“Congratulations. you’ve been promoted to a MANAGER.”
Sounds exciting until you’re facing duties, decisions, and situations you’ve never had before. It’s an amazing opportunity that has a lot of obstacles and demands a lot of improvements.
Career transitions are always challenging. The transition from an individual contributor to manager is probably one of the most challenging steps. To be a strong, yet approachable, manager that can do his work and manage to lead the team efficiently, you must acquire and master several skills.
It’s most likely for first-time managers to assume that the skills that made them good employees will make them good managers. A study has shown that managers should be trained before any transition in roles so if you’re relying on the same skills that got you promoted you better NOT!. So here you’re 10 TEDxtalks that will definitely help you be a good manager:
Skills you need to nail to be a good manager
1- Let them trust you
Is your team’s trust code has broken? This one’s for you. Just hang on tight, and we’ll get through this!
2- Talk better
Conversations are not a promotional opportunity for anyone, but listening is. So instead of thinking that talking will shape a better you, believe that listening will get you a way better one.
3- Lead better
What you can learn from a chain? And what it can do to your leadership skills? Figure it out with Bob Davids.
4- Risk it
Risks and luck are the perfect ingredients for unexpected opportunities? If you’re half as hesitant as I am, Tina Seelig will be your new best friend.
5- Don’t motivate your team, yes, DON’T!
Over the years, Motivation was based on wrong assumptions, misconceptions, and misinterpretations. The definitions may be slightly different, but the core value remains. In this fascinating Ted Talk, Kerry Goyette teaches us how to unleash your employees’ motivation.
6- What type of bosses are you?
Cool or sharp boss, both eventually need to have a sense of humor. It is a big stress buster not to mention that it allows you and your employees to realize you all share the same common ground. Here more about it and get ready to take notes.
7- Make better decisions
If you’re making decisions based on short-term plans, then you’re making your future ones unsafe. Be careful! This Ted talk might just change the entire approach you’re following.
8- Dare to conflict
Robin Funsten wants you to think differently about conflicts and maybe, just maybe, go a little easier on yourself. Because disputes have many different insights.
9- How to deal with unfairness?
Unfairness isn’t only bad news for the normal life but also for business. Injustice does hurt the culture of any company causing people to be disengaged and defensive. Learn how to create better air for happier employees from Marco Alvera.
10- Embrace your failure
“Let’s judge our project!”, “How could we kill our project today?”
Will you ever say that? Well, I believe you will do after this. Failures aren’t always that frustrating, it can be inspiring sometimes.
Bonus tips:
- Try to learn from your team; you chose them, so they represent you and they hold a lot of surprises beneath being just a good employee.
- Take a break ALWAYS. Try to filter your mind from time to time so you won’t get stressed easily. As this is the first time, try to put yourself together and let things flow.
- Ask your mentors for help. Tell them to give you brutal feedback so you can learn faster.
- Say WE. Make them hear it, know it so it would be inherently convinced.
The incredible influence of Ted talks makes sense whenever a playlist is collected to form one structure. And I bet you will never get out of this playlist with the same mentality because after just one ted talk who would.
