Technical experts, people who are good at their job, are usually the first ones to be promoted to people manager. The transition from an individual contributor to a people manager is not a simple one. It requires a significant shift in mindset. From being the one doing the job, you are now the one organizing it and driving the change

Technical experts, people who are good at their job, are usually the first ones to be promoted to a people manager. The transition from an individual contributor to a people manager is not a simple one. It requires a significant shift in mindset. From being the one doing the job, you are now the one organizing it and driving the change.

To some people, it comes naturally. And yet, most organizations expect new managers to figure it out on their own. They shouldn't have to, as the majority require support, especially in the first 6–12 months, to be able to step fully into the role.

When you become a people manager, you work more with people and less with tasks and operations. Therefore, people should be your focus. Here are the three most important relationships you should start investing in from day one:

Your team. Get to know your direct reports. Learn about their style of working and what drives and motivates them. What are their career aspirations, and how can you support them? Having weekly group calls and 1:1s with them is non-negotiable. Use this time wisely to share information you know, as well as to check how they are doing and what their main challenges are at the moment. And, of course, don’t forget to celebrate little and big wins!

Your manager – your number one person in the organization. I advise you to be curious and, from the very beginning, to learn about their KPIs and how your team can contribute to achieving those goals. Having regular 1:1s with them is essential for good performance and your career development. Take charge of your career and make sure that at least once per quarter, this meeting is devoted to your leadership development!

HR department. Consider HR from the very beginning not as the department you go to when things go wrong, but as your partner from day one. The earlier you build that relationship, the more confident you will feel when navigating the inevitable gray areas of people management, such as performance improvements, layoffs, etc.

On the other hand, organizations can support their new managers in stepping into the new role with confidence, while boosting productivity in the company and motivation within the team. Here, I list three options for how organizations can do that:

Formal (pre-recorded) online training about company processes This is a prerecorded online training program informing new managers about their responsibilities regarding their direct reports. It should provide a detailed overview of the performance review process, including all the phases and critical dates. It should contain a detailed explanation of the tool the company is using (e.g., Workday) and all the steps needed to use the tool, explained click by click. The advantage of this course is that it can be recorded once, and it will be available for all new managers to watch at their own pace.

However, it should be revised over time, as organizations are dynamic, processes change, and the tools can be upgraded or replaced with new ones. A disadvantage of this training is that it can feel very technical and dry, leaving many questions unanswered. Thus, I recommend that the HR team organize a follow-up Q&A session with the participants to address any open topics. These types of exchanges are also helpful for the HR department, as the feedback can help them understand the quality of the training and what needs to be updated in the next version.

Watch out for Part II, exploring leadership training and mentoring.