First-time manager, huh? You are now responsible for other people, too. For their career progress, their learning, and their success - no pressure. Before we continue, just remember: there’s always (but really: always) the option of departing and moving to an island without, well, manager-ish issues and so: stress. But, you’ll of course never get to that point, because you’ve just clicked on a splendid article that will bring you nothing but victory (to a certain extent, that is).

Let’s give you a few grips where you can hold onto when the ride gets bumpy.

If you find yourself not having any experience at all, and if you’re not the owner of an ass-kicking-manager degree in some sort, it might help to just think about the managers you once worked for. What did you like and what didn’t you like about them? It is a matter of common sense really. (Us, too! We didn’t like the unreasonable ones - thus, you don’t want to become unreasonable, because you’ll hate yourself.)

You do want to become a good manager, we figured. Just follow these steps:

Be, or become, a team player
Think about what you can do for your team, not what the team can do for you - that is, if all is well, the beneficial result of the first part of this sentence. Not a team player? Go wash your face and read this article.

Set expectations
Set (reasonable) goals and expectations that can me measured. Make sure you’ll give each person of your team specific tasks for the sake of the goals you’ve set - it’ll boost the teamwork. Don’t forget to motivate them, too.

Give (proper) feedback
Yes, please do give compliments and praise people for their good work. But also give negative feedback when needed. People can’t improve or grow if you’re not being honest.

Communication, communication, communication!
Make sure you’ll have tête-à-têtes with your team members every (other) week. Discuss progress, projects, deadlines and let them share things if they’d like to. Listen. And care.

Learn (how) to delegate and empower
Managing people means you have to give them something you can actually manage. Don’t try to do the work all by yourselfie, that just isn’t achievable, plus it implies you don’t trust the quality of work of your staff. Your job is to manage, coach and help people do the best work possible, as manager Elana Lyn Gross also stated here.

Lead by example
So no more being too late all the time, lady.

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