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Jill Geisler

I love new managers. They bring enthusiasm, ideas, and optimism to their work. They aren’t focused on what used to be, but rather, what might be. Smart new managers honor the best of the past while leading their teams into the future. But as I work with newly minted managers in seminars and organizations, I’ve discovered the sharpest are prone to worry about the wrong things.So, for the new, aspiring great bosses out there, here are some tips to help you fret less and focus on success.Stop worrying about “big shoes”It’s common for new managers to measure themselves against their predecessors. If you follow in the footsteps of someone wise or wonderful, you may feel intense pressure. In truth, the pressure is coming from YOU—and you can regulate it.Don’t try to be a clone of someone else. Instead, identify the positive impact that person had on the people and the product. What was the end result of what they did well? How can you, in your own way, achieve those results and more? (And by the way, we tend to lionize people after they leave. But even the best bosses weren’t perfect. So stop feeling you have to be!)Stop doing your old job When I work with new managers in organizations, I find that many of them are struggling to manage their time. When I probe a bit, I discover they’re still doing things they did well—or loved—in their previous job.Competence is an intrinsic motivator. It feels good to do things we do well. It helps us show people we have talent, too. The problem is, you’re not helping yourself or your team if you fail to let go of old tasks and focus on helping others grow.Coach, don’t fixNew managers are often tempted to “fix” the work product rather than coach the person who didn’t do it quite right. They roll up their sleeves and make changes to the product, whether it’s rearranging a store shelf display or re-writing a proposal to a client. That’s because they haven’t learned how to describe what “quality” looks like, or the steps needed to achieve it. So, they say, “It doesn’t work for me” and re-do someone else’s work.They think this approach is faster and easier. But it’s a short-term solution that perpetuates mediocrity and exhausts the boss. I guarantee that if you don’t learn to coach, your people won’t get better.Don’t obsess about old friends Many new managers worry about handling relationships with fellow employees who were their buddies. Will they lose those friendships? Will old pals expect special treatment? Should the new boss still socialize with those old colleagues? Let me give you the heavy—and not-so-heavy—responses.First, know that as a manager, you are now a steward of your organization’s integrity. That means you have a primary loyalty to the whole company, not just your team or people you’ve always liked. Back when they were your friends and co-workers, you didn’t have to evaluate their performance. If you thought they weren’t giving 100 percent, you could look the other way and let a boss deal with it. If you loaned them money and they didn’t repay it, you could decide to ignore it. Now, you have hold people accountable.The question is how do you do that with everyone, old pals included? You start by letting people know you value them as people, you promise them your candor and concern as a boss. You tell your team about your values.When it comes to social events, you understand that your presence sends a message: Management thinks this event matters. That’s why your presence at funerals or weddings or retirements or victory celebrations can be especially meaningful. But here’s the advice I always give to new managers: When you’re invited to a social event, imbibe less, leave early. That way, you’ll remember everything you said and did and won’t regret it—and when you’re gone, the staff can tell all the clever jokes and do impressions of their goofy managers, just like you used to do!Be a confident, continuous learner New managers sometimes think they have to know the answers to everything in order to prove they deserve the job. It’s not a sign of weakness to acknowledge you don’t have an immediate answer to a question or solution to a problem—or to ask “What do you think?” In fact, even if you have a good answer, it can be helpful to ask for input before sharing it. Questions are a great tool for getting fresh ideas, input and buy-in from staff, provided you truly listen and put the knowledge to good use.Finally, stay curious. Don’t miss opportunities to build new skills and challenge yourself. The best bosses I know are continuous learners—whether they’re brand new like you—or just about ready for retirement.

