It is a great achievement to become a new manager. You have clearly worked hard to push your career forward and you have been rewarded for it. However the job is one of the most stressful that you can undertake. This becomes especially true for the very first month your new job. You will find yourself trying to keep your head above the water for the better part here. So here are 7 things that we believe you must do during this hard first month as a new manager. Start dressing your part If you do not present yourself as a leader, you will not be seen as such. How can you dress the part? Well that really differs according to where you work. You should take a good look at how the other leaders dress in the workplace and follow suit, literally. Do not build friendships, build professional relationships Your task as a manager is to drive performance and building friendships will stop you from offering direct feedback that will be taken seriously. This is why strong professional relationships are better. Be friendly yes, but do not become friends. The vast majority of your conversations should revolve around work and not personal agenda. Maintain visibility A lot of the success that you feel experience is owing to actually showing up. Staying visible to your team as a manager is really important, the more visible you are, the better connected your team will be to you. Do spend some time speaking with your employees informally on a daily basis. Always clarify expectations with the boss If you have just been promoted, you will have a new boss and therefore, it is exceedingly important that you clarify the expectations with them. You will need to understand the right priorities and the goals as well as performances expected. You should also clarify before making major changes. Now establish group norms and expectations with the team Once you know what the boss needs, you need to sit down with your team and clarify these expectations with them. Share the goals and the performances expected. Set one on one meetings if required. Family time is family time Don’t let the pressures of the new job drag you away from your loved ones. Set time to spend with your family and friends without making work an interruption. It will help boost your mental and emotional health as much as possible Keep learning A sign of a good leader is that they are keen to learn. Continued education is a must as you learn the ropes of your new position and make no mistake, this is the way to progress.

Planning is rather habitual for many people in some area of our lives or the other. It could be that you are changing careers, presenting a new idea, or taking a new path in life for that matter. In fact it could be just about anything. Planning is a huge part of what we do in life and almost every action that we take has a vast amount of planning going into it. It is also possible to do anything and everything without the planning phase as well, but then, this would mean that you are taking a massive risk. The results from such activities would almost always be negative or discouraging. Business has a massive need for planning and usually this is called strategic management. Why is strategic management important? When strategic management is done right, plays a big role in the long term success of a business. When it is stated that a business is implementing or carrying out strategic management, what it usually means is that “strategic management” defines or lays out a strategy for the considered business activities, with cohesive, well-defined goals. The business will then be able to make clear, well-defined plans or strategies that it will then be put in action for achieving its goals and to align its business activities. It will also delve into the correct allocation of resources towards accomplishing those goals. What is strategic management exactly? A good plan or strategic management plan goes above and beyond enhancing the bottom line of a business. It will give a business a valid social license for its operations. In the day and age of today, this is increasingly becoming something of vital importance for almost every business. businesses have many stakeholders – both internal and external. This will also include operations from ethical and environmental standpoints. All of these will need to be thought of in strategic management and therefore should be included in the plans of the business, ensuring the survival of the business in the long run. What key advantages can a strategic management programme give you? Understanding – When you learn from a good strategic management course, you gain a comprehensive understanding of the way the business environment is going global and staying interconnected. Development – with an insightful strategic management course, you get the opportunity to develop and enhance your strategic thinking skills, especially when it come to the manner in which your business operates in its immediate and macro environment. Identification – A sound training in strategic management will offer you the proficiency to quickly and conveniently identify opportunities for your company in its micro and macro environment. Creation – A good strategic management course will teach you how to create strategies that are both effective and efficient making use of favourable situations which you think can help your bsuiness. Management – A solid training in strategic management will give you the ability to manage both your team and the organisation as individual units or one unit, while fuelling it to move ahead to achieve the goals of the implemented strategic plan. Therefore, having the right strategic management certification can help you improve your chances of employability, put you in better position to gain higher income and even help you impress and gain the confidence of your superiors better. Above all of that, it will enable you to make the right decisions that will elevate the business and make achieving targets much easier.

Adapting to the changing markets is one skill that every successful business must possess. Given that we are currently going through change on an unprecedented scale, the need for this is even more. If you are clueless about how to do this, the below pointers will give you tips to stay safe, ensure business continuity and stand strong in the face of adversity. Take it slow One of the best ways to deal with the changing market environment is to get your foot off the gas, and slow down. You don’t necessarily have to stop. Being more aggressive may not be fruitful because of the uncertainties that can confront the business, especially in a time as today. So, take it one step at a time. Calculate your every move in such a way that it considers the fluctuations that you will be confronted with. This will give you time to act accordingly. Stay flexible For businesses to adapt to the rapidly changing markets, flexibility is crucial. This calls for the need to have agile business strategies. Being agile means that you can easily change when needed. You should have the freedom to take a detour if it is proven necessary. While it is good to have a blueprint, you should be flexible enough to make the necessary changes if the situation calls for it. There was no business that ever succeeded simply by staying stoic. Know the trends You need to be hands-on when it comes to monitoring trends if you want to stay on top of the changing markets. Research thoroughly about what is happening. Rely on historical data as you make intelligent forecasts. By knowing the trends, you will not be left behind since you can always be one step ahead. It will be a great way to study and analyse your competition as well. People are power The business landscape may be evolving more rapidly than ever, but some things don’t change, such as the fact that human resource is still the most valuable asset. So, build a competent team with people who can help the business become more agile. Bank on the expertise and experience of the employees to make sure that the company isn’t left behind. Hire wisely and make decisions thinking of your team as a long term investment. Identify the target market You should also invest in knowing your target market. They will dictate the direction of your business, such as your marketing campaigns and the products or services that you will develop. The more you know about your target market, the easier it is to deliver their highest level of satisfaction despite the changing markets. This can also boost the profitability of your business. You wills save money by not marketing to the wrong markets. Continued education It will be easier to deal with the changing markets if you are equipped with the right knowledge and skills. To make this possible, take advantage of the available learning opportunities. Taking an accelerated management programme or administrative programme, for instance, can be beneficial. This will help you become more effective and efficient in dealing with today’s changing business landscape.