Stepping into your confidence as a new manager

After years spent learning the ins and outs of credit management, many professionals will find themselves entering management roles. Whether you’ve been promoted or you’re starting at a new company, it can be intimidating to lead a credit team for the first time. 

Why it matters: Becoming a leader in the credit department is an opportunity to find and hone a management style that suits you and supports your team. It’s natural to feel nervous about taking charge, but over time you’ll find that all your previous experiences have helped you become the leader you are today. 

“When I first moved into a management role, I had a lot of anxiety about how everyone would see and treat me as a leader,” said Kelly Simon, CCE, senior credit and collections manager at Outdoor Research (Seattle, WA). “But I realized that my experience within the company already positioned me as a leader. It’s important to focus on the fact that you’ve been chosen for the role based on your skills and knowledge. The people around you already see something in you and they believe in you.” 

Developing a management style that suits you takes time, especially when you’re surrounded by other department heads who approach leadership differently. Part of growing into your own management style is becoming more confident in how you lead, even when it may be different from other managers around you.

“At one point, I worked alongside managers whose leadership styles were considerably more stringent,” said Nella Dickerson, CCE, assistant director of credit and collections for Partners Personnel (Santa Barbara, CA). “Employees were sometimes corrected or disciplined publicly or through emails that included multiple recipients. There was an expectation that I would manage my team in a similar manner. I respectfully disagreed. I believe accountability is extremely important, but I also believe accountability and respect can coexist.” 

When there is an open flow of communication within a credit department, it can be a lot less daunting to take on a management role. Whether it’s members of your team asking for help when they’re struggling or having another person within your company you can lean on when you’re unsure. 

“You can’t change, adapt or help anything if there is no communication letting you know there is a problem,” said Sara Riddle, credit and collections manager for Empire Pipe and Supply Co. (Birmingham, AL). “Asking questions about my duties and my manager’s expectations for my position and anything else I feel I need clarification on also helps alleviate some of the anxieties of being in a new position.” 

Fostering strong, open communication within your team takes time and effort. As a manager, it is important to give your team members opportunities to express themselves to better understand what is and isn’t working within the credit department. 

“Instituting regular one-on-ones not only fosters communication but builds trust,” said Simon. “Ask them what they might change if they were manager, because their answer could give you insight into what processes are clunky and what could be done to improve them.” 

When it is time to have a difficult conversation about an employee’s performance, it can feel awkward for those new to management. While it may never be easy, preparation can help make a tough conversation a bit easier.

“When preparing for a difficult conversation, I believe it is essential to have all of the relevant information and facts readily available,” said Dickerson. “Preparation allows the conversation to remain focused, objective and productive. Equally important, however, is knowing when to stop talking and simply listen. Effective communication is just as much about listening as it is about delivering the message.” 

As exciting as a promotion can be, sometimes it brings new frustrations as it changes the nature of your inner-department dynamics. “When you transition from a co-worker to a supervisor, it’s hard to draw the line between your work friends now being team members who report to you,” said Riddle. “Going from conversations where we vent about the daily frustrations, to now having to be more selective about what we discuss so that I stay professional has been one of the harder things for me to navigate.” 

When you need a little advice or extra support as you transition into a new role, remember that you can lean on your professional network. “When I’ve shared the challenges I faced with people with similar roles to mine, I’ve been able to blend their experiences with my own to create an approach that feels authentic to me,” said Simon. “Over time, I’ve been able to develop my own unique leadership style.” 

The bottom line: There is no one way to manage. There is an art to finding a style of leading a team that suits who you are, how you like to work and your team’s dynamic. You may not be the perfect manager on your first day, but your commitment to listening to your team and improving is what counts.