Should someone be a manager?

There are many early pitfalls with the decision to make a top performer a manager and no one avoids them all. A very common one is many folks misunderstand what management is. Many people don’t grasp that managing is a totally different set of muscles. For instance, managing is not just being deeply knowledgeable about what the team does, it is all of the follow things as well (and check that these are true when you’re thinking about whether someone should be a manager):

• the ability to delegate tasks they don’t need to do or say no to them in the spirit of focusing
• the ability to communicate concisely and in written and verbal form (they are exemplary slack and google doc users)
• the ability to make sounds business decisions
• the ability to share feedback in written and verbal form and have it be understood
• the ability to prioritize (and say no to things that aren’t a priority)
• the ability to set clear and measurable goals and hold other accountable
• the ability to provide clarity and generally understand how each individual contributes to the success of the whole team.
• the ability to create pre-reads and start meetings on time

These are not the things you had to worry about as an IC (individual contributor).

When people tell you they want to move into management, ask them why. Ask them to tell you what they like about management and what they think they might be good at. If it becomes clear that the person doesn’t understand what their actual duties will be as a manager, steer them away from it or tell them to go have a think (or in some cases read a book). Great managers are people who are intrinsically interested in the responsibilities above and get energy from exploring team dynamics, hiring and developing people.

It’s useful to help new managers understand the impact of keeping all of the work vs. delegating and developing the team. For instance, there will never be a chance for them to expand their role if they don’t groom their team to take over their responsibilities they usually get it. When you put it in terms of the impact to their own career progression it gets their attention. It’s also hard to let go of doing the things that made you successful to begin with so helping them understand and accept that the transition to manager will be both uncomfortable and scary at times. — This is completely normal, it is change after all.

To add a bit more color, I’ve also outlined below things folks generally wish they knew as a manager:

First — how you’re evaluated fundamentally changes

• It’s about the output of the individuals on your team.
• You only have full control over two things that affect team output: hiring the right people and keeping them motivated.
• You’re now a coach in addition to a player. You will be evaluated on the basis of your ability to hire, develop, and amplify talent.
• Sometimes, motivating your team will mean leaning on your manager to motivate in ways you can’t. This says nothing about your capabilities. Your ability to identify when you need help and to team-up with your manager to keep people motivated does.

Second, it’s always your fault. Always.

• If your team fails, it’s your fault.
• When things go wrong, always start by looking at yourself first and asking what context you failed to set, what resources you failed to provide, or what guidance you failed to articulate clearly.
• You exist to serve your team. Study servant leadership.

Third, objective-setting, the context and guidance you provide, and your framing is 10x more important

• Your team (and others) will repeat the words you use. Choose your words carefully.
• Similarly, your team (and others) will emulate your behavior. The way you behave implicitly indicates the behavior you consider acceptable for others on the team. Choose your behavior even more carefully than your words.
• By nature of your positional authority, your opinions and words carry more weight. Be aware of that weight and exercise restraint appropriately. Study this decision-making framework.
• When in doubt, over-plan for important discussions.
• Understand task maturity and provide more hands-on guidance appropriately.

I hope this is helpful and good luck!!

Jonah