When we are promoted, we are so happy and thrilled, but after a while we starts to realize we are facing new things and has to leave what we are doing best (which is technical skills). And, now we are facing office politics, asking collaboration with others when we are almoust deadline, and people problem not only with staff but also peers and superiors.

Strong technical person is lucky (I called it) that he is promoted due to technical capabilities and performances, but to be survive and going to the next ladder, we have to develop to be manager and leader at the same time. We could be lucky enough if the company is supporting to new managers.

If we feel that we do not have enough support, we should make decision, and it is  up to us but my suggestion is teach ourself the skills we need. In my article [1], we should know what we need, and now I am writing in how we change. This article is based on article from mindtool[2]

Changing Mindset

1. First, Technical focus to We have to change mindset from technical to people.
2. Secondly, Ourself skills and success to our team. The 1^st and 2^nd are changing our mindset; especially from me to others.
3. Thirdly, from expert to zero, as we have to learn different skills.
4. Then, from one aspect to multiple ecosystem aspects. We have understand your ecosystem, from product and services up to businesses, and regulation, competitors.

Last but least when we do it, we have to make a quick win, and we have to get this, a small victories as soon as possible to give you, and your new team, a great sense of accomplishment, as well as the motivation to keep moving forward.

Additional skill we need to my article above to be a better manager are [2]:

1. Delegation– we show know how to delegate. To do this we should know how to delegate and who are our staff (especially; their competencies, characters).
2. Motivation.
3. Communication.
4. Discipline.
5. Briefing – explaining work has be done, and monitor the progress
6. Recruitment– as you may have to hire new staff; additional staff or replacement

Tips for Making the Transition to Manager [2]

• Do a personal SWOT analysis, (I prefer to called knows who we are). Make a list of what you must improve to be a better manager for your team. Many managers let others assess their skills, and then wait until their performance review to discover what skills they lack. Don’t make this mistake – spend time now identifying your weaknesses, so that you can start improving on them immediately.
• Stay away from technical work– Resist the temptation to get involved with technical projects that aren’t your responsibility. Yes, you probably enjoy this type of work and want to feel successful doing something you know well, but it’s now your team’s responsibility. Spending too much time doing technical work will only hold you back as a manager. Sure, it’s good to pitch in when you can, but make sure that you do the managing part of your role first.
• Find a mentor– Look for someone in your organization who has made a transition similar to yours. A mentor can offer you some great advice on succeeding in your new role, and help you avoid some of the mistakes that he or she has made.
• Meet with every team member– Make it a priority to meet with everyone on your team personally. Find out what interests and motivates them, and check that they have everything they need to be happy and successful in their role. This shows that you’re taking an interest in them, and it helps you get to know the people you’re managing.
• Find out what your team expects from you– These expectations are often unspoken. Our article on The Psychological Contract will help you learn how to discover these hidden expectations.
• Learn one skill at a time– Acquiring a whole new set of skills for your new management position can be overwhelming. Don’t try to learn everything at once. Focus on one skill at a time, so that you can learn each skill well.

Referensi

1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-we-need-changing-carrier-from-engineer-manager-tonda-priyanto/,
2. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_12.htm.