MY Reading Journey Part 5 (The Making Of Manager by Julie Zhuo)

Good Morning Guys!

Welcome back to my new habit progress. Today’s going to be a long day with a user interview in the afternoon and teaching a class in the evening. I hope I can handle everything well today.🤞

But before all of that, let's start this new habit first. Welcome back to my morning reading book session! It's my new habit to get back into reading after a healthy morning jog. (I can't believe we're already at Part 5!)

Continuing from yesterday, we now move on to the next type of boss: The New Boss.

The New Boss

A team is welcoming you as its new leader, which is no small achievement! If you find yourself in this situation, you probably have past management experience.

Pros:

• People cut you some slack in the beginning.
  My Take: This initial grace period can be very helpful as you learn the ropes. Team members generally understand that you're new and may need some time to adjust.

• You start with a blank slate.
  My Take: This is a great opportunity to set new goals and create a vision for the team without being tied to past practices. It allows you to implement fresh ideas and potentially innovate.

Cons:

• It takes a while to adjust to the norms of a new environment.
  My Take: Every workplace has its own culture and set of unwritten rules. Understanding and integrating into this new environment can be challenging and time-consuming.

• You need to invest in building new relationships.
  My Take: Establishing trust and rapport with your new team members is crucial. This requires time, patience, and effort to show that you are a supportive and capable leader.

• You don’t know the job and what it takes.
  My Take: Even with past management experience, the specifics of the new role and team dynamics can be quite different. There's a learning curve involved in getting up to speed with the job's unique demands.

In my current role, I feel more like a New Boss because, even though it's a small team, they seem to have a strong bond with each other.

The Successor

The successor transition is similar to the apprentice’s but with a twist: because your manager is leaving, you’re taking on supporting the entire team yourself, not just a portion of it.

Pros:

• You have existing team knowledge and insights.
  My Take: Since you were already part of the team, you have a solid understanding of its dynamics, strengths, and weaknesses. This can help you make informed decisions quickly.

• You can provide continuity.
  My Take: Your presence can offer stability to the team during the transition period. The team can benefit from your familiarity with ongoing projects and processes.

Cons:

• The increase in responsibility can feel overwhelming.
  My Take: Taking on full responsibility for the team can be daunting, especially if it happens suddenly. It requires a lot of adjustment and can be stressful if not managed well.

• You feel pressure to do things exactly like your former manager.
  My Take: There might be an expectation to maintain the same management style and practices as your predecessor. This can limit your ability to introduce new ideas and improvements.

This chapter closes with an insightful note from Zhuo about this critical phase:

"Your first three months as a new manager are a time of incredible transition. By the end of it, the day-to-day starts to feel familiar, you’re adapting to new routines, you’re investing in new relationships, and you may begin to have a sense of how you can best support your team."

Honestly, I completely agree here. The first three months are the toughest phase when starting a new role or joining a new company. Adapting to so many things requires a lot of energy and the right tactics to minimize upcoming issues. What do you think? Do you also feel that the first three months are the hardest? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

My timer just went off, so that's one hour of reading done! I gained a lot of new insights today. So far, that's my reading progress for this morning. I hope it gives you some new insights too. See you in the next part!👏