What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a manager?

[Taylor BrownBlocked]

Management is not a cookie cutter word. There’s different ways to manage well, some better than others, but in reality, you are going to manage in accordance with your good conscience and personality. I’m not going to find a book titled “How can Taylor Brown be the Best Manager Possible?”. That book won’t exist unless I write it. So, all the information you read, watch, study, or shadow will simply provide you with a foundation on which you will build your own personal management style.

Another important bit, Somebody posted that a good manager should not impose his/her opinion on the team, this is true in some cases, but positively false in others.

When an opinion is necessary:

In the kitchen, for example, the head chef is expected to carry a strong opinion about the flavors which he is serving. If the head chef, the one with the most experience, knowledge, and skill does not provide his own opinion there is no point in him being there at all.

When an opinion is NOT necessary:

Fun note for beginners. Don’t get too involved. One small example, a male manager should not get into arguments with female employees over relationship issues (speaking from personal experience). Personal boundaries must exist. As the manager, you should be the one to dismiss those conversations and simply redirect your attention or the employees depending on the situation. Sometimes over hearing conversations can suck you in and sometimes those are conversations the manager should not be involved in.

Also, you’re going to learn novels upon novels of information throughout the experience. Focus on your mistakes just enough to learn from them but do not dwell for long. Keep moving forward and keep trying to get better.

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[John ChavezParticipant]

I always ask the question, do you want to be a manager or a leader? Most people stop here because they assume that it is the same thing; it is not. If your goal is to become a manager and that alone then here are my recommendations:

1. Volunteer for projects when asked.
2. Always assist other employees when you can.
3. Don’t be a yes man, when asked for solutions for problems provide them as opposed to being part of the problem.
4. Be the first one in the door and the last one out the door.
5. Show that you are flexible in your interactions with other employees.

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[Adrian LawrenceParticipant]

Always aim to be friendly and professional and make the effort to connect with as many people in an organization as you can.

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[Sarah MaddoxParticipant]

I would say, work interpersonal skills, dealing with conflicts, and office politics. You need to be able to deal with conflicts especially if you are managing a team, they will have issues that you need to deal with. Learn to talk about raises and money, and how to support your team. People leave jobs because of bad managers, as a manger you are usually their first point of contact for the company.

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[Matthew FleishmanParticipant]

There are many skills and attributes that have been discussed here and I agree with many of them. Leading by example is very crucial in many situations. Being able to listen, learn and communicate effectively to those above and below you are also very critical skills to have.
As I have mentored many colleagues, one of the big aspects that have to come to me is that the transition from “Worker” to “Manager” is not always an easy one. As a worker, you are focused on completing your piece of the puzzle and may not necessarily have a complete view of all of the moving pieces that go into how the department or team is performing and delivering. As a manager, you need to be able to deliver what is asked, navigate roadblocks (short-term and long-term), ensure that everyone on your team is actively engaged, mentor, delegate as necessary and work with those above you to make sure that there is a next project, activity or goal to be met. It’s a change of mindset from micro to macro thinking and as you move further up the Macro becomes even greater.
My recommendations would be to seek out a mentor at your place of employment. Ask a lot of questions. Never say “No” (unless it’s an issue of health, safety or legality) and always push yourself out of your comfort zone.
By doing these things, you will learn and grow and the opportunities to Manage will come your way.

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