I have recently been promoted to a management position (with no prior management experience) in a very male dominated industry.

14 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 1,2021 at 4:09AM UTC

   Yes, create a live tracking document that follows each task and it owners and milestones and dates. Call out each line and its owner at your group meeting weekly or bi weekly. You praise those delivering as planned. Hold breakout meetings with those low performers and establish writeups in repeat offenders.

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2. AnonymousMarch 2,2021 at 10:12PM UTC

   Congratulations for being recognized as a manager

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3. Amy VossMarch 1,2021 at 4:40AM UTC

   I understand and have had my own personal experience similar to this. For me, when I saw break through was when I took initiative to create a space of vulnerability, accountability and specific direction at an individual level on a weekly basis. I also used an online tracking to show our discussions and hold that accountability to what I had them type in the week before that they said they would do. Building trust and that relationship 1:1 is vital before you change the entire culture- It must start with individuals. Once you gain respect and insight with the individual, you will see it trickle to other team members through collaboration in the team meetings. Hope that helps!

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4. Emily TsitrianMarch 2,2021 at 9:13PM UTC

   first of all CONGRATULATIONS on the promotion - I know the first 6-9 months are not easy in any new management position, and especially in an environment when you're having to swim upstream as far as team dynamics and minimal support from your boss. I am actually writing a book for first time people manager so this situation is v. interesting to me. Can I ask what type of team this is? What is the general demographic of your team, and what kind of industry? That will help me give a more specific recommendation.

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5. Erin BeemerMarch 2,2021 at 9:19PM UTC

   I personally loathe status meetings in most cases and would recommend group meetings for group topics and 1:1 meetings for individual deliverables, status, as well as any personal topics (since you also likely have the task to help develop your team!). 1:1 meetings allow people to speak more freely then in a group, and you can focus where needed instead of meetings that are not value added for the team.

   I also find that sometimes one negative voice in the group rubs off on the whole team so going to 1:1 meetings would also get rid of this when you're trying to get the details on topics.

   Your team members are responsible for their deliverables, I would not recommend making a tracking list and micromanaging them. Each member should be tracking their issues in a way that works from them (unless you have a corporate standard requirement). If you force them to track in a way that works for you, it may undermine what you want to do as well as it shows you don't trust them.

   It's definitely a challenge to be a new manager. I hope you find what works for you!!

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6. Nicole HamptonMarch 2,2021 at 9:19PM UTC

   Congrats on the promotion! I've also been in a similar position and I agree that the first few months can be tough. I would suggest re-organizing your meetings to create some public accountability. When people are not meeting deadlines or sticking to their commitments, calmly and confidently ask them why they were unable to meet their deadlines, and how you can help. I also found a lot of success by being very honest and open with my team in one-on-ones. Ultimately it takes time to create a really honest environment where you team trusts and respects you. You got this!

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7. Sherry BrownriggMarch 2,2021 at 9:33PM UTC

   Congrats! I've always worked in a male-dominated field, and there are a few things I've learned. It isn't always like what you're experiencing, but in general, I've found that being very business like is imperative. If you are using crutches in your speech such as "correct me if I'm wrong" or "I think", they can reinforce the impression that you may not know what you are doing. It's good to be direct and show your intelligence. Another thing that may help is to show you know your stuff by doing and actively leading. I also love what another commentator offered about gaining trust individually. You can do that through showing that you always have each employee's best interest in mind, even though they aren't treating you with the respect you deserve. There is a chance this may not change, or it may take a very long time to change the culture. Only you can decide if it's worth it to stick it out. All the best to you!

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8. Ranjani KrishnamurthyMarch 3,2021 at 6:43AM UTC

   Those were awesome suggestions!

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9. BrittanyMarch 2,2021 at 10:16PM UTC

   All great advice. Work with each team member based on their needs. Highlight the individual strengths and work one on one with those that are most reluctant. Having a list of tasks with owners is a great step and best practice.

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10. Tracey HammellMarch 3,2021 at 12:14AM UTC

    You could try an Agile approach. Break the project down into smaller chunks of work and set a weekly or fortnightly goal - like building blocks to achieve the final goal. Have this goal written on the whiteboard.

    Keep status updates short and sharp to maintain attention span (15mins) and put the spotlight on the tasks to achieve the current goal (not the individual).

