How to manage well and keep your friends

Citation

(2000), "How to manage well and keep your friends", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 19 No. 9. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmd.2000.02619iab.002

How to manage well and keep your friends

How to manage well and keep your friends

Being a manager for the first time is a big challenge. Typical dilemmas include managing friends or peers or those who are older than you – and simply how to look and act the part. Handling these situations is vital if you and your team are to succeed.

In Managing for the First Time, published by the Institute of Personnel and Development (IPD), Cherry Mill offers practical advice to overcome the hurdles. "When managing friends, it is wise to get things out in the open from the outset and build an agreement of how you will work together. Explain that there will be times when tough decisions need to be made and that there will be times when you'll disagree but neither of you should take things personally and treat each other differently than anyone else".

Becoming a manager can be an unpopular move – you may face people who are jealous, resentful or worried that your move will have a negative impact on them. This is all part of the package, and the book gives a good model for building bridges and dealing with conflict.

Managers are often less experienced and expert than their team and, according to Mill, this may be essential if the team goals are to be achieved. By having experts, as a manager you can do your job of "managing" more effectively. Mill advises: "Don't be afraid of people who are more expert than you, you should actively seek them . . . your job is to act as their ambassador, help them achieve their goals, and celebrate their successes".

The book offers a useful "five-point plan" for your first 100 days, covering what you need to learn, whom you need to meet and what you need to achieve. "Planning is key", says Mill, "this isn't something where you can just wing it!"

There's a valuable section on how to establish your credibility during the first few weeks. Tips include "get some early wins or quick results", "do one or two things early on that have needed doing for sometime, which are important or dramatic, or that lots of people will notice or benefit from", "deliver on commitments" and "be confident, relaxed and positive".

As well as giving an outline of the basic management skills you need to kick off and to equip you for long-term success, the book offers words of wisdom from the experience of a variety of managers about managing for the first time.

Whilst it's aimed at people managing for the first time, the book provides a good framework for getting off to a successful start in any new supervisory or management job.