Feature insight - managing staff
can tempt managers into a style in which they serve as the answer to their people’s problems, leading them to become overburdened and inhibiting their people from developing the autonomy and mastery which they need to develop and do their best work.” Integrity, meanwhile, protects against the risk that ‘power corrupts’, and is essential to building and maintaining trust. “Without the trust of their people,” says Cowell, “managers have to rely on their positional authority, which is a highly precarious basis for managing.” So what advice would our experts give to payroll professionals looking to make the step up to management? “Do it but make sure you have all the ‘tools in your toolbox’ to do it,” says Hoodless. “By this, I mean know your stuff and feel comfortable about being challenged on it. Qualifications are a good start and ask as many questions as you can. You will always run into someone who is difficult but knowing how to manage that to a satisfactory outcome is important.” Lizzie Benton, culture consultant at Liberty Mind, advises: “If you are seeking to step up to management, I’d first ask yourself why? Are you looking to just increase your pay packet, or do you have a genuine desire to help and lead people? managers can have a detrimental effect on team and business productivity. A good manager should be there to lead, not dictate. Read leadership books rather than ‘management’ books to get your mindset in the right place before you make the leap.” “If you are looking to secure your first management role, you could organise a meeting with your manager to discuss your career trajectory” suggests Jones. “Showing you want to learn more about how you can improve so you can take the next step demonstrates you are proactive, and they can put you forward for any necessary training courses,” she says. “You can also put yourself forward to lead projects or team meetings to demonstrate managerial skills and to gain more experienced in a less pressured setting.” However, Jones warns the leap can be one which is difficult for those without management experience so it is important that adequate training and guidance is “Management is not suited for everyone, and unfortunately, bad
provided by existing leaders, and that new managers are supported during the process and it is not just assumed they will automatically know exactly what to do. “People management requires a very specific set of skills, and therefore a very specific type of training is needed which should be kept separately to the procedural side,” agrees Kerridge.
any of it justice.” Instead, Cowell recommends that you try to focus on doing those things that only you can do, and if others are not doing the job well enough, you need to act to ensure someone is in place who can. “This does not mean you should expect everything to be perfect: nobody is perfect,” he says. “But don’t get tempted into covering for someone who is struggling; help them, and if they can’t get to the point where they are effective as quickly as you need them to, help them find something else to do and replace them. There is nothing more draining for a manager than a team that simply can’t do the job.” But if any payroll professionals are in two minds about making the leap into management, it’s a move Lay highly recommends. “Managing people can be a challenge as you will encounter difficult situations and resistance to change,” she says, “but it can also be very enjoyable and rewarding seeing the team working together and individuals flourish and grow. There will always be new experiences and new challenges encountered in addition to the ever-changing landscape of payroll.” Remember, though, that being a great manager is a lifelong learning process. Ashton concludes: “Often, new managers feel that they must show the world how great they are straight away but only through experience can one recognise what works.” n You never stop learning as a manager – but being open to new information and knowledge is a concept that will already be familiar to every payroll professional reading this. So, what’s stopping you making the leap?
...learn from first-hand management
You can also learn from first-hand management success stories by speaking to other managers in your company and the wider network to find out how they made the jump, suggests Treasure. “Speaking to employees about their managers will provide invaluable insight about what makes a good manager, and help you adapt this information to create your own management style,” she adds. Cowell, meanwhile, advises that you’ll have to get used to two things: “First, you will rarely any longer feel the warm glow of achievement for yourself; you will need to learn to enjoy the rewards of seeing others succeed. Second, there will be times when you absolutely could do the job better yourself; the problem is that if you try to do it all, you won’t be able to do success stories by speaking to other managers in your company and the wider network...
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 56 | December 2019 - January 2020
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