Six steps SMEs should take to give first-time managers a fighting chance

15 February 2024

Working for an SME has a number of advantages for people starting out in their careers: everything from gaining exposure to different sides of the business to having greater autonomy over day-to-day decision-making. However, there’s also a flip side. Many SMEs don’t have the time, resource, or budget to provide the necessary support for employees moving into first-time management roles. And this can impact the whole business.

Are you building a house of cards?

Having spent just over 20 years working for SMEs, I’ve seen first-hand how this can happen – despite best intentions. When opportunities arise, employees showing potential are the clear choice for promotion into first-time management roles: not only do they know the company, its processes and people, it also saves on recruitment fees. Win-win. Or is it?

Without proper training, first-time managers are far more likely to struggle with their new responsibilities – leading to stress, anxiety and a swift decline in job satisfaction. A lack of experience combined with an increased and unfamiliar workload can quickly become overwhelming. Plus, there’s natural pressure to perform well; after all, if you’ve been picked by your boss for your potential, you want to prove them right… but being stretched too thin can quickly lead to burnout.

Naturally, all this can adversely affect an individual’s confidence. In turn, the people they’re managing can end up feeling directionless and disengaged. This can lead to a drop in morale, productivity and engagement. The result? The business suffers, with everything from missed performance targets to higher churn and slower growth.

Six steps for strong foundations

Yes, I’ve painted a bleak picture, but things don’t have to be this way!

While all sizes of businesses can face these challenges, SMEs are particularly susceptible due to:

• smaller workforces: when a manager struggles, it can have a more significant impact on their team and therefore the overall company’s performance, and
• limited support structures: compared to larger organisations, SMEs have fewer layers of management so there’s less mentorship and guidance available.

As an SME owner, HR or people manager, here are six key steps to follow when promoting internally:

1. Clarify expectations and responsibilities.
Give each first-time manager clear direction and guidance, so they know what’s expected of them.

2. Offer ongoing training and development.
Make sure it’s tailored to the essential needs of first-time managers, and focuses on key areas of professional development such as coaching, communication, delegation, time management and conflict resolution. If, like most SMEs, budgets are tight, consider online self-study training programmes that allow first-time managers to study in their own time, at their own pace – thereby alleviating overwhelm and increasing course completion rates. It’s worth choosing a platform that offers a customisable, scalable solution too, so you can tailor it to your needs both now and into the future.

3. Provide regular feedback.
Set up regular 121s where they can ask questions, seek advice and ask for feedback on day-to-day experiences and the topics they’re covering in their training courses.

4. Recognise their achievements.
This’ll boost confidence, motivation and morale.

5. Promote a healthy work-life balance.
Encourage first-time managers to prioritise their wellbeing by taking regular breaks, using their annual leave allowance and disconnecting from work during non-working hours.

6. Lead by example.
No pressure, but the way business leaders act and behave can set the tone for the whole organisation… Follow the advice in point 5 and remember, being productive is far more effective than being busy – by reframing the situation in this way, you can help the whole company avoid overwhelm and thrive

By cultivating a positive work environment for first-time managers, you’ll mitigate overwhelm, increase productivity and give your business the best chance of long-term success. Good luck!

At Staff Skills academy+, we help businesses upskill and retain staff with our award-winning e-learning, in-house and blended training solutions. Our range of 700+ CPD and RoSPA-certified courses cover everything from mandatory training programmes to industry-specific knowledge and soft skills courses. Could we be the right fit for your business? Have a look and see what we do, or book a call with one of our team today.