Good afternoon, I'm Liz from London, and working as a manager in my new role. I'm finding it awkward (?) managing those almost twice my age! Very pleased to have found your blog!
Hi - I'm Nadine from Ontario, Canada. I'm a manager, recently hired. I'm in a new industry. While my team is young, they definitely know more than I do about our services. I want to find ways to add value as I'm onboarding and learning about the company and the industry/sector.
Hey Nadine, Thanks for sharing this, it’s such a real and often unspoken challenge, especially when stepping into a new role in unfamiliar territory.
One of the best ways you can add value early on is by being the person who brings clarity, not answers. Your fresh eyes are a superpower. Ask the questions others stopped asking. Spot where things are clunky, repetitive, or confusing. That’s gold for any team.
Even if you don’t have all the technical expertise yet, you can still make people’s work easier by unblocking slow processes, advocating for what your team needs, or protecting their time.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to own your learning journey openly. It builds trust. Say things like, “I’m here to learn from you as much as lead you,” and you’ll likely find your team stepping up even more.
Hey, this is Ali from Bulgaria. I have been leading a team of 6 since last year (we were a smaller team before that, and now we have new joiners as well as members back from maternity leave), when I also had to start working remotely. So, I am working from home while my team - from the office. Naturally, one of my biggest challenges was to build a culture, motivate my team, ensure they trust me, train them, and delegate - all from a distance. We've built systems that worked out for us, and I've been learning a lot from you throughout this journey. Now, I want to keep the momentum going, create space for my team members to develop further, and of course, to challenge myself to continue growing.
Hey Ali, thank you so much for sharing this. What a brilliant reflection! It’s often tricky to lead from a distance, especially while navigating team changes and returners from leave. The fact that you’ve built systems that work and created trust remotely speaks volumes about your intentionality and leadership.
I love that you’re thinking about momentum and development, that’s such a powerful combo. Keep carving out that space for growth (for them and for you), and I’m so glad to be even a small part of your journey. Cheering you on from here! H
Hi I'm Ben, from Basingstoke Hampshire. I work in the People Team (HR) at a Sports team/organisation (~1000 employees) and I'm in my first official management role, so on a learning curve! My biggest challenge right now is balancing my individual contributor job vs. my management role, and ensuring I'm focused on the right priorities in a fast-paced world.
Hi! I'm Abi from London, I run Elent financial education and a team of 5. Small but powerful ☺️ Love to chat about creating those set of "values" often talked about for a young company and how we start that.
Hello! I’m Colin from Baltimore, Maryland, USA and I manage a team of fully remote employees in a different time zone. I’m in financial services and have been a supervisor for 8 years but only managing a full team for 1 year. My team has been on an island, doing processes differently for many years so it’s a bit challenging to bring them into alignment with the expectations of the larger organization. I’m working to develop clear goals for the year and measure back to them regularly. Thanks!
Hi, my name is yasmina, from Montreal, Canada. I work in HR, in improving employee experience more specifically and in paving the way to a shift in organizational cultural change. It’s a new field for me and I’m loving it. What keeps my thoughts running right now is how to engage our managers in the process of changing the culture and making them more accountable for their employee experience.
Hello! I'm Ross - I currently work in Harworth, Doncaster for an e-commerce furniture and interiors business called Melody Maison - I am the Head of Sales and Marketing, but I am also responsible for being the office manager. My core team is 5 people, but I am responsible for about 15 all together.
I'm also the younger brother of the one and only Heather Elkington!
Good Morning, I am Jess from Hull. I manager a small team covering a split function with each member doing very different work. I find if difficult to find time to support and develop the team due to the volume of work we are handling.
Hello, my name is Eddah and I'm from Harare, Zimbabwe. My biggest challenge is motiviating a young team with different levels of capacity and skill to become a high performing team but also managing my own energy as I support them.
Welcome to the community! That’s such an honest reflection and a challenge so many managers relate to. Supporting a young team with varying skills while keeping your own energy steady is a real balancing act.
The fact you’re thinking about both performance and your own sustainability tells me you’re already on the right track. We’ll definitely be talking about strategies here that help you lift your team without burning yourself out in the process. H
Hi! My name is Mary, I'm from the USA, and I work as a manager in the mortgage industry. My biggest challenge is leading in a company with little to no structure/support for organizational leadership. I find it hard to lead my team with clarity when I don't have clarity in my own role as far goals, personal and professional development, P&L's, etc.
Hi Mary, welcome to the community! That’s such a tough spot to be in, it’s hard to give direction when you’re not given any yourself. If you could get clarity on just one thing right now, what would make the biggest difference for you and your team? H
Hi all I'm Vicki. I've been newly appointed to managing T&D for a firm that hasn't had a dedicated T&d team before, and is unfortunately recovering from some toxic management practices. I am passionate about building a framework of T&D that teams engage with, as part of this rebuilding trust and culture is at the forefront, and is proving a mammoth task! Any tips greatly appreciated. Thanks
What an exciting (and big!) chapter you’re stepping into. Rebuilding trust after toxicity is tough, but a dedicated T&D function can be such a powerful lever for positive change, not just in skills, but in culture and confidence too. Can’t wait to see how you shape it. You’re in the right community for this, let us know what challenges come up, we've