No one is born knowing how to be a manager. And whatever your previous job, it did not prepare you for management work. So if you’ve just become a supervisor, you must quickly start learning some new skills. The most important of these is performance management. Delivering results through other people is the greatest challenge for most new supervisors. Before, you only had to worry about your own results – but now you must motivate others to do their best work. The guidelines below can help you succeed at this complex task.

1. LEADERSHIP SKILLS
The New Manager's Coaching Guide

2. THE NEW MANAGER'S COACHING GUIDE
• No one is born knowing how to be a manager. And whatever your previous
job, it did not prepare you for management work. So if you’ve just become a
supervisor, you must quickly start learning some new skills. The most important
of these is performance management.
• Delivering results through other people is the greatest challenge for most
new supervisors. Before, you only had to worry about your own results – but
now you must motivate others to do their best work. The guidelines below
can help you succeed at this complex task.

3. START BY LEARNING FROM YOUR EMPLOYEES
• Meet individually with each person who reports to you to learn about their
job. Your goal is to understand the work they do, how they feel about it, and
what they need from you. Even if you were promoted in the same
department, you need to have these meetings, because you are now in a
totally different role.

4. THEN FIND OUT HOW THEIR WORK IS PERCEIVED
• Once you fully understand your department from the employees’ point of
view, then you need to determine how their work is viewed by internal or
external customers. Meet with people who are the recipients of your
department’s products or services and ask for feedback. Make note of
departmental strengths and weaknesses. Share this information with your
employees.

5. FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU EXPECT
TELL YOUR STAFF
• As the one who will be doing their performance appraisals, you must let
employees know what “good performance” means to you. What results do
you expect? Also, clarify expectations about work habits. Do you like
frequent updates? Expect everyone to be very punctual? Prefer face-to-
face communication over email? If you knew the previous manager,
describe how your expectations may be different.

6. RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR WAY IS
NOT THE ONLY WAY
• People have different work styles. Your own approach to tasks, problems,
and decisions is just one of many ways to get things done. Now that you are
supervising others, you must determine when another style is just as good as,
or even better than, your own.

7. STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH
EMPLOYEES’ ACTIVITIES
• Having established expectations and goals, you need to know whether
they’re being met. Set up regular reports, reviews, or meetings to track
progress and problems. Try to determine the appropriate amount of
feedback, because you don’t want to be either a micromanager or
completely clueless.

8. DON’T PRACTICE “PSYCHIC
MANAGEMENT”
• For some reason, managers seem to believe that people should know what
they’re thinking. They often expect employees to correct problems that
have never been discussed. Conversely, they may be quite pleased with
someone’s performance, but never say so. Do not expect employees to
read your mind.

9. APPRECIATE GOOD WORK. RECOGNIZE
OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• People need to hear what they’re doing well. For everyday tasks that are a
normal part of the job description, express appreciation for ongoing good
work. Don’t ever take it for granted. But if an employee goes above and
beyond expectations, recognize this special performance in a special way.

10. HELP EMPLOYEES MEET THEIR
CAREER GOALS
• The best managers enjoy helping people develop and succeed. If you
understand employees’ career goals, you can expose them to helpful
opportunities and experiences. In the process, they’re more likely to be
motivated to do their best work for you.

11. NIP PROBLEMS IN THE BUD
• When work or work habits start to head in the wrong direction, address the
problem before it becomes a major issue. If deadlines are suddenly being
missed or errors have begun to increase, simply mention what you have
observed. For example, “I noticed that the last two reports were completed
several days late. You’re usually right on schedule. What happened?”

12. COACH, DON’T CRITICIZE
• Managers often delay performance discussions because they fear being
critical. But it’s important to realize that your role is to be a coach, not a
judge. When problems arise, you should describe the situation, explain why it
concerns you, ask for the employee’s input, and agree on a solution.

13. TREAT SERIOUS PROBLEMS SERIOUSLY
• Most performance issues call for coaching, but when a serious violation
occurs, corrective action may be in order. You must make it very clear that if
the unacceptable behavior ever happens again, serious consequences will
follow.

14. DON’T KEEP NON-PERFORMERS
• The vast majority of employees can succeed with the help of an effective
coach, role model, and mentor. But a few people are never going to make
it, because they lack either motivation or ability. Once you have definitely
determined that someone can’t or won’t perform acceptably, then you
need to let them go. Otherwise, their presence will harm your results and de-
motivate your good performers.

15. HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE
• The best way to prevent performance problems is to hire the right people in
the first place. When filling a position, clearly define your requirements and
screen applicants carefully. If you hire in haste, you may be living with your
mistake for a long time.