Five Panda Pointers: How do I get respect as a new manager?

Congratulations! You have been promoted, or just started a new job as a manager. It is something you have been working towards and some of you may have been unsure if you would make it. Well, all that hard work paid off.

Now comes the tricky part, you know you can do the job itself and you are confident in your love for the new brand/company. The last worry on your list is gaining the respect of your new team. The response will be easier or harder if they knew you before. Sometimes going into a brand-new team means you can show authority straight away, on the other hand if you know the team already they may still see you as their colleague and not their manager.

How do you get it right from the beginning?

1) Have a talk with everyone very early on

Whether they knew you before or not, you will need to introduce yourself. Take the opportunity to start afresh with your new title and go through what you want the team to achieve. Your team will have a tremendous amount of respect for you if they see you have put a lot of effort into being their manager. Answer any questions people may have and be sure to let them know what you expect regarding KPI’s as a team. If working in a sales environment, then spend some time doing one to ones with each team member. That way you can find out individually what they need from their manager.

2)  Be consistent

This one is particularly important if you knew the team previously and have been promoted. Unfortunately, the team member who was always on nights out, or always joking and messing around before hand will struggle to gain authority from their colleagues. Remember, it is not an insult – it will just take time for them to separate your old title from your new one. So, stay consistent! If you are going to be the manager working to deadlines and schedules, then make sure they see you as that figure. Not one who contradicts themselves by getting drunk with the team every weekend and comes into work Monday saying everyone needs to be more focused.

3)  Be sure of your decisions

A manager who second guesses what they say due to a little resistance will never get the job done. It is a hard balance to be a strict manager and an approachable one. But, at the end of the day you are here to do a job and the whole company needs to make money. We recommend thinking hard about your decisions so, if met with resistance and questions from the team you can answer them fully and accurately.

It is almost like when you were a child and you asked a parent or adult why you had to do something, and their response was, ‘Because I said so!’. A little easier to say that to kids, but with adults – it doesn’t work unfortunately.

4) Remember who you are

You do not have to be a workaholic! It will take time to get the combination of being strict and being friendly right, but do not forget who you are and what got you to this new role in the first place. Being a manager that stands out from the rest will work well in the long run. Be compassionate, supportive, funny, a good listener and a fun manager … but do not forget what you need to achieve. Practice makes perfect!

5) Ask for feedback

A good manager can accept criticism! It will be a learning process especially if this is your first job. A good tip we can provide is perhaps once a month and then extend that the longer you are a manager, take each team member to one side and ask for feedback on your performance and support. Alternatively, you can set up an anonymous system so people feel they can talk freely. Breathe HR or Office Vibe is a great way for your company to give feedback!

Remember, sharks are born swimming – you got this!