3 Ways to Help New Managers Quickly Establish Credibility

Victor Lipman

Credibility is always an integral element of successful management (try being effective without it) and it’s arguably most important of all for new managers, who are trying hard to make positive first impressions and establish themselves in what is often a challenging transitional environment.

I recently wrote a piece on time-tested ways to build leadership credibility. This one is specifically focused on the very different but very real credibility needs of new managers.

Following are three key areas you won’t go wrong focusing on.

1. Know your stuff.

Basic but essential. “Table stakes,” as we often used to say in the corporate world (making us feel momentarily as if we were cool blackjack players in a casino rather than corporate types reviewing budgets at headquarters). You naturally don’t have to know everything immediately – some learning curve is reasonable to expect. But I’ve seen first-hand the credibility problems that result when new managers are badly adrift with the technical aspects of a job for an extended period, and it’s not a pretty sight or the way to gain the respect of those you manage. If you have to work harder and longer than everyone else while you “come up to speed,” I have two words of counsel for you: Do it. It’s an investment. A tangible investment in your management career.

2. Find and develop your own personal management style.

Think of your management behavior as a spectrum: At one is casual friendship and at other is serious authority. Your job is to find the right balance somewhere between the two that works for you. Too much friendship and you won’t get the respect you need; too much authority and you’ll alienate your employees. But a balance somewhere along this spectrum can allow you to do what you need to as a manager yet still be true to yourself and your own personality and character. As I discussed in The Type B Manager, I realized early in my managerial career that people were never going to see me as a traditional command-and-control boss (which did cause me some problems). It just didn’t fit my quieter, more soft-spoken tendencies. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t demand excellence or focus on the results I knew the organization needed. I just had to do it in a way that suited my personal style. Similarly, all new managers have to find a style that feels natural and comfortable, and works for them. The good thing is there’s absolutely no right or wrong way to do it. Excellent managers can come in all shapes, sizes and temperaments.

3. Be scrupulously fair.

While this may seem obvious, it’s also a common new-manager stumbling block. It’s entirely natural to like some people more than others. We all do it all the time. And when you’re in an individual contributor role, it’s fine. Good friends are simply good friends, as they should be. But when you move into a management role, any kind of perceived favoritism, natural though it may be, is a tendency to be strongly resisted. Data shows that favoritism is alive and well in the management world. (Truth be told, I saw the tendency in myself, no doubt.) But playing favorites is a sure way to undermine your management authority. It leads to jealousy and is disruptive to team dynamics... not to mention being plain old unfair to those who get the short end of the favoritism stick.

I’ve argued that in some ways the transition to new manager is more challenging than the transition to CEO, as new CEOs usually have a great deal of institutional support, while new managers are left to fend for themselves. That said, there are tangible steps you can take to build credibility in the new role. These three are a constructive start.