The Four Core Jobs of a Manager (or why being a new manager is so hard) 

Why is being a new manager so hard?

The answer requires more than a blog post. So I’d like to focus on one key aspect of why being a new manager is hard – which is that it’s really four Core Jobs in one.

CORE JOB #1 - Enabling and empowering your team.

This is the net new job for new managers. Some new managers may have had experience with enabling and empowering people while leading projects and other initiatives. However, being responsible for your team’s development and accountable for their performance calls for additional leadership skills you may not have practiced before, and piles on additional pressure you may not be accustomed to. 

CORE JOB #2 - Managing “up” to your manager.

New managers almost certainly have experience with this. In fact, doing this well is probably one of the reasons a new manager has been selected for the role. The novel aspect of this job as a new manager is that you must manage “up” on behalf of your team, not just yourself. This requires embracing an unfamiliar mindset that your team’s successes and failures are your successes and failures.

CORE JOB #3 - Collaborating with cross-functional colleagues.

Many new managers already have experience with cross-functional collaboration. As a manager, however, your reputation as a strong or weak cross-functional partner will trickle down to your team and impact the quality of their cross-functional relationships. This is critical because – unless your team works in a silo – their cross-functional relationships can either unlock or block your team’s success. 

CORE JOB #4 - Contributing as an individual contributor.

One of the biggest adjustments for new managers is shedding individual contributor responsibilities. After all, there are three other jobs managers must do well (see above), and the net-new job of enabling and empowering your team is particularly demanding. However, new managers should retain some individual contributor responsibilities to maintain subject matter expertise (important for professional growth), and to stay grounded in the experience of individual contributors (important for effectively enabling and empowering your team).