Gaining Respect As A New Manager

Getting promoted to manager is a tremendous milestone in any person’s career. This could be the start of a whole new life for you, as long as you are able to transition well into your new role. Part of this transition will involve gaining respect from your former colleagues who may not want to treat you as their superior. In order to live up to your new title, you need to find ways to set yourself apart from the rest of the employees. Here are some ways you can earn respect as a new manager.

Dress The Part

Managers have to lead by example. If you want your staff to come to work dressed professionally, you need to do the same. Even in a casual environment, dressing nicely will show people that you are the one to go to for help or advice. Think about restaurants like Olive Garden or Red Lobster. The managers always dress in slacks, skirts, etc. to make themselves look different than the employees in the white shirts and black pants. Presenting yourself as a person of authority will automatically make people rethink their opinions of you. This will ultimately translate to more respect in the long run.

Educate Yourself

There is nothing more frustrating than working under a manager that does not know what he or she is doing. You cannot just go into this role assuming that you know what you are doing. Take time to understand the business inside and out so you can be a go-to resource for employee or customer issues. Pay attention during your training, if you have any, and take the time to really get to know about the different processes that go on in your business. If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask them early on so you can be a better leader for your team.

Be A Leader, Not A Tyrant (Or A Welcome Mat)

As a whole, management has three categories you can fall into:

• Overly aggressive management that makes your employees hate you and your ego oversized
• Minimalistic management that leaves employees to “do their own thing” and eventually turns to chaos
• Effective leadership that empowers employees to work harder and still establishes your authority in the work force

Obviously, you want to fall into the last category, which can be tricky as a new manager. You may be tempted to stay friends with your former colleagues and let them walk all over you, but that is not the right way to run a business. At the same time, you cannot automatically assume that people will bow down to you because of your new title. You have to leader the balance between tyrant and welcome mat, and then use that balance to lead your team to success.

Exude Confidence

If you know you are capable of managing, people will be willingly managed by you. This seems like a simple concept, but it works time and time again. You have to believe in yourself before anyone else will believe in you. If you carry yourself with confidence and enforce rules on your staff members, they will respond.

Remember that you were chosen for this role for a reason. Whether you’ve worked your whole life for this opportunity or it is something that just landed in your lap, you now have the option to prove that you are worthy of the role. Don’t second guess yourself. Know what you’re good at and what you have already accomplished, and use that as a catalyst for your success.

Lead A Team Meeting

One of the easiest ways to give people a reality check about your new role is to lead a team meeting. Talk to the executives and upper level managers of the business about a specific issue you want to address with the employees. Then hold a team meeting where you discuss the issue with your team members and come up with a plan to correct the issue. For instance, if you notice that one department is lacking in productivity compared to the others, ask the workers what resources you could provide to make their jobs easier. As a manager, you can now act as a messenger between the workers and the business owners so that each department’s voice is heard If you help correct the issue that is going on, people will see that you are on their side and that you know how to get things done.

Final Thoughts

If you think like a manager, you will be treated like a manager. That works every time. You cannot be afraid to uphold your authority in your place of work. You just have to learn how to use it correctly. With the right amount of confidence, poise, and knowledge, you should have no trouble establishing yourself as a manager for years to come.