Focusing on the Positives of Moving into Management

By Jaimy Ford

Much of the literature written for first time supervisors focuses on the negative aspects of taking over a team. And trust me, it can be difficult. You have tougher, more frequent decisions to make. You are responsible for hitting goals. You have to deal regularly with difficult situations and people. And usually, you have to increase the amount of work for which you are responsible.

Anyone who says managing is easy is either not being 100% honest or isn’t taking the job very seriously.

That said, often left out of the discussion when it comes to leading or managing for the first time is the benefits of taking the helm. So in the spirit of baseball stud Wade Boggs, who once said “A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results,” I’d like to remind you of the positive aspects of managing a team for the first time:

1. Money and benefits. Hey, money isn’t everything, and you shouldn’t take a leadership position specifically for money. However, the extra cash and benefits that come along with moving into management can be life changing for some, and they certainly make the extra work and hardship worth it.
2. Career trajectory. If you have dreams of being a CEO one day, taking that first step into a management position is paramount. The earlier you become a leader – and excel at it – the more realistic it is for you to eventually wind up in the c-suite.
3. Career options. Management and leadership skills tend to transfer to just about any type of organization, so you will be able to more easily move from company to company and even industry to industry if you have a solid track record as a leader.
4. Validation. When your organization trusts you enough to put you in charge, it is a testament to your abilities. Few things are as rewarding has being acknowledged for your hard work.

Now, notice that all of those benefits focus specifically on what you stand to gain from a career perspective. However, leading employees offers you opportunities to be a positive force in the workplace, and leaders who value that benefit the most set themselves apart from those who are only in it for personal gain. As a leader, you also earn the:

5. Ability to effect change. When you are an employee, you don’t have much authority to make positive changes that improve working conditions, employee performance and so on. As a manager, you typically gain the freedom and decision-making power to make changes that help your team, improve the organization, increase innovation and so much more. That is a huge responsibility, and one that you should not take lightly.
6. Opportunity to improve employees’ lives. Employees who suffer under a bad manager are less productive, engaged and loyal. However, great managers tend to get the best out of their people while increasing their job satisfaction. How you manage can either adversely or positively affect employees stress levels and overall happiness, so don’t abuse your power. Beyond that, you can offer training, mentoring and other growth opportunities that prepare and empower your employees to advance their own careers. Seeing people you hired, trained and coached go on to do great things is immensely rewarding.
7. Satisfaction of success. Hitting your team goals is a great feeling, no doubt. But when you pull your team together to overcome a challenge or recover after a setback, the feeling is indescribable. The satisfaction you receive each time you succeed or help your team to succeed is enough to carry you through the rough patches.

So, if you are considering management, but worry about the negatives of taking that promotion (or you have recently moved into management and are doubting your decision) let this post be a reminder of all the good that come out of joining the management ranks.

Photo Credit: www.freeimages.com/profile/raichinger

Jaimy Ford is a business writer and editor. She writes subscription newsletters, training tools and blogs that focus on professional development, leadership, productivity and more.