Were you truly trained to be a manager? To manage your friends?

One of our greatest challenges in any business is improper training and no one suffers from that more than the position of Manager.
I was recently speaking to a group of managers and several asked similar question. They all revolved around them being promoted within their department to the managers position.
And I hear some of you saying, well Steve, what's wrong with that?

The answer is nothing and everything.

If you organization is as sharp as I hope they are then what probably happened was that the department manager was replaced and you were invited to step into the managers role. With that being said, I hope your company then sent you or brought in an expert on being a Great Manager (me). And that they spend several weeks training you about what being a manager means, how you need to understand people, attitudes, difficult situations. How you need to know the five emotional languages your people speak without speaking a word. I hope they taught you about the D.I.S.C. method of knowing your people so that you would recognize what each person brings to your department and how you will need to deal with them in such different ways.

And IF they promoted you to be the manager of the department you were just working in I hope your company really spent some time training you AND working with your people so that when you move from being their 'friend' and co-worker into the management position there won't be the typical awkward and often times hostile environment that occurs when you have to manage them, discipline them and reprimand them.

If your organization does not do both of those things you will be in for a huge learning curve that will undoubtedly affect morale, productivity and office relationships.

And if your organization did not set aside time to train you as a manger you will have to take your personal time to read the right books and listen to the right material so that you can optimize your newly acquired position.
If you don't do your due diligence in these areas you are facing hard times and possibly even being a failure as a manager because your people will resist you moving from their co-worker to becoming their manager.

I hope you understand these issues and ask for all the help and assistance you can get and do not let your own pride prevent you from becoming one of your companies greatest assets; a Great Manager.

I am Steve Sapato, author and trainer in Mental Prosperity the way to find your success in your future at mentalprosperityblog.com