Most new managers find that they rarely end a day having done what they planned to do. They spend most of their time solving unexpected problems and making sure work gets done. But there are three essential things that managers should be doing every day: building trust, building a team, and building a network. These are not discrete tasks for your to-do list; you can accomplish them through the ways you assign, review, and guide your team’s work. Build trust by asking questions, offering suggestions, and expressing concern for your employees. Build a team by using problems and crises to remind people of the team’s purpose and values. Explain your decisions in terms of what’s important for the team. And build a network by using routine activities to involve other leaders and to maintain relationships with people outside your group — and encouraging your team to do the same.
Adapted from "3 Things Managers Should Be Doing Every Day," by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback
