The Challenges and Rewards of being a First-Time Manager

First things first, congratulations are in order as you've been promoted to your first management position! While this is an exciting and rewarding opportunity, it can also be a challenging transition as you're now responsible for managing a team and ensuring their success.

In this article, we'll explore some of the common challenges and rewards of being a first-time manager, as well as some tips to help you succeed in your new role. Whether you're just starting out as a manager or looking to enhance your existing skills, this article will provide valuable insights and guidance for the journey ahead. So, let's get started!

Explore the Challenges of being a First-Time Manager

Whether you're a newly-promoted employee or have recently taken on a management position in a new company, there are many challenges to navigate through as a first-time-manager.

At Business Pathways we understand these unique challenges that come with being a first-time manager, which is why we develop comprehensive training programs specifically tailored to help you succeed in your new role.

Our First-Time-Managers training program is specifically designed based on the distinct challenges a new manager faces and is one of our most recommended training programs!

Navigate through the top 3 challenges with real-life examples as a point of reference to be prepared:

1. One of the biggest challenges of being a first-time manager is learning to balance your responsibilities as a manager with your existing job duties.

As a manager, you'll be responsible for leading a team, delegating tasks, and making decisions that affect your team's performance. However, you'll also need to maintain your own responsibilities and ensure that your work is completed on time.

For instance, imagine you've been promoted from a marketing specialist role to a marketing manager role:

As a specialist, you were responsible for executing campaigns and tactics, but as a manager, you'll need to manage the strategy and execution of campaigns while also overseeing the work of other specialists on your team. You'll need to learn how to balance your own workload with the needs of your team, which can be challenging if you're not used to delegating tasks and managing others.

2. Another challenge you may face is managing people who were previously your colleagues.

This can be awkward and difficult, as you'll need to establish a new dynamic in your working relationships. You'll also need to learn how to provide feedback, set expectations, and hold team members accountable, which can become difficult for a first-time-manager.

Let’s take a look at another example. Supposedly you've been promoted to a team lead role within your customer support team:

You'll now be responsible for managing the team's performance, providing feedback on their customer interactions, and setting goals and expectations for each team member. However, you may struggle with providing critical feedback to colleagues who were previously your peers, or with setting clear expectations for performance goals.

3. The third challenge would be to manage your own time effectively.

As a first-time-manager, you'll be responsible for juggling multiple priorities and deadlines, which can be overwhelming if you don’t have prior experience. You'll need to learn how to prioritize your tasks, delegate effectively, and manage your time to ensure that you're meeting your team's needs while also achieving your own goals.

For example, let’s assume that you've been promoted to a project manager role within your organization:

You'll now be responsible for managing multiple projects simultaneously, coordinating with stakeholders and team members, and ensuring that all projects are completed on time and within budget. However, you may struggle with prioritizing tasks effectively, or with delegating tasks to other team members to ensure that all projects are moving forward.

Embrace the Rewards of Being a First-Time Manager

Despite the challenges, being a first-time manager can be incredibly rewarding. If you manage to overcome the challenges along the way, you will uncover great rewards that will complete you as a professional and help you grow as a person as well.

We picked the top 3 rewards of being a first-time-manager:

• Making a difference
One of the biggest rewards is the opportunity to make a difference in your team's performance and help your team members grow and develop in their roles.

As a manager, you'll have the chance to provide feedback, coaching, and guidance to help your team members reach their full potential. Seeing other’s thrive while feeling that you have contributed even a little to their success is an amazing feeling on its own.

For example, imagine that you're managing a team of software engineers:

You notice that one of your team members, A, has a particular talent for front-end development, but is struggling with backend development.

You ask for A and provide A with additional training and coaching in backend development, and over time they become a more well-rounded engineer. This not only helps A grow in their career, but it also benefits the overall performance of the team, as A is now able to contribute more effectively to a wider range of projects.

• Developing Yourself
Another reward of being a first-time manager is the opportunity to develop your own leadership skills.

As a first-time-manager, you'll need to learn how to motivate and inspire your team members, communicate effectively, and make difficult decisions. These skills will not only benefit you in your current role, but they'll also be valuable throughout your career.

Think for a second that you're managing a sales team:

You notice that morale is low and team members are struggling to meet their targets. You decide to hold a team meeting to discuss the challenges and identify solutions. Through this process, you're able to motivate and inspire your team, resulting in increased sales performance and a positive working environment.

• Advancing Your Career
Being a first-time manager can also provide opportunities for career advancement.

As you gain experience and build a track record of success in your role, you may be offered additional leadership opportunities within your organization or even outside of it. This can open up new doors and help you take your career to the next level.

*All examples are derived from real case studies as they were shared during training sessions from participants.

4 Essential Tips for succeeding as a First-Time Manager

Now that we've explored some of the challenges and rewards of being a first-time manager, let's look at 4 essential tips to help you succeed in your new role:

1. Build strong relationships with your team members:
   Get to know each team member individually, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and show a genuine interest in their career development. This will help you build trust and create a working environment based on openness and positive attitude.
2. Communicate effectively:
   As a first-time-manager, you'll need to communicate frequently and clearly with your team members. Make sure to set expectations, provide feedback, and keep everyone informed of important updates and decisions.
3. Prioritize your time:
   With multiple responsibilities and deadlines, it's important to prioritize your tasks and manage your time effectively. Make sure to delegate tasks when appropriate and use time management techniques such as setting goals, breaking tasks into smaller pieces, and using time blockers.
4. Seek guidance when needed:
   Probably the most important. Asking for help or advice from more experienced managers or mentors is a must. Just make sure you trust them. They can provide valuable insights and help you navigate challenging situations.

Enjoy the journey as a First-Time-Manager

As it is well established by now, being a first-time manager can be a transition full of challenges, but it's also an incredibly rewarding opportunity.

By focusing on building strong relationships with your team members, communicating effectively, prioritizing your time, and seeking guidance when needed, you can succeed in your new role.

Remember that being a first-time manager is a learning experience, and it's okay to make mistakes as long as you're willing to learn from them and continue to grow as a leader.

At Business Pathways we offer a dedicated training program for all First-Time-Managers in the exact position as yourself as well as the opportunity to join our First-Time-Managers community by signing up for our mailing list to get all the support you need to succeed in this journey!

From all of us, best of luck in your new role!