5 Pieces of Advice for First-Time Managers

In the hybrid world of work, new managers may be faced with a difficult challenge: leading a team who you have never met in person. This means you’ll likely need to build trust and camaraderie between people in different locations and time zones.

Blaming others for your problems can diminish your (and your team members’) accountability. When you use blame — as opposed to thoughtful analysis and communication — to diagnose an issue, you turn yourself into a passive victim and encourage your direct reports to do the same.

If something goes wrong on your team — missed deadlines or unmet goals — don’t default to blaming the individuals. Instead, take a system’s approach to solve the problem. This means you consider the problem as a whole, and not in parts.

Instead of asking “Who’s at fault?”, strong leaders ask, “Where did the process break down?”

Discussing how to prevent a mistake — rather than shaming colleagues and peers — goes a long way in promoting trust on your team as opposed to fear or contempt.

Ask for help. While it may seem like a hard task when you’re a new leader, remind yourself that you don’t have to know it all.

Reach out to your trusted peers, mentors, or your own manager. Don’t let the initial stress of your new role turn into the chronic stress of burnout. Speak up and ask for what you need before it gets to this point. This is not just something you should do for yourself, but also for your team — because working alongside someone who is burned out can affect your team’s productivity.