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  • Saving Your Rookie Managers from Themselves
    • Based on the article by Carol A. Walker�Harvard Business Review, April 2002

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Tom was promoted to management because of technical skills.

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But those skills don’t always translate, and soon Tom �was in trouble.

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Being a good manager isn’t �about personal achievement—�it’s about empowering the team.

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Management skills aren’t automatic—most rookies need help.

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5 Essential Skills for Rookie Managers

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Delegating

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Delegating�Why Managers Struggle �

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Under pressure to produce, �rookies just do it themselves.

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Delegating�Signs Your Rookie Manager �May Be in Trouble�

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Puts in long hours

Complains about workload

Hesitates to take on responsibilities

Speaks for her employees

Has a demoralized team

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Delegating�How to Help�

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Explain that being the boss means letting others shine.

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  • A reluctant manager found that his employee wanted �to share the load.

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Getting Support from Above

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Getting Support�Why Managers Struggle �

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Afraid to look weak, they don’t ask for help.

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Getting Support�Signs Your Rookie Manager �May Be in Trouble�

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Waits for you to call meetings

Speaks too carefully

Tries to “fly under the radar”

Hides mistakes

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  • Trying to go it alone, a rookie hurt her whole team.

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Getting Support�How to Help�

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Emphasize that open communication helps you both.

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Projecting�Confidence

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Confidence�Why Managers Struggle �

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Intent on the substance of their roles, rookies forget that form matters too.

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  • Linda’s frantic demeanor hurt her department �and her career.

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Confidence�Signs Your Rookie Manager �May Be in Trouble�

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Acts stressed all the time

Seems arrogant

Doesn’t “own” messages

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Confidence�How to Help�

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Provide honest feedback—and a safe haven.

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Focusing on �the Big Picture

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The Big Picture�Why Managers Struggle �

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Fighting fires feels more productive than thinking about why they occur.

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The Big Picture�Signs Your Rookie Manager �May Be in Trouble�

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Is always in the trenches

Doesn’t challenge his team

Focuses on activities, not goals

Postpones strategic planning

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  • What if I schedule �a strategy session and something urgent comes up?

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The Big Picture�How to Help�

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Talk about big-picture issues during regular meetings.

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Giving Feedback

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Giving Feedback�Why Managers Struggle �

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Rookie managers wait to address performance problems—which snowball.

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Giving Feedback�Signs Your Rookie Manager �May Be in Trouble�

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Puts off tough conversations

Has reports with ongoing performance issues

Is awkward when offering criticism

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Giving Feedback�How to Help�

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Role-play giving feedback on behaviors, not personalities.

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  • I want to help you achieve, �so I’ll be honest.

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5 Essential Management Skills

Delegating

Getting support from above

Projecting confidence

Focusing on the big picture

Giving feedback

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These skills aren’t just �for rookies—they’re vital �to all managers.

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For Discussion

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  • How can managers tell when they should delegate and when they should tackle a task themselves?
  • Have you ever had a report hide bad news or avoid asking for help? How �did you handle it?
  • What are some tricks people can use when they need to appear more confident?
  • What’s worked best when you’ve needed to refocus a rookie on �strategic goals?
  • Say a manager is giving feedback �and the recipient gets defensive. �What are some ways to steer the conversation back on track?

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About This Article

  • Read the full article, originally published in the �April 2002 issue of Harvard Business Review: �“Saving Your Rookie Managers from �Themselves.”
    • Carol Walker is the president of Prepared to Lead, a management consulting firm in Boston. Before founding the company, she worked for 15 years as an executive in the insurance and technology industries.

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Learn More

  • Harvard Business Review Articles
    • Beware the Busy Manager
      • Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal
    • The Executive as Coach
      • James Waldroop and Timothy Butler
    • The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome
      • Jean-François Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux
    • The Authenticity Paradox
      • Herminia Ibarra
  • Harvard Business Review Slide Decks
    • What Great Managers Do
      • Marcus Buckingham
  • Harvard Business Review Books

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