Navigating the Trials of New Managerial Roles

The excitement of getting a promotion quickly fades when new managers settle into their positions and the weight of expectations starts to feel heavy on their shoulders. Unfortunately, without the right support and training, even the most well-meaning new manager can fail miserably. While failure is often a stepping stone to success, and part of the journey of management and leadership, managers are often under pressure to perform and deliver results quickly and efficiently.

As a member of the faculty bench for the New Managers Leadership Programme (NMLP) at Strathmore University Business School, I have had the opportunity to interact with new managers attending this program from all over Africa for a few years. One of my main observations from this engagement is how common it is for managers to feel overwhelmed and burdened by the expectations that they place on themselves as well as managing the expectations of others. They want to be perceived as go-getters, achievers, great leaders, but they struggle with making the transition from being a member of the team to becoming the leader in charge of decision-making. I interviewed some members of the 2024 NMLP cohort to gain their perspectives on this important topic.

Matilda Mutiso, a Senior Tax Consultant at Taxwise Africa Consulting LLP, and a member of the 2024 NMLP cohort, asserted that one of the greatest challenges faced by new managers is that the adjustment period is very short while the expectations are very high. New managers are still adjusting to their roles and exploring new territories; however, they are expected to hit the ground running and deliver results.

Furthermore, according to Nicholas Bett, Head of Risk and Compliance at Sanlam Investment East Africa, new managers are in the process of transitioning from being technical experts used to delivering results in line with their core competencies to managing and training technical experts and leveraging their collective competencies to deliver results. This transition may not be intuitive for many people that are used to excelling at their own individual performance without having to worry too much about the performance of others.

Another challenge faced by new managers according to Harold Mkoka from Gardaworld, Malawi, is balancing the expectations of the team with the expectations of management. The leader needs to drive the agenda but must be mindful of not overpromising and under-delivering and understanding the capacity, resources, and capability of the team to deliver results within a given timeframe.

Senior Management needs to be cognizant of this period of adjustment and give their new managers some leeway to become comfortable and adjust to their new roles. Ensuring that new managers receive the necessary training is very important for the long-term success of the organization. Additionally, HR Directors also need to ensure their departments play an active role in helping people settle into their new roles. Equipping new managers with the right tools to lead and manage their teams successfully is the key to unlocking their potential.

Companies should ensure their new managers have the right resources and enough time to deliver results. New leaders and their teams should also be given opportunities to work together in less pressurizing situations to allow them to learn about each other. Team building activities and trainings can help new teams to work together more effectively and should be budgeted for in advance.

Several participants of the NMLP programme agreed that one of the hardest transitions a new manager faces is transitioning from being a colleague or ‘friend’ to being the ‘boss’ and the sacrifices that this process entails. The motivation to be ‘liked’ by your direct reports can sometimes be in direct opposition to asserting your authority, setting expectations, and ensuring results are being delivered.  Imposter syndrome can also rear its ugly head at this point and new managers may not be confident in their new roles. Pairing new managers with more seasoned managers can help them navigate these difficulties. Mentoring and Coaching can be invaluable tools that support new managers to become leaders.

Learning how to interact with direct reports effectively is a fundamental managerial competency. One of the most important tools in a manager’s arsenal is to set the rules of engagement. The mutually agreed upon rules of engagement will avert operational, interpersonal, and team performance issues that may result when these expectations are not clearly defined, articulated, and agreed upon.

Rules of engagement set expectations about how a team will work together to achieve their collective objectives as well as how they will work individually. These rules will build trust, commitment, consistency, accountability and improve conflict resolution. Operational rules such as attendance expectations, work distribution, shared decision-making, and deadline adherence should also be clarified. Un-spoken assumptions will breed confusion, especially when everyone has a different interpretation of expectations and work output will suffer as people try to fill in the blanks for themselves. Established rules of engagement will create a common understanding, clarify desired behaviours, and define work contributions.

Effective communication is another skill that most new managers struggle with. They have not grasped how to package their ideas to get buy-in from diverse stakeholders and build good relationships with their direct reports, peers, senior managers, suppliers, and customers. As a Clarity 4D Accredited Facilitator and Executive Coach, I help managers break down barriers in communication by helping leaders gain a deeper understanding of others and themselves. New managers are in the process of self- discovery and forging new relationships. Senior Management can help facilitate this process by helping new managers to improve their communication skills through partnering with internal and external experts to provide trainings, feedback, and coaching.

Agnes Ruoro, the Academic Director for the NMLP, ensures that the programme is highly differentiated to address common pitfalls and unique competency gaps for emerging leaders. She has spearheaded many customized trainings for companies in different sectors.

Finally, one of the most gratifying reflections from the participants of the 2024 NMLP cohort, was the fact that the programme gives managers the opportunity to share and express themselves, learn from their peers from all over Africa, learn from experts on pertinent topics, and develop themselves so that they can go back to their organizations to add value and be the best versions of themselves. Certain managerial skills may not be intuitive and as managers go to new levels, they will constantly need to upskill themselves to conquer new challenges. As new managers embark on their leadership journeys, they should take a moment to appreciate how far they have come and then, move ahead and take new ground with confidence.

The New Managers Leadership Programme is designed for the new managers or individuals being groomed for their first management position and aims at equipping them with adequate skills on the various areas of management as they transition from being successful individual contributors to effective managers. Each topic in the NMLP Programme is carefully selected to address new manager’s dilemmas, to help navigate the managerial challenges and complexities of their leadership roles. Learn about the New Managers Leadership Programme here

Article by Shailja Sharma, Leadership and Career Coach, SBS Faculty Member