First-Time Manager: The Skill That Got You Promoted Won't Save You

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You got the email that said congratulations, you're a manager now, and then zero hours of training on how to do any of it. Meanwhile, the Sunday night dread or calm your team feels runs mostly through you.

I'm sharing five tips for first-time managers, backed by 2025 and 2026 research from Gallup and Sagos. Gallup found managers account for about 70% of the variance in team engagement, yet only 44% have received any formal management training. Sagos found 89% of new managers are satisfied with their own performance, while HR leaders say 68% of the internal candidates they promote are missing soft skills. That gap between how you think you're doing and how your team experiences you is where this episode lives. I also explain why the 1988 Tom Hanks movie Big is secretly the best management training film ever made, and I share a few words for employees with a brand new boss.

In this episode:
• Going from buddy to boss, and why you complain up, not down
• Letting go of the work so you can lead, plus the Friday Five weekly gut check
• Giving feedback that is early, specific, and kind
• Protecting your one-on-ones and spelling out what great looks like
• Managing up, asking for training, and the Accidental Manager Scorecard

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Your job is meant to support your life. Your life is not meant to support your job.

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