Table of Contents

1. The Most Common Mistakes First-Time Managers Make
2. The Skills First-Time Hotel Managers Need
3. Getting Started with Your Team as a First-Time Manager
4. Tips for First-Time Hotel/Restaurant Managers

Becoming a new manager is hard. In the early stages, you’ll probably feel like you are drinking from a fire hose as you adjust to your new role, and you shouldn’t have to feel like you are on your own.

If you are reading this blog post, you are probably in search of answers on how you can be an efficient first-time hotel manager or restaurant manager. Not to worry, we will share with you some mistakes to avoid and other valuable tips that will help you soar quickly.

The Most Common Mistakes First-Time Managers Make

One of the most common mistakes first-time managers face is to assume. While knowledge of the role is important, management itself requires a completely different skill set. And unfortunately, this misperception is reinforced as many companies promote individual contributors based on their stellar performance in the role.

Another common mistake made by first-time managers is micromanaging individuals. They think “I” instead of “we.” This mindset causes new managers to ignore the emotions of their team members and often results in the manager not delegating and empowering others.

An additional challenge for many first-time managers is that they aren’t given adequate leadership development. In fact, for many first-time leaders, it is sink or swim for the first four years.

The Skills First-Time Hotel Managers Need

There are a few foundational manager competencies that most employers will look for and nearly all first-time managers will need in order to succeed. Some examples of these competencies are:

• Communication
• Building partnerships
• Coaching
• Decision making
• Facilitating change
• Execution

Ideally, you will be able to apply your skills in your new management position, but this needs to be done carefully. For example, you might have the knowledge and experience, but you don’t want to come across as a “know-it-all.” When correctly used, your knowledge and experience can be valuable in coaching your team members for success.

As you prepare for your future leadership role, the most important skills for managers are:

• Coaching
• Building partnerships
• Delegation
• Empathy

Getting Started with Your Team as a First-Time Manager

The most significant change as you transition into a hotel or restaurant manager is that you are becoming an enabler, not a doer. The team needs you to create and sustain an environment where they can do their best work. Before you became a first-time leader someone else was doing that for you.

As a first-time manager, one of the first things you need to do as you get started is set up one-on-one meetings with your team members.

One-on-one meetings are the most powerful tool you have as a manager. They give you a way to:

• Build rapport
• Give and receive valuable feedback
• Uncover and work through issues
• Develop your team members
• Build future leaders

It takes a while to develop a solid foundation with your team members. But the sooner you start having regular one-on-one meetings with your team members, the sooner you’ll have a strong foundation of rapport and a stream of feedback coming your way.

With those in place, you can start catching little issues before they become major problems. You can also then start working on being a multiplier for your team.

Tips for First-Time Hotel/Restaurant Managers

• Communicate Effectively with Team Members Who Have Been Peers: Workplace conflict often occurs when your relationships start to change. If you were promoted from within, it’s possible that the person you routinely gist with is now a direct report, or that you’re managing employees who were once your peers. This makes introducing yourself to the team very important. Finding a balance between friend and manager is hard—but necessary. Some information is too confidential to share, and you can’t let personal relationships color your judgment. That’s why it’s best to proactively address any changes. It could be as simple as saying, “I value our friendship but, as a manager, I need the team to trust me and see me as fair and consistent.” While it won’t be an easy conversation, it is a crucial one to have and to get right.
• Ask for Feedback from Team Members: Just as you expect employees on your team to continuously learn from the feedback they receive, it’s important that you take the time to assess your own strengths and weaknesses to support your growth over time. Asking your team members for constructive feedback so that you can identify areas, where you may need to improve, will help you set goals for yourself. But asking for feedback will also show the team that you value their input, and that you have the interests of the team at heart.
• Giving Feedback to Team Members and Building Trust: By offering timely feedback, you’re giving your team members the chance to improve their performance and grow professionally. And this, in turn, will build trust. Focusing on building trust will cultivate a strong relationship with the team. For example, delegating to members of the team shows that you trust them to get the job done and value their input—and that has a positive impact on morale. Transparency can also help build trust. When decisions are made, speak openly with the team about the implications and results of those decisions, whether positive or negative. Additionally, share important information, as well as what you’re working on, and encourage others to do the same. That open and honest communication will foster trust among the team. Without trust, it’s going to be hard for your team to succeed. As a reminder: If your team fails, so do you.

Now that you are a first-time leader, your goals and the required skills have changed. You’re no longer a doer, checking tasks off a to-do list. Now, you’re a leader and a coach, who is accountable for helping others succeed. The more time you spend upfront teaching and guiding your direct team members on how to solve a particular problem, the less time you’ll need to spend when the issue resurfaces later on.