Line managers are undeniably essential to the running of a Biotech, providing a vital link between the senior leadership team and the scientists in the lab.
In an ideal world, we’d always recommend that career scientists move gradually up to a line manager position if that’s the path you’d like to take in your career, perhaps managing one person initially and slowly growing your team over time. That being said, we appreciate that this is not always feasible, particularly for innovative Biotech companies that often scale at a rapid rate.
In many cases, career scientists suddenly find themselves responsible for a team of three or four people, and without the necessary training or skills required to feel confident in a management role or to have any real chance of success.
If this sounds familiar, and you’ve found yourself suddenly thrown in at the deep end as a line manager, we’ve compiled a list of top tips to help you navigate these unchartered waters.
1. Ask your own manager questions
First and foremost, seek advice or mentorship from your own line manager. As a manager themselves, they will have been in your position before, understand the challenges you’re facing, and know what skills you need to acquire in order to have the best chance of success.
As well as offering advice, your manager should be able to point you in the direction of some useful resources or training courses that will you help to hone your management skillset.
2. Be proactive in your own development
Performance management, conflict resolution, writing and maintaining development plans for the team, or even hiring new members can all feel alien without the proper training or experience behind you.
As well as discussing training opportunities with your manager, you can also be proactive in your own skills development. There are a whole host of in-person and online training courses, plus webinars, articles and guides, all geared specifically at new line managers finding their feet. For example, LinkedIn has a number of courses available here.
3. Reprioritise soft skills
As a scientist, you will likely have spent the course of your career honing your technical capabilities in the lab. But being a line manager requires a completely different skillset.
People often think soft skills are more personality-based and can’t therefore be learned. While it’s true that they can be tricky to teach or to measure, you can certainly improve your soft skills through practice, asking for regular feedback, and seeking out new experiences that allow you to test them out.
As you grow as a line manager, you need to be consistently focused on developing your people skills, from communication, teamwork, and decision-making, to flexibility, mental agility and motivation.
In particular, strong communication is a must have soft skill for line managers. You can take steps to improve your communication by focusing on the basics, such as simplifying your message or doing a quick check of how your tone or body language might be affecting how you’re being received.
4. Observe other management styles
It can be helpful looking within your organisation at other people’s management styles. For instance, you can observe your manager when they hold a meeting, a 1:1, or the CEO of the business when they deliver a presentation. After you observe someone, note what they succeeded in, what they could improve and how you can apply what they did right in situations of your own.
5. Avoid micromanaging
For new managers trying to find your feet, it can be easy to slip into the habit of micromanaging your team. Micromanagement can stem from any number of things, feeling nervous or reluctant to pass on work, an inability to let go of old ways of doing things, a lack of trust, or generally feeling disconnected with the team. Some factors to look out for that might indicate you’re a micromanager:
- You resist delegating
- You must approve everything
- You have a tendency to take over
- You discourage independent decision-making
Micromanaging can dent your team’s morale. Instead, try actively asking for input from your team members about how they’d like to be managed. Questions such as, “How frequently do you prefer check-ins?” or “What accountability methods work best for you?” will help you gain valuable insights into individual preferences for management styles. This approach also helps to foster trust and autonomy among the team, creating a mutually beneficial dynamic.
Hiring support
Another responsibility you may have as a line manager is hiring new people to join your team. This can be a daunting, time-consuming task, and getting it wrong can have serious consequences.
Beyond the financial implications of a bad hire, there are additional costs associated with the management time expended on recruitment and training. A subpar hire places extra strain on the entire team, with other team members having to compensate and pick up the slack. Moreover, such hires can introduce disruptions and exert a significantly negative impact on teamwork and morale.
At Singular, we specialise in building teams for Biotech companies. We know just how important it is to find someone not just with the right technical skills, but who is also the right cultural fit for your team.
How we can help
Our expert talent team can support line managers as you navigate the interviewing, hiring, and onboarding process to grow your team. Get in touch with Tyler today to find out more.
