What are the core skills for managing people? What works for you to help new managers acquire those skills? Jeff Codd , Senior Vice President, Wiedenbach-Brown I find that newer managers often have a hard time envisioning where the team needs to go. They see tasks clearly but are less sure of the goal. They can also get so caught up in being busy that they do not take time to step back to plan how to get there. I find that messaging to the manager like I am a politician on a stump speech works well. Although I will vary the message and look for different ways to communicate it, I try to maintain the same 1-3 talking points until I see traction in the key areas. Timely feedback is critical. We teach new managers how to deliver quick, informal feedback to ensure that associates know where they stand and what needs to be improved. This is not intended to replace formal feedback, but rather to prevent surprises when formal feedback is provided. If an associate knows that some performance issue needs to change, they are less likely to develop/sustain undesirable performance. What kind of expectations framework do you set for new managers? One key piece of advice that I received early in my career as a manager was to not worry about making a mistake. It was pointed out to me that some mistakes you make as manager may not become apparent to you until months (or even years) later. That resonated for me and helped me to be less concerned about making mistakes and to think more long term, so I share that advice with new managers. I encourage managers to evaluate circumstances from the point of view of their team member(s). What are they dealing with in their personal and work lives? The new manager should not expect everyone’s work ethic, flexibility, or capabilities to be the same as their own
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