{"id":5041,"date":"2016-05-27T15:14:04","date_gmt":"2016-05-27T15:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud\/?p=5041"},"modified":"2022-06-15T11:15:46","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T11:15:46","slug":"5-pitfalls-of-first-time-managers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/teamwork\/5-pitfalls-of-first-time-managers\/","title":{"rendered":"5 pitfalls of first-time managers no one told you about"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people are promoted to managers because they are good at what they do. Without good training those managers fall into the traps of intuition. I\u2019ll cover the major issues I found talking with hundreds of managers from working in monday.com.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

There are ways to manage that feel intuitive for first time managers and also to veterans but they make team members feel less appreciated and less motivated<\/a> over time. Work in such teams has constant frictions and as a result the team under-performs it\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n

What can you expect from a well run team
\n<\/strong>\u2014\u200aBe productive over longer periods of time<\/a>\u200a\u2014\u200anot just in bursts.
\n\u2014\u200aCreate a happy environment of team work<\/a> and helping each other.
\n\u2014\u200aTeam members recognize mistakes<\/a> and fix them fast
\n\u2014 Members see the big picture of what they do not just the job at hand.<\/p>\n

Pitfalls:<\/h2>\n

No Clear Goals<\/h2>\n

A clear indication for not managing goals well is when managers hand out tasks\u200a\u2014\u200aone after the other. When a person completes one task they get another one. This is a classic mistake that causes slow decay and lack of motivation<\/a>. Manager may not notice at first but some in their team lose focus of the big picture, they are handed out small tasks without an understanding of the higher purpose\u200a\u2014\u200aManagers know\u200a\u2014\u200athey don\u2019t!
\nIt\u2019s like climbing a mountain, but instead of seeing the peak, managers tell their team members where to place their foot next. Members lose orientation, they don\u2019t know when the team will finally get somewhere and most importantly, they don\u2019t have a real motivation to climb in steep places, they climb slower. After each step they complete they will be told about the next step. To team members this seems endless and pointless\u200a\u2014\u200aonly because they don\u2019t have the goal in front of them!<\/p>\n

Solution: Manage the week <\/strong>\u2014make time based achievable goals for the whole team\u200a\u2014\u200aone for every week. Plan a week ahead, create a list<\/a> of tasks for the whole team to complete. You need to go through that list with your team and see they understand and accept it. This is a big thing, a common goal people share. It\u2019ll group them together to archive it, They will have satisfaction, knowing they will succeed at the end of the week. As a manager get a great tool\u200a\u2014\u200ayou can finally ask \u201cwhat are we going to accomplish this week?\u201d. It\u2019s an easy and great way to improve and engage a team\u2014 one task at a time don\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n

Solution Alternative: Personal ownership\u200a<\/strong>\u2014\u200aGive big tasks that take a while (more then a week) and give each person freedom of operation to suggest and explore their own path. This requires management attention as people generally require guidance and help, it also requires the manager to not always decide and really give personal freedom. For the team not to lose orientation of the big picture you need a good high-level management\u200a\u2014\u200aexplained later.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Shot_2\"<\/p>\n

\n
Tasks are shown for the whole team to see, The goal is crystal clear, everyone knows what\u2019s next and what the whole team needs to achieve.<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

No Recognition of Achievements<\/h2>\n

A side effect to setting no goals and handing of tasks one after another is that there is no recognition of success. Because tasks are small and frequent the positive feedback people receive from mangers is blended with improvement remarks\u200a\u2014\u200athere is rarely real celebration of success and almost never in front of the whole team. Recognition of success is one of the most important of management tools. Every one of us wants to be recognised for our efforts, it\u2019s basic. Unfortunately regular work patterns and the management tools<\/a> themselves, don\u2019t help managers find a place for it. When recognition do happen, it\u2019s done randomly without harnessing it\u2019s true power. This is a missed opportunity for managers.<\/p>\n

Solution: <\/strong>every week when the lists of tasks are done, gather the team up and go through what was accomplished, celebrate success! You\u2019ll find this is an amazing event that rallies up the team.
\nThe success meeting is:<\/strong><\/p>\n