Some people are carefully groomed for management. Others get the jobs thrust upon them, by chance or default. They suddenly find themselves on the other side of the desk — the interviewing/reviewing side — with responsibilities for leading, hiring and firing.

"It's exciting and a little daunting," said Matt Horn, who landed the job of director of administrative services for the city of Sandy Springs in August. Horn works for CH2M Hill, the global engineering and operations company that runs Sandy Springs, with the exception of elected officials, police and fire services.

Photos by LEITA COWART/Special (ENLARGE)

Matt Horn became director of administrative services for the city of Sandy Springs in August. Because he is part of the global company CH2M Hill, which runs the city, he has had access to resources that have helped him get acclimated as a manager.

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Matt Horn, Sandy Springs director of administrative services, discusses an accounting item with Tarsha Patterson, accounting manager for the city. Horn said that being in charge is 'exciting and a little daunting.'

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Jean Houston Shore, owner of Business Resource Group: 'The major goal of a manager isn't about meeting deadlines and getting product out the door. It's about building the capacity of his team to perform well.'

"It takes courage, because it's a leap," he said.

Horn wanted to become a city manager after earning his bachelor's degree in public administration six years ago. Now he knows that no school teaches you how to manage a city.

"You solve five problems, and there are five new ones tomorrow," he said. "It's plain hard work. You find great mentors. You take every training program you can find, and you soak it in as you go.

"I wouldn't trade anything now for the experience I've had. You need it."

Horn started his career in economic development in Virginia. He went on to become assistant city manager for Beaufort, S.C., where he learned to manage projects and their leaders. Now he manages a staff of 50.

"I have a great team with strong backgrounds in their various areas, and I'm able to draw on their expertise," Horn said.

His advice to new managers: Take time to read the landscape before attempting drastic changes. Get to know your direct reports and what they do. Ask questions and listen.

"Be willing to put yourself on the line, accept criticism and use it as a tool for improvement," he said.

Hiring the right people takes insight into the processes of the job that's open and the ability to formulate interview questions that will reveal what an applicant can do.

People are the challenge — and the fun part — of the job for Horn.

"When you see something in someone and help him develop his talent so that he becomes a star — that's very rewarding," he said.

Firing, on the other hand, is the hardest thing he's had to do. Fortunately, as part of a global company, he can call on a knowledgeable human resources department for practical advice.

Not every manager has that luxury, particularly if he or she owns a small company, said Lydia Jones, director of the Coles College of Business Small Business Development Center at Kennesaw State University.

"Linda Hill, a Harvard business professor who writes on workplace issues, said that the first test of leadership comes with the assignment to supervise others and that most fail," Jones said. "The misconception is that new managers wield significant authority, when, in today's business environment, much of the work is done in teams. Their job isn't to control their direct reports but to encourage them to do their best work."

That means creating an open environment of trust, learning and bonding. Adopting a grade-school hall-monitor attitude only leads to micromanagement and trouble.

Jones encourages new managers to read extensively about leadership and to get training through small business development centers' workshops, university programs or professional organizations, such as the Society for Human Resource Management.

To hire smart, it helps to have a good application that gathers the information you want about applicants. Have a lawyer review it for legalities.

"Interview face-to-face [and] ask permission to do background checks, both criminal and financial, if the person will be handling money," Jones said. "After each interview, make notes about each candidate's strengths and weaknesses."

Managers can't afford to be ignorant of the legal issues surrounding the hiring, managing and firing of employees.

"We live in the litigious capital of the world [the United States]," she said. "You have to know what you can't ask, legally, in an interview, how to conduct a performance review, and the procedures for firing."

Legal issues

Christine Howard, a partner with the labor and employment law firm of Fisher & Phillips, often speaks about employment issues to management groups.

"First and foremost, new managers need to know their company's own internal policies," she said. "They should read the employee handbook and any supervisory manuals. Learn the critical policies on vacation time, sick leave, harassment and electronic monitoring."

For example, if the handbook says to report a harassment complaint to the human resources manager, and you don't, you could leave the company open to a lawsuit.

If the company has more than 50 employees, managers should know what the Family and Medical Leave Act covers.

"You don't have to know all the answers, but at least know how to spot the issues and when to ask for help," Howard said.

Get some interview training. There's a wealth of resources available to companies. Among the things about which you can't ask are national origin, health issues, disabilities, religious affiliation, union memberships or politics.

"Some questions are not illegal but can get the company in hot water," she said — for example, asking a female (but not a male) applicant about her child care obligations.

"Getting educated on how to manage people lawfully and effectively is just smart," Howard said.

Three essential skills

Managers will be able to pick up many of the "out-front" aspects of leadership — such as how to conduct a meeting or hold people accountable to deadlines — by watching and copying people in the workplace, said Jean Houston Shore, owner of Business Resource Group, an Atlanta management consulting firm.

"It's what managers do behind the scenes — the pre-emptive, hidden skills they need — that are harder to grasp," Shore said. "The major goal of a manager isn't about meeting deadlines and getting product out the door. It's about building the capacity of his team to perform well."

She encourages managers to develop three basic skills with their employees.

• Help them learn to cope. When people gossip, worry, fret or fail to move beyond negative feedback, it doesn't make for a productive workplace. Shore talks about "doggy-bag thinking."

"After a negative experience, some people take the scraps home, chew on them and share them with others — sometimes for years. It keeps them from coping, learning and moving on," she said. "If you learn how to cope well, you don't need a doggy bag."

• Help them learn to collaborate. "A manager can help develop trust within a group by making sure each person understands his role and boundaries. With [a foundation] of mutual trust and respect, you can identify common goals," Shore said.

• Help them learn to speak the truth. It's a skill to give constructive criticism well, and it takes courage. Managers need to model this skill for employees. For example, if an employee is letting personal issues get in the way of his or her job, he or she needs to hear about it from the manager.

"Check your intentions before you speak. Is this something the other person really needs to hear because it's impacting her success or just something you feel the need to say?" Shore said.

Managers don't have to have opinions on everything and don't have to get involved every time. "Part of being a good manager is staying out of the way of work," Shore said.

Becoming an excellent communicator, learning to read body language and really listening to what a worker is saying are essential hidden skills, as is knowing how to speak succinctly, so that you don't send mixed messages about priorities.

Go into management with the attitude that you want to keep learning, Shore said. Find a mentor with management experience outside of your company — someone you can ask for advice.

Training away the fear

Michael Krampe feels fortunate to have been part of a management track at Siemens Energy & Automation Inc., an electrical, engineering and automation solutions corporation with 10,000 employees. He benefited from company leadership-development programs, including the Emerging Leaders Forum. As director of press and analyst relations, Krampe has been a manager for three years and has increased his team from two to five people. He manages all of the company's internal and external communications.

"There's a certain amount of fear of the unknown in becoming a manager, but the training helped me understand the basic principles of effective leadership and to understand the company," Krampe said. "Effective managers have to understand the processes and structure of the organization and its people so that they can navigate the system and accomplish what they need to do.

"The most challenging part of being a manager is having enough time. We're all in an environment of having to do more with less. My people are all over the country, so having clear objectives and communicating effectively is essential."

He believes that good managers have both innate and learned skills.

"You have to have integrity, honesty and a desire to lead others," Krampe said, "but the skills of listening to others and developing your people you hone as you grow. I enjoy the challenge of working with people."