Managing for the First Time - Welcome to this first post

This is the first post on the Managing for the First Time Blog. It is complementary to my website www.managingforthefirsttime.com

Would love to hear your comments, feedback and idea.

Over the years, I've noticed one simple mistake being repeated again and again from business to business. No-one every tells you how to be a manager. I don't mean the theoretical stuff and the management training courses which jump straight to inspirational leadership and strategic thinking. I'm also not talking about the management of tasks and ever bigger projects which accompany this new elevated role.

I'm talking about the simple things, the day to day things; usually involving people, which really do test whether you are management material or not.

Of course, you can avoid all the difficult bits. Just focus on the easier bits to get your head around. These will be the things you were good at which lead to the promotion into the realms of management in the first place. The technical specialisms or worse case, the length of time you've been in the department. Don't get me wrong, I truly value experience and the wisdom it can bring but is that really what makes someone the best next manager from the pool available?

This blog seeks to address these more practical skills which are required especially when dealing with a team of people. Real people, that variable element, at times unpredictable but potentially able to produce incredible results.

However we don't want to get hung up on the terminology, Manager 'v' Leader. These are very closely linked and overlap considerably. Also organisations have a admirable but misplaced focus on Leadership without the Management focus first. You can't run until you can walk. A colleague of mine once used the analogy, managing is knowing how to sail in tough but familiar waters, leadership is pointing the boat into the open sea.

There is no single right answer in dealing with people. That's the bad news. The good news is that there are literarily hundreds of great and simple things you can do to get the best from your people.

Let's take a look at how.