Promotions are exciting and rewarding. You’ve put in the long hours, taken few vacation days, and have worked hard to earn your bosses’ approval. After a while, you receive a promotion to a managerial role. You’re thrilled, but once you begin working in your new role, things aren’t as positive as you’d hoped. What can you do? According to Harvard Business Review, there are a few steps you can take to make this transition easier for you and your colleagues.
If you are managing a team of high-achievers, you may have your work cut out for you. There are three primary motivators that are necessary to successfully manage people. These are the need for achievement, the need for power, and the need for affiliation.
The need for achievement addresses the desire to excel in the workplace, as well as wanting to win. However, with your team, it may be difficult for them to focus on your goals instead of their own. Over time, your team may feel that you care about your (and the company’s) goals more than their own. If you spend a lot of time correcting your team’s work, they may feel insulted and frustrated.
Therefore, it is important to highlight your employees’ accomplishments. You have to balance your own need for success with your team’s.
- See How to Be a Good Manager for more information.
The need for affiliation refers to the need for relationships with our peers at work. As a manager, it can be difficult to find that delicate balance between friendship and supervisor. It is important to be friendly, of course, but you must remember that your employees work for you. To avoid jealousy that your peers are no doubt feeling after watching you rise to the top, praise their successes instead of telling them how you would have completed a task.
The need for power includes the desire to have influence over others. It is the most dangerous quality a manager can possess if it is not carefully controlled. To avoid problems, make sure that you use your power to help others. This will boost morale in the workplace and will help you gain the trust of your employees.
As you progress through your career, remember that managerial positions may not be for everyone. According to TheMuse.com, there are certain issues you should consider before accepting such a role.
Consider whether you enjoy teaching or coaching groups of individuals. It can be highly rewarding, but if you prefer to work by yourself, for example, the role may not be for you.
How good are you at giving feedback to others? Remember, in some cases, you will have to tell your employees that they did not do a good job on an assigned task. If the thought of this situation (and conflict in general) makes your skin crawl, you may want to stay put.
Source: Harvard Business Review
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