    Attendees can quickly run through what they worked on yesterday and what they're planning to work on today, and raise any risks or issues that are impeding completion of a task. This often shows up dependent tasks within the team, or with external teams. The group can then pitch in with suggestions or offers of help if needed.

    Take detailed discussions/problem-solving brainstorms offline with sub-groups or individuals so those not directly involved are not unnecessarily detained.

    Finish the update by summarising how the work being done is helping to achieve the actual benefits the project is aiming to deliver.

    This approach shows respect for people's time and gets people pulling together to help each other solve problems as a collaborative team.

    This way you are focussed on building a high performing team that is goal oriented and helps to avoid showing up individuals in front of their peers.

    You can save the personal delivery discussions for one on ones with each team member. Schedule one-on-one's fortnightly and have an agenda that starts with the work assigned, recognises the individual's achievements, and ends on what you can do to help facilitate the individual to meet their own deliverables more smoothly if needed, and work toward their own personal development and career goals.

    Think of yourself as a leader of the team, not a manager of individuals. In general, people of any gender respect a capable leader and don't enjoy being managed.

    Hope that helps.

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11. Ranjani KrishnamurthyMarch 3,2021 at 7:03AM UTC

    A great advice! I agree with the Agile approach.

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12. Marian SkupskiMarch 3,2021 at 12:06PM UTC

    First, congratulations on the promotion. I was also going to suggest an agile approach. If you can schedule a daily 15 minute meeting (beginning or end of the day works well) for people to give a brief status and say if there is something that is blocking them or slowing them down, that can be a very quick way to surface things that need to be dealt with in the broader context of your team. One of the challenges is to keep the meeting to 15-20 minutes, especially at the beginning. You will need to make sure that people don't dive into problem solving or details--those should be done outside of the daily meeting.

    There is some conflicting advice here. I have always been a woman leader in a male dominated field. Here are some of the things that have worked for me:
    1. Lead by example. Show that you can get the work done and that you understand the work of your team.
    2. Be willing to admit the things you don't know. If we are discussing a topic that I know I am not well versed in, I will ask questions and often call on a team member if I know that they understand that area. If I don't know that there is one particular person that knows it, I will ask for anyone who does understand it. This will show that you value the team members expertise and are willing to listen to them.
    3. At the same time, when there is a topic that you know, don't be afraid to speak up and say what you know. I find the combination of confidence and asking for help can be very powerful in winning the respect of team members.
    4. Schedule 1:1 meetings with each member of your team. Especially as a new manager, this can be invaluable and will help you learn about each of your team members. If you schedule daily meetings for updates, then these meetings can be more about the kinds of things that team members don't want to talk about in a group setting, including career goals, advancement possibilities, etc.
    5. Ask your HR folks if there is new manager training. Many companies have training and often those who don't will be willing to pay for you to attend an external training that's designed for new managers. I would go through HR, rather than your manager, since you say you are not getting support from your manager.

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13. Marie WillardMarch 3,2021 at 1:42PM UTC

    All suggestions above are great, many of which I’ve used in the past. If Team dynamics call for 1/1 accountability, go for it. Depending on the type of work and goals that have been set, you may even want to create shared accountability by making “the team” responsible for meeting agile performance metrics, achieving biz goals etc. This Can work if you have an agile team w diverse skill sets. That can help you get other members of the team
    To hold one another accountable. It’s also how many high performing sports teams function which may resonate w your group. And some of it is just good old fashioned sticking it out and remaining consistent thru the testing /hazing.

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14. Kay FittesMarch 3,2021 at 6:24PM UTC

    Congratulations on this promotion. You are hanging with the big dogs now. In a male dominated field you must understand the rules. There is a constant vying for position. It is imperative that you have an aura of strength, confidence, and expertise. The previous comment that you should watch your language is spot on. Watch out for hedges, add-ons, and the fatal "I think" and "I feel." No one cares, it is about the issue. Start sentences with the issue. Make sure you are concise, rambling will diminish your clout. Additionally, remember the importance of alliances. Observe who has power, begin to align yourself with individuals who have a voice and clout. Finally, be mindful of taking on tasks and roles of a "server". In a traditionally male arena, even in 2021, you may be asked to make copies, take notes, or other assistant roles. Doesn't mean you never do this but make sure it is rotated or delegated to someone who actually has the role of assistant. Learn everything you can about leadership and ultimately develop a blended style of command and collaboration, as both will serve you and your organization well.

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