What is a Line Manager? Becoming a Line ManagerPeople are often promoted to line manager without being given adequate support and line management training.At some point there will be problems, there will be some sort of intervention to address the situation but by then some damage will have been done.This usually includes divisiveness within a team, low morale, a drop in the line manager’s confidence, poor performance all around.These problems could be easily pre-empted.Just because someone is a great team player, really good at their specific skills-based job and they aspire to management, doesn’t automatically mean they have the capacity to do so.Prepare For Line Management in Just Two Days!Promoted to Line ManagerWhen someone’s been promoted to this role, there’s a great deal of expectation that they will bring all those wonderful abilities they were applauded for along with them.No one stops to think that being a terrific member of a team won’t necessarily make you a terrific team manager without adequate training.No wonder so many new Line Managers just want to go back to being ‘one of the gang’ within six months of promotion!One Line Manager StoryI speak from personal experience.One of the first ‘proper’ jobs I had was as a member of a small team with an appalling Line Manager.He got angry at the drop of a hat, would storm out of the office we all shared when he was stressed (which was often); he was utterly chaotic, so deadlines were missed, he withheld crucial information from all of us until the last minute.I covered for him a lot; actually, we all did because we had pride in the organisation and what our team needed to achieve.Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and reluctantly told Management that much as I loved the job, the stress wasn’t worth it.Turns out they knew his deficiencies all along and had hoped things would get better.... all by themselves!He was eased into a less arduous job (so typical!!) and I was promoted to his job without an ounce of training: one day I was working for him, the next I was managing the team with these shining faces all looking at me for guidance.Learn the Basic Skills of Line Management Quickly and Easily!Into the Deep EndThe Line Management deep end is a very scary place to be, especially without a life preserver.I knew how to do my own job really well; overnight I felt vulnerable, unsure, wobbly and terribly excited all at the same time.Training would have mitigated the first three feelings and enhanced the last one.Instead, like so many others, I found my way but certainly at a cost.Line Manager RoleThe Line Manager Role is so pivotal to any organisation that they should truly be looked on as the oil that keeps the wheels in motion.They are the bridge between the workforce and upper management.They need to inspire their teams, set achievable goals, handle conflict, address communication issues, make sure work gets done; performance manage others, so they feel taken care of; develop people’s strengths and do their own job well to boot.Find Out What They Don't Tell When They Give You the Line Management Job!Good NewsThe good news is that Line Management skills are really straight-forward and easy to learn.It's like being given a roadmap when you’re driving in a place you’ve never been before (forget satnav; it’s not really helpful to be told what to do; far better to figure it out yourself with some good signposts!).Take a look at some of our Line Management Hints and Tips - our own mini roadmap for you.Jo Ellen Grzyb, Director and Founder of Impact FactoryLine Management RoleImpact Factory runsOpen Line Management CoursesTailored Line Management Trainingand personalisedOne-to-One Executive Coachingfor anyone interested inBecoming a Line ManagerLine Management Training in London
