{"id":51739,"date":"2021-11-10T11:09:11","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T16:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=51739"},"modified":"2025-02-21T04:54:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T09:54:36","slug":"how-to-empower-new-managers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-empower-new-managers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build an Environment That Empowers New Managers"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a lot of content out there on empowering employees and getting the most out of teams \u2014 but where is the guidance on empowering managers?<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Some 60 percent of new managers<\/a> fail or underperform in their first two years, while leadership training is typically invested in employees who are more than ten years into their management careers. Executives and boards need to take responsibility for creating an environment that enables managers to do their best work.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\"empower<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

So what does that look like? Generally speaking, we want our managers to feel accountable for the progression, success, and wellness of team members. They also need to take ownership of the team\u2019s overall performance and its impact on the company.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Here\u2019s how companies can create managers who can inspire their people while still driving meaningful business results.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Grant managers autonomy<\/h2>\n

Just like individual contributors, managers need to have a crystal clear vision for their team or department. They need to know what their goals<\/a> are and how they\u2019re going to measure success. This can be achieved through mutual agreement and discussion with their manager or director often formalized in a performance agreement contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Autonomy is essential for letting managers reach these goals. When an executive prescribes goals, that\u2019s fine \u2014 when they also lay out every step and action needed to get there, we have a problem.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

To grow and improve as managers, they need to be given the freedom to follow their nose and implement their own ideas. For a start, their ideas might be better than the executive\u2019s. They also understand the strengths, weaknesses, and ambitions of the team better than anyone. By agreeing on objectives but standing back from the execution, you give managers the best chance for success \u2014 especially over the long term.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Offer guidance on best practices<\/h2>\n

There are a lot of scenarios that established managers and leaders take for granted. For example, employee conversations. How to structure and approach one-to-ones about salary or performance as a manager is a complete minefield for most managers. Another example is providing effective feedback.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

It can also be useful to advise managers on prioritization: What are the key responsibilities and what are the \u201cnice to haves\u201d?<\/p>\n

There are also some things that more experienced managers usually have to learn by trial and error:<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n