The five things we wish someone had told us about management
At Management in Publishing, it’s personal.
The number one reason we want to help publishers to master management and leadership is because we wish someone, anyone, had given us a given us more guidance when we first stepped up. As it was, we were thrown in at the deep end with very little support. We’re not saying that anything went badly wrong, but it was often lonely and uncomfortable and, with hindsight, we’d have been much better managers sooner if we hadn’t had to work everything out on our own along the way.
So, with that in mind, we’ve distilled the top five things we wish that mythical person had told us when we first became managers – and that we hope will help others make a much smoother transition into management than we did.
1. Management is a skill like any other - but it's not easy; you have to learn it and it takes practice to do it consistently and well. Just because you’re a top editor or have won awards for your marketing campaigns, that doesn’t make you a shoe-in when it comes to managing others. Recognise that management is a “thing”; find out about it; make time for it and take it seriously. Cut yourself some slack – you won’t get everything right straight away - but make sure you continue to learn and develop.
2. There are two sides to management. Whenever someone talks to us about running management training, we can guarantee that they’ll be focussed on transactions and processes, like how to recruit people, set targets or manage performance - and these are important. Management is definitely about getting stuff done, making things happen, meeting targets.
But the other side of the management coin is how we get that stuff done. For the first time, you won’t just be responsible for your own work, but will need to work with and through other people to meet those goals. That means being able to do things like motivate and guide; delegate and engage. We firmly believe that this requires a healthy dose of emotional intelligence (EQ), the ability to recognise, understand and manage our own emotions while also recognising, understanding and influencing other people’s emotions too.
Management can feel a bit, well, messy, because it involves us humans, with all our foibles and individual quirks. EQ can help you make sense of these challenges (and joys). Management is not a popularity contest; the chances are that, sooner or later, you’ll have to have that difficult conversation or give another task to an already busy colleague. This will be much easier if you’ve already put in the EQ work to build trust and relationships.
3. Know then thyself. Self-awareness is the foundation for emotional intelligence – and makes better managers of us all. You need to understand yourself before you can understand, influence and inspire others. And it’s about two things: knowing yourself, your own preferences and our strengths and weaknesses, but also understanding the impact you have on others.
Being more self-aware will also help you to understand that not everyone is like you; we all bring our own personalities and preferences to work. The key is to understand what makes you tick while recognising that you may need to flex your style and preferences in certain situations and with different people.
4. Don’t do too much too soon. It’s really tempting when you get your first management role to want to make things happen straight away, to be able to point to some immediate change or a quick win. But we’d really advise you not to try to do too much too soon.
If you’re moving to another company, take time to get to know your new colleagues, to understand your new role and the team you’ll be responsible for. This is a time to keep your eyes and ears open. Observe and listen (and think about what you’re not being told too!). Be curious and ask questions. Stay open-minded and look for opportunities to build trust and rapport, like communicating clearly or making a commitment and following through.
Even if you’ve been promoted internally, don’t underestimate the change stepping up into management brings. You’ll probably have to reset some boundaries and be clear with colleagues about your new responsibilities.
It might feel like you’re not making a difference soon enough, but it’s much better to ease your way in and build the relationships you’ll need longer term.
5. Look after yourself. Management is hard. Managers occupy a sort of ‘squeezed middle’, caught between the people they’re responsible for and the people they’re accountable to. There are often uncomfortable trade-offs to be made, and there’s usually too much to do. That can make us feel stressed, overwhelmed and, often, lonely.
Our first response when we felt like this all those years ago was to double-down on everything, to work harder and drive forward – to be some sort of “hero”. But we know now that that’s a route to burnout rather than positive and effective management.
Instead, you need to find strategies for looking after yourself. That might mean trying some simple time management or delegation techniques. You’ll definitely want to think about gathering together a new network of people – at and beyond work – who can offer support when you need it. And it’s also about finding ways to replenish your energy by making sure you’re well-rested and making time for the stuff you love.
Remember that you can’t – and shouldn’t try – to do everything. Bear in mind, too, that you’re now a role model for others; looking after yourself will give your team ‘permission’ to do the same.
So, there you are. We hope these five things will give you some pointers. If you’ve read this blog, you’re already better prepared than we were.