A first IT management role brings different problems depending on the team you inherit and the work you must learn. The original advice starts with a mentor and these 20 practices turn that advice into daily management habits.

  1. Find experienced managers and qualified mentors who can help you handle the new role.
  2. Learn your team's strengths, weaknesses and work styles before you change how the team operates.
  3. Set clear expectations and explain them to every team member.
  4. Listen to team members and ask for their input. Active listening takes practice, but it pays back when people trust you with hard information.
  5. Lead by example. When a late shift or a task within your technical skills needs coverage, volunteer first. Alexander led from the front of his army, unlike modern generals who lead from the rear.
  6. Communicate clearly and often so the team knows what is happening and stays engaged.
  7. Develop a coaching mindset. Mentor people and help them grow their skills.
  8. Build relationships with team members and other managers. Those relationships can give you an early warning about difficult work headed your team's way.
  9. Study your mistakes and ask for feedback. Hold an after-action review for major work, including what went well and what fell short.
  10. Delegate according to each person's strengths and capabilities. Stretch someone when your observations tell you they can handle the challenge.
  11. Empower the team. Avoid micromanagement and let people make decisions and own their work while you keep track of progress.
  12. Focus on results and hold everyone, including yourself, accountable for choices and performance.
  13. Build a team culture that values collaboration, respect and inclusion. Let your choices show that you mean it.
  14. Handle conflict directly and constructively. Discourage back-channel snitching and make room for honest dialogue.
  15. Set priorities and manage your time around the team's needs. Speak with stakeholders often so you can rank their work accurately.
  16. Use management training and development opportunities. You will progress faster than you will through trial and error alone.
  17. Take calculated risks and try ideas with a strong chance of paying off.
  18. Build a diverse team with different perspectives and skills. That mix can become a major source of innovation.
  19. Celebrate team successes, even small ones. Recognition matters to the people who did the work.
  20. Stay positive and flexible as conditions change. Keep learning as you grow into management.

Original publication on GoDaddy