Easy. Here’s how you start:

1. Remember how you felt before you got promoted:
   1. What did you like about your team and your manager? (Do that!)
   2. What did you not like? (Don’t do that!)

   OK. It’s not that easy… Just start by paying attention. Awareness creates responsibility!

2. Check in with yourself sometimes and become aware of the basics
   1. Am I showing the same behavior that I demand from my team? Am I a role model?
   2. Do I say what I do and do what I say? Do I communicate openly and keep my promises to them?
   3. Do I know exactly what’s going on with them at the moment? What is the status of their tasks, are they facing any challenges? Are they receiving all the help that they need from me?
3. Care about your team!
   1. Put yourself in their shoes and ask how you would feel in the same situation.
   2. In moments when you can’t be there for them, tell them why and keep your promise to take time for them later.

These are just a few questions you can ask yourself. A great tool to use for that, are our People Management Self Coaching Cards. Pick a random card every day, or once a week and answer the questions on them truthfully. Be really honest with yourself, nobody else needs to know! Once you are honest with yourself and you notice that there is room for improvement, ask yourself,

“What can I do to solve this?”

Sometimes, paying attention to your behavior is all it takes to solve it. Sometimes, you might notice that you need to ask a mentor for advice. Other times, you might find out that you need a specific training in order to improve. There can be a variety of solutions. The first step, however, is to become aware of your behavior and knowledge level and to take responsibility to do something about it, when necessary.

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