only for executives, coaching can be very effective and cost effective for newly promoted managers too.

To drive coaching costs down, many organizations have internal volunteer coaching pools that have proven to be development effective. Another way to reduce the cost of traditional executive coaching is through the use of email coaching to facilitate manager coaching guidance.

Play #7. Integrate team building.
Create opportunities in your onboarding process to allow newly promoted managers to get to know their new teams. Informal social events are great starts to create team rapport.  But you also want to include more structured team building events that focus on having team dialogue about team needs, issues, and concerns.

Play #8. Get feedback.
Give newly promoted managers the opportunity to give feedback on the effectiveness of the program. They will have great insight on if and how the program should be improved.

Have you used any of these practices to onboard a newly promoted manager? What ideas do you have to better onboard newly promoted managers? Comment below and share your ideas.

8 Motivational Phrases Great Leaders Use Daily

Sometimes the perfect remedy for dealing with team related conflict is at the tip of your tongue. Meaning what you say can set the tone for better team relations. Below are several phrases remarkable leaders share with their employees daily.  Share these phrases regularly and watch your team success explode.

1. “I believe in you.”

What a difference faith in people can have in making change happen. Build up someone’s self-esteem can make the difference between average and above average behavior. It may be hard to not control a team member at every turn, but if you give them a chance to rise to the occasion, you will observe a more motivated team. President Theodore Roosevelt said, “The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”

2. “This is why it matters…”

Exceptional leaders are able to help people connect big-picture goals to daily activities. CEO and president of Lockheed Martin Marillyn Hewson found this to be the biggest key to success in her career: “Great leaders motivate and inspire people with why they’re doing it,” she says. “That’s purpose. And that’s the key to achieving something truly transformational.”

As you delegate responsibilities to your team, take the time out in each instance to explain “why”. It will help to foster a sense of belonging and cultivate their need to do meaningful work.

3. “What are your thoughts?”

Many times the best insights come from the most unexpected people. Stellar managers seek advice from everyone regardless of title because they understand that ego gets in the way of innovation.   Take time to check in with your team and request their input on team related matters.  It will make them feel valued.  

4. “Let’s focus on your strengths.”

Warren Bennis, a renowned author and scholar on leadership, found that “Too many companies believe people are interchangeable. Truly gifted people never are. They have unique talents.” He says, “Such people cannot be forced into roles they are not suited for, nor should they be. Effective leaders allow great people to do the work they were born to do.”

It is so easy to point out people’s weaknesses. While sometimes a weakness needs to be developed to accomplish a goal, a weakness may never completely go away.  So, as you coach your team to better performance, balance your development efforts by nurturing their strengths too.  It may be easier to play to their strengths than trying to change them completely.

5. “Let me know if you have any questions.”

You would be surprised at how many people don’t feel comfortable asking questions. Some believe asking questions conveys a certain sense of inadequacy. Rid that mindset and make it clear to your team that you have an open door policy and no questions will be turned away.  Make them understand the sooner questions are addressed, the more equipped they will be to accomplish the tasks at hand.  

6. “What can you do differently next time?”

As Arianna Huffington wisely suggests, the best teacher is a mistake. “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes,” she says. “Understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

No one can make the claim they have never made a mistake. If you are alive, it is inevitable.  The key to turning mistakes into a good thing is to make it a learning moment.  As a leader, don’t pretend the mistake didn’t occur.  Acknowledge the error but also take the time to share lessons learned and what can be done next time to avoid the same outcomes.

7. “How can I better support you?”

If you serve and equip your team, they will want to do the same for you and your organization. That’s why it is wise to take the time to ask team members about their workload and how you can help them succeed. Ask this question at your next one-on-one session.

8. “Great work.”

Sharing praise is more cost effective than implementing game rooms and throwing pizza parties.  Cushy perks will never replace a good old-fashion thank you or motivational phrase that makes someone aware they are doing something well and it is appreciated.    

What motivational phrases have you used or heard in the workplace? Comment below and share your ideas.

6 Ways to Advocate for Yourself at Work

Live a while and you will find yourself in a situation at work where things don’t go the way you expect. When these challenges hit, a natural response is to flee or to lose hope. Remember, you don’t have to do either. You have a lot more power than you think when it comes to managing your success in the workplace. If you are intimidated by the thought of advocating for what you need in the workplace, follow the 6 work plays below to advocate for yourself and get the most out of your current work situation.

Play #1. Believe in you and what you bring to the table

The first step in standing up for yourself in the workplace is to believe that you are worthy enough to represent your interests. Start by believing that your skills, abilities, and talents that helped land your current role. When you realize you were enough to get where you are, you’ll be in a much better mindset to move forward and advocate on your behalf.

Play #2. Remember the only one that can read your mind is you

Never assume that anyone knows how to support you or know what’s bugging you – you have to speak up to get the right support. All managers don’t manage the same way and all team mates don’t behave the same. If you are struggling in a particular area at work, and you need feedback and guidance, you have to ask for it.

Play #3. Understand the big picture or ask for it

When things happen in your organization that you don’t understand, know there is usually some history behind the situation that explains why things are the way they are. In order to advocate for yourself, you need to see the situation from the other side’s vantage point. Get organizational context as you assess your situation. If you don’t have that information, take some time to ask a few questions to those who have that perspective.

Play #4. Evaluate the good and bad

Are you unhappy about everything happening in your work situation? Probably not, try not to lose sight of the benefits of every situation. A negative perspective of your situation can quickly overtake the positive aspects. So when you feel like giving up, take stock of both the good and the bad. Most likely, there are benefits worth considering and possibly fighting for.

Play #5. Identify your ask and position your message

When you identify what isn’t working, make a list of your specific work requests. Frame your concerns in a way that show how these issues, when resolved, will help the team, the manager, and the entire organization. By leveraging your talking points this way, you can effectively turn what may sound like complaints into something much more positive for everyone on your team.

Design a conversation with your manager or team member where you can calmly and clearly present your specific talking points. 

1.     Outline your current situations

2.     Share what is going well

3.     Share what you want to see change

4.     Propose a resolution that will make you and your boss more successful

Play #6. Note that resolution doesn’t always come immediately

Resolution doesn’t always come immediately after “the talk” and you may not always get everything you want but after a well-crafted professional conversation you should get a lot more than what you had before the conversation. You should now have a little more idea of the opportunities you have to change your situation and empowered that you made the choice to stand up for you.

Don’t leave your power on the table because you feel frustrated or defeated. Conquer your fears and manage how you receive the type of support you need to be a more valuable team player.

What ways have you used to advocate for yourself at work? Comment below and share your ideas.