Welcome back to another holiday week, everyone! We hope that you are enjoying this special time of year, taking advantage of activities hosted by your city, and celebrating with those you love. We wish our followers a Happy Hanukkah and hope that it brings a wonderful set of 8 special nights to those who celebrate too!

Today, we thought it would be the perfect time to reset on an important topic, specifically relating to this time of year: management positions. Are you pining after a promotion? Are you anticipating a role transition into leadership? Are you taking on a direct report for the first time? If the answer to any of the above is ‘yes’, then this is a perfect post for you! Keep reading to find out how to best embrace a new management position and ensure you step into the role with ease.

How to Become a Qualified Manager

Training

Ultimately, and technically, training is the most important tool to utilize to transform into a prepared, and impactful manager. Not only are training courses hosted at many companies, but online resources are also endless! Check out online platforms like LinkedIn, read up on trusted sources like Forbes, and invest some time into management-focused books written by some of the most influential leaders in the corporate world. The truth is, many people have walked in your shoes and have experiences to share to both learn from and steer clear of. We recommend focusing on a few topics to narrow down the elements and skills you wish to elevate and start there. By focusing on 2 to 3 skills quarterly, biannually, or even annually, you’ll be sure to set differentiate yourself through personal strengths and connect better with your team. Not sure where to get started? Dive into Indeed’s article to learn about 5 essential management skills (plus how to develop them)!

• Extra Tip: Make sure to define these expectations during your interview process! Even if you’re stepping into a management role internally, and especially if it’s your first management role, it’s crucial to ensure that your company is also ready to invest in you. By transcribing the key elements/skills that will shape your new role, as well as the tools to help you achieve them, you’re sure to be on your way to success. Additionally, make sure to discuss ways to distinguish time in your schedule for personal development so that you have space to invest in yourself through these training opportunities as well.

Attitude

While it may feel obvious, stepping into a new role is also largely about attitude. It is more likely than not that you’ve stepped into a new space that is slightly above your current skill set, and that’s the reason you were chosen! Remember that your leaders saw something in you for a reason and believe in your ability to embrace this new space. However, it’s equally important to acknowledge what you do not yet know about your role and create an honest space with your team. Maintaining an open line of communication with your team and allowing for constant streams of feedback is a largely valuable way to ensure team morale remains consistent, positive, and supportive. If you’re not sure how to create an open line of organic communication, then we encourage you to create weekly, monthly, or regular meetings to listen to your team, ask about ways to improve workflow, ensure satisfaction is being met, and define goals/team expectations.

Invest in Your Reports!

In the same way as the above, invest in your team with intention. Ensure that there are regular check-ins where you can coach your direct reports about their goals, invest in what they want to elevate in terms of skills, and help create a pathway for their success. Maintaining awareness that you’re single-handedly responsible for another employee’s performance at the end of the day will help you make sure that you’re self-aware in the time you invest in others as well as organized in your coaching. And if coaching is something that brings you a feeling of nervousness or even imposter syndrome, fear not! There are numerous online, in-person, and even asynchronous programs intended solely to help others learn to become a mentor, coach, and guiding voice in someone else’s career. We highly encourage, above all else, that you invest in these types of resources to ensure you transform into a manager that others are inspired by, motivated through, and can rely on.

Searching for a new position? Check out our open jobs list!