Most first-time managers quickly realize just how little of what they’ve learned until that point prepared them properly for a management role. The tools of a programmer, accountant, or designer are completely different than the ones for leaders. Primarily, it’s not about designing an aesthetic solution or creating clean code anymore. It’s first and foremost about leading people, and people don’t like to be treated as a number on a balance sheet. 😉
❓So what are foundational tools for managers?
To answer this deceivingly simple question, let me introduce you to one of the best, free management resources out there: Manager Tools. I’ve been using these for years and had the privilege to attend one of their in-person trainings:
- One-on-Ones to build trusting relationships
- Feedback to talk about and manage performance
- Coaching & Mentoring to support individual growth journeys
- Delegation to free up your time and develop your team simultaneously
- Effective Meetings because maker’s and manager’s have different schedules
If you want to get one of the best overviews for each of these foundations check out Manager Tools Basics. These podcast episodes will take you about 10 hours to get through, depending on your playback speed. They even teach how to roll out all of the tools. Please don’t adopt it all at once - you would likely get overwhelmed that way.
Alternative suggestions
- The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo: Written by a design leader and is a fan favorite of many first-time managers due to it’s relatable writing and Julie’s personal stories and experiences.
- The Manager’s Path by Camille Fournier: Written by a technology leader and appropriate for first time managers, managers of managers, and more.
Both of these books go much broader than The Effective Manager as they also cover various stories of growing into a leadership role at different levels, and even hiring. The Effective Manager book goes deep on One-on-Ones, Feedback, Coaching, and Delegation, as well as applying each tool in a remote context.
I’m sure you will have a good start in your leadership career if you start with any of these three resources.
I’m done, so what now?
➡️ Dive into Grow Competencies and see what seems most relevant to you for where you are right now.
There’s an endless sea of leadership and management resources out there, but don’t forget about these basics. If you practice and evolve them you will already be a more effective manager than most. I enjoy revisiting basics and am often surprised by how many things or details I can action. It’s almost as if I heard these hints and nuances for the first time and I wasn’t ready to add them to my leadership practice the last time.
While your specific situation may not be as unique as you might think, only you can figure out “the right order” to learn and grow specific aspects of your leadership. If you feel that something is missing on this site and I could help fill in that gap, Contact me!