4 Things First-Time Managers Should Know

What I wouldn’t give to turn the clock back about 20 years when I became a manager for the first time. 

I was working as a senior account executive at Porter Novelli in San Francisco when I assumed day-to-day supervisory responsibilities for a newly hired assistant account executive. She had recently graduated from college and I, at 25 years old, had only marginally more experience in work or life.

As I reflect on that pivotal transition, I learned way too much by trial and error. For the first time, being good at my own job wasn’t enough. My employer and my clients trusted me to develop the potential and enhance the performance of a junior team member, but there wasn’t a guide.

Fast-forward to the present day, having witnessed this same transition among hundreds of PR professionals in agency and in-house settings, here are four key skills first-time supervisors should know to become great managers and great leaders.

How to lead

As a new supervisor in communications, you must lead, mentor and inspire those you manage while also juggling your own workload, projects and clients.

I learned to be a supervisor through trial and error. In hindsight, I realize that the best way to learn leadership is by following the examples of strong leaders. Seek out leadership mentors and ask for their advice. Read books. Listen to podcasts. Take advantage of any leadership-development programs that your employer provides — and request those programs if they’re not already offered.

To learn to lead in communications, seek counsel from experienced professionals in your PRSA Chapter. The resources are limitless and pursuing them is worthwhile.

How to delegate

If you’ve been promoted to a management role in public relations, then you’ve probably identified aspects of your job that you enjoy — and others that you don’t. No one grows in their career by doing the same things forever. But just as you need opportunities to develop, so do those you lead. Delegating tasks makes your job easier and helps junior team members develop their own skills and experiences.

Delegation is a crucial component of leadership and management. Rather than dumping your projects on your protégé all at once, work with them on a schedule that allows time for mentoring, practice, evaluation and feedback. You will both learn from the experience! 

How to deliver feedback

We all make mistakes, and early career employees are learning every day. Delivering tough feedback is part of any manager’s job. Years ago, I relied upon the compliment sandwich, or bookending accolades around constructive comments. While this seemingly nice approach made me feel better about suggesting performance improvements, it can create confusion for those on the receiving end.

I eventually realized that following a constructive comment with more praise could confuse the person receiving the feedback. I still believe it’s a good idea to open by giving credit to whatever the employee is doing well, but I think it’s best to end by discussing the areas that need improvement. That way, the employee learns from the feedback

Another tip is to focus on the product, action or problem — not the person — when delivering difficult feedback so that it’s not perceived as making a personal attack. For example, “Your work is always sloppy” would be better delivered as “Taking your time and paying attention to details will consistently result in a smoother approvals process.”  

When promoting new managers, let’s give them the words and techniques to be thoughtful and kind when they need to say hard things, as we all do.  

How to let go

In my first few years as a mid-level manager, I struggled to mentor team members who approached projects differently than I did. In hindsight, I recognize the limiting and self-important nature of this perspective. The hard truth is that, at times, I was critical rather than compassionate, which affected their morale and productivity.

New managers often aren’t ready to let go of doing everything their own way. When you have supervisory responsibilities over others on the team, guiding, trusting and showing confidence in them are part of your job. The sooner you relinquish the notion that your way is the best way, the happier, more productive and more fulfilled both you and your team members will be.

Originally published in PRSA Strategies & Tactics.