Being promoted to a management position can be an equally exciting and an intimidating task – especially for those to whom leading does not come naturally. A promotion of this nature presents the newly appointed manager with the responsibility for motivating, guiding and driving a team of people, all the while having to manage performance expectations.

It’s not like you’re inexperienced, but your knowledge of management has likely been academic, abstract or gathered as a team member. And as a new manager, you’re no longer observing, but doing, and being judged on those actions.

So, what can you do to set yourself up for success? Well, take a deep breath for starters. You just need a little bit of fine-tuning since you’re new to the job, here are 7 tips for newly promoted managers.

1. Understand the new role and expectations

In order to be successful in any role, it is important to be clear on the expectations. Make sure you are clear on how success is measured in the role, what your objectives are, and the expected outcomes. This will help you to plan ahead and prepare, and ensure you feel more at ease in your new role. Create a successful plan and process that works for you and the team and communicate your expectations effectively. If this falls apart, the desired goals may not be reached within given deadlines.

2. Build relationships with your team

Get to really know your team, their strengths, weaknesses and career goals. Building trust with your team will enable you to manage them better which ultimately relates positively towards your performance. Seek resourceful ways to build rapport with each member individually and remember ‘people like people who are like themselves’

3. Seek a mentor

Seek a mentor in the organisation who has the experience and management style that you appreciate. This will be critical to your success as they have walked the road before and can assist you when you need to bounce ideas off and guide you in moments of indecision. Set up a weekly 30 minute call with your mentor to ask questions, gather information as well as insights. This also allows you to build a network within your organisation.

Leadership contains certain elements of good management, but it requires that you inspire, that you build durable trust. For an organisation to be not just good but to win, leadership means evoking participation larger than the job description, commitment deeper than any job contract’s wording.

4. Understand the difference between management and leadership

Leadership is often thought of as an act of inspiration, while management an act of control. Model the behaviour you want to see in your team and set the tone for the office. This is your moment to create a leadership style that resonates with you. What kind of person do you want on your team? Hard-working, dedicated, engaged? Then be those things. Don’t take a passive approach, GO ALL IN!!

5. Learn situational leadership

Situational leadership is an adaptive leadership style. This strategy encourages leaders to take stock of their team members, weigh the many variables in their workplace and choose the leadership style that best fits their goals and circumstances.
Leaders must be able to move from one leadership style to another to meet the changing needs of an organisation and its employees.

6. Learn how to deal with performance issues

Your goal as a manager should not be to make friends with your employees. The reason is friendships often prevent tough feedback and there’s no performance component to a friendship, whereas performance is your biggest concern as a new manager. This may the most challenging task as a new manager but will provide the biggest growth. Be prepared to give constructive feedback as well as receive the same. Use the learnings of this exercise to map out growth opportunities for both you and the team member.

Success in management requires learning as fast as the world is changing.
Warren Bennis

7. Embrace it and have fun

Work hard, yes, but also acknowledge wins and celebrate success. Celebrations are often great opportunities for team bonding, and a way to keep everyone enthused and motivated.
Leading can be an extraordinary and rewarding responsibility. One should never take it lightly or take it for granted. Embrace this opportunity for the growth it is going to provide.

What other tips do you think will help new managers in the workplace? Share these with me in the comments. I look forward to learning from you.

Founder and CEO of Elite Performers. Shiraaz is a Leadership, Career Coach and NLP practitioner who writes on leadership and management challenges. He also targets other areas of personal and professional development.