New Managers: Five Keys to Success

My CPLP journey began when I attended ATD’s  2014 International Conference & Exposition in Washington, D.C. The conference was amazing! I was surrounded by more than 9,000 training and development professionals just like me. There was one group, however, that clearly stood out from this assembly of awesome professionals: the Certified Professionals in Learning and Performance (CPLPs). Through their certification journey, they had distinguished themselves as the leaders of the pack. To me, they were rock stars, and I wanted to be just like them.Lesson 1: Know What You’re Getting Yourself IntoI had a high-level understanding of the requirements for the CPLP certification: I knew that I had to pass a Knowledge Exam and submit a Work Product. For some reason, I thought the Work Product would be a piece of cake because I’ve been designing training programs for more than 10 years. I decided to focus on the Knowledge Exam first and then focus on the Work Product once I’d passed the test. This was a huge mistake, but I’ll get to that in a moment.Lesson 2: Practice, Practice, PracticeI took the CPLP practice test to get a baseline of my knowledge. I then purchased the ATD Learning System. This cohesive, 800-page document was amazing! It pulled together all of our profession’s best practices.I studied after work every day. I would then share what I’d learned with my co-workers the next day to solidify my knowledge. My team felt as if they were learning everything with me.Lesson 3: Unlearn What You Have LearnedOver the years, I’ve tended to cut corners and not follow best practices, usually because of time constraints. Sure, I knew how to do things the right way, but how often did I follow the best practices as presented in the ATD Learning System? My shortcuts were a way around what I knew, so I needed to start recognizing how things should be done instead of how I currently do them. This new mindset helped me see new pieces of information that I’d missed, and certain concepts started to make more sense.Lesson 4: Relax, You Got This!Exam day arrived. I got enough sleep, woke up early, ate breakfast, and left for the testing facility an hour early. The first 20 or so questions were probably the most difficult for me. I doubted myself, and I was unsure about the answers I was selecting.But there came a point in the test when I told myself to relax. I studied, I prepared, and I knew my stuff! I just needed to be more confident. After that internal pep talk, I thought my answers were on point. I finished the exam with 20 minutes left and clicked the “End Test” button.Then there were survey questions! It’s so hard to complete a survey before getting your results. The results were a little difficult to read, but I finally found the word pass on the screen.I was relieved and elated. All of my studying had paid off, and I’d passed one of the most difficult tests of my life.Lesson 5: Don’t Be Afraid to Start From ScratchWhen I finally got around to reviewing the criteria for the Work Product, I freaked out! I didn’t have a Work Product that successfully demonstrated my instructional design skills in accordance with the criteria. What was I going to do? I had just worked so hard on the Knowledge Exam and another challenge seemed daunting.It was late November, and I had to submit the work product by mid-February. My only option seemed to be starting a new project from scratch. Fortunately, we were having a learning conference in January, and I had an opportunity to design a training course for this audience.Lesson 6: Follow the CriteriaI carefully followed the criteria for each step. No shortcuts! I made sure that I performed each step to at least a 3 standard, with 4s and 5s whenever possible. My team was amazing. They supported me the entire way. I could never have completed the Work Product in this timeframe without their hard work. It was a true collaboration throughout the entire project, and we were all following best practices.The experience was also a wake-up call for our team. We needed to raise our standards of performance to make sure that we were always following best practices, not just for this project. Moving forward, we wanted to look at each project as a potential Work Product for the future.Lesson 7: Good Things Come to Those Who WaitAfter submitting the Work Product, the waiting game began. I’ve never checked my email so often in my life. My heart was pounding like crazy when the results arrived. It took a while to sift through the email to find that I had successfully passed the Work Product. I actually cried tears of joy because I’d finally done it. I’d put myself out there. I’d demonstrated my knowledge and skills. I’d completed my CPLP journey. I was a CPLP rock star!Lesson 8: Rock Stars Pay It ForwardSince passing, I now have more confidence in my role. I stopped taking shortcuts, and I changed the way my entire team works. I’ve assisted other CPLP candidates in preparing for the Knowledge Exam and Work Product. It is with great pride that I can now share this experience with others in the hope of helping them on their journeys. Learn more about the CPLP Certification.

Jill Geisler

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