A New Managers Journey

In a rapidly expanding company, new managers usually hit the ground running with a boatload of expectations strapped to their backs. But many of them have gaps in their skill set.

Often, newly hired front-line managers are also first-time managers with little to no experience in their roles. But fast-moving companies don’t always direct their time or resources to manager development, opting instead for the “throw them in the deep end, and they will learn to swim” approach. At the least, that approach prevents the firm from competing with fully actualized talent and at worst it’s reckless. Companies risk losing team members and/or the new manager. Without closing the gaps in a new manager’s skill set, or investing in their development, companies never really get to see what the manager can do until years down the road.

Why not expedite the management training process without having to develop standard content or a one-size-fits-all leadership program? Instead, rely on TaskHuman leadership coaches to meet managers where they are in their development process with LIVE 1:1 guidance over video calls. Provide not only the perspective of senior leaders in your company who can communicate on the TaskHuman platform, but also provide access to leadership coaches that have worked with managers in different industries as well as yours. The broad view will help to illustrate concepts and even support innovation down the road.

The TaskHuman Coaching Experience can set new and front-line managers up for a top-level performance that creates ripples felt company-wide. The following are compulsory skills proven to be foundational for all new and front-line managers and supervisors:

Making the Turn – Adopting a Leadership Mindset

Just because a person gets a new title doesn’t mean they instantly become a leader. Wouldn’t it be great if it were that easy? First-time managers and supervisors can spend up to a year working to shed their former identity. Many new managers are haunted by what phycologists termed “imposter syndrome”. They’re operating on a sliding scale of fear that eventually people will find out it was a mistake to assign them a management role. They’re afraid that they’re really not as capable as others think. That deep-rooted, identity-based fear impedes managerial decision-making and planning. It also shuts down a person’s ability to inspire. Why would anyone want to fall in line behind someone who appears timid in their own steps? That’s why it’s so critical to fully support new managers and supervisors so they can effectively transition their mindset from producer to leader.

Creating Clarity

A lot of time and resources goes down the tubes when managers don’t know how to communicate what they expect from team members and specifically what they should be doing on a macro level to hit milestones successfully. TaskHuman management and leadership coaches can help managers learn to set clear expectations and articulate to their teams how performance goals will be measured. By bringing clarity to the team’s work process, teams perform with vigor and fewer mistakes happen, which can positively impact the bottom line.

Delivering Feedback

OfficeVibe’s comprehensive survey reports 96% of workers to want regular feedback, but 32% reported having to wait at least 3 months to get it. The survey found that most employees appreciate feedback whether it’s good or bad. Seasoned managers are great at checking in regularly with their team members even in fast-paced environments. They’re astute at gathering the right information on a regular basis to be able to discuss specifically impacting adjustments that an employee can make for higher performance. TaskHuman coaches help new managers and supervisors develop a system for giving performance feedback effectively so their direct reports get the support they need and want.

Coaching For Performance

Managers in high growth, fast-paced companies are running at such high speeds that few look up from the road in time to make course corrections if needed. Managers often discover they’ve run off track when it’s too late to absorb the impact. If managers and supervisors of teams could check in regularly with a leadership coach they could better assess their own performance using specialized KPIs. The coach could help them stay on the right path or make incredibly successful course corrections and thereby avoid a culminating disaster.

Coaching for Development – Providing a Path for Continued Career Growth

2021 Monster poll found that 79% of workers feel pressure to push their careers further as the pandemic ends. Yet, 80% don’t think their current employer offers growth opportunities. Many employees will end up leaving their jobs for other opportunities if managers fail to provide strong pathways for growth. For a new, rapidly scaling company, this can really hurt productivity at a time when it matters the most. The upside is that there will be roles opening up as the company expands. Managers should start right now, developing their internal candidates so they’ll see immediate proof that the company is investing in them, stick around, and be ready to accept the opportunities provided to them.

Employees can make huge gains with TaskHuman’s management and leadership coaches because it is 1:1, highly individualized, and accessible on-demand, so busy employees can train when it fits their schedule. Where new managers don’t have the wealth of experience to advance employees quickly, they can make TaskHuman’s platform available to their direct reports and then periodically check in with them about their progress.

The New Manager’s Coaching Journey

Coaching can start as soon as today. Whenever TaskHuman becomes available at your company, managers can immediately access content sessions that address all aspects of leadership. Sessions are delivered either in a group setting or 1:1. Participants can round out their 1:1 coaching sessions by participating in facilitated group or peer coaching sessions. The experience can be deployed to individuals or cohorts, and the growth process is somewhat self-paced, allowing learners to customize the pace of the journey according to their needs. The likely duration of coaching work should last about three to six months.

With so much on the line for new disruptive companies, a system for ramping up new managers to full speed can prove to be lifesaving and a big part of the overall success strategy. TaskHuman makes it possible to implement a robust manager development system quickly so the benefits begin to shine right away.

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