Learning to lead other people is a stressful stretch assignment. Much of that stress stems from the misconceptions many people bring into the job. They think they know what the role will entail, and then they start doing the work and realize they don’t know what they’ve gotten themselves into. Gender bias often makes the transition more painful for women since a lot of people, unfortunately, still don’t see us as cut out for leadership, even if they’d never say so to our face.
Three women who’ve recently moved into management speak candidly about being newly in charge of other people: the surprises, the rewards, and recent challenges. If you’re a new manager yourself, we hope you’ll find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone in any struggles you might be facing— and that you’ll get some ideas for how to deal. And if you’re just curious about becoming a boss, we hope that you’ll come away more prepared for the job and confident that you can do it too.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
05:12 – How Did You Become a Manager?
09:06 – Challenges as a New Manager
15:09 – Getting Feedback from Direct Reports
20:00 – Managerial Mindsets/The Double Bind
24:36 – How to Handle Performance Reviews
29:14 – When to (Not) Take Your Predecessor’s Advice
32:55 – Measuring Your Success as a People Manager
39:45 – Outro
Resources:
- “Becoming the Boss,” by Linda A. Hill: https://hbr.org/2007/01/becoming-the-boss
- “Research: Becoming a Manager Doesn’t Always Feel Like a Step Up,” by Nishani Bourmault and Michel Anteby: https://hbr.org/2021/03/research-becoming-a-manager-doesnt-always-feel-like-a-step-up
- “Research: Becoming a Manager Increases Men’s Job Satisfaction, But Not Women’s,” by Daniela Lup: https://hbr.org/2017/11/research-becoming-a-manager-increases-mens-job-satisfaction-but-not-womens
- “Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers,” by Herminia Ibarra et al.: https://hbr.org/2013/09/women-rising-the-unseen-barriers
- Harvard Business Review Manager’s Handbook: The 17 Skills Leaders Need to Stand Out: https://store.hbr.org/product/harvard-business-review-manager-s-handbook-the-17-skills-leaders-need-to-stand-out/10004
Listen to all Women at Work episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RNmy2aE-cE&list=PLzAU8TPKsJuaAB5es_0HRC15kMDrjDEhV
You can also listen to this episode on HBR.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts:
- HBR.org (transcript available here): https://hbr.org/podcast/2022/10/the-ups-and-downs-of-being-a-first-time-manager
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ups-and-downs-of-being-a-first-time-manager/id1336174427?i=1000582942657
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vP5jHOu3G0ogfu5slJHll?si=1e26b4b0fe4c4cdb
- Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/women-at-work/episode/the-ups-and-downs-of-being-a-first-time-manager-207680355
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmhhcnZhcmRidXNpbmVzcy5vcmcvaGFydmFyZGJ1c2luZXNzL3dvbWVuLWF0LXdvcms/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvLmhici5vcmcsMjAxOC0wMS0xNzp3b21lbi1hdC13b3JrLnM4LjAwMDAx?sa=X&ved=0CAQQ8qgGahcKEwj45dLDo-r6AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA
Series Description:
Women face gender discrimination throughout our careers. It doesn't have to derail our ambitions — but how do we prepare to deal with it? There's no workplace orientation session about narrowing the wage gap, standing up to interrupting male colleagues, or taking on many other issues we encounter at work. So HBR staffers Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo, and Emily Caulfield are untangling some of the knottiest problems. They interview experts on gender, tell stories about their own experiences, and give lots of practical advice to help you succeed in spite of the obstacles.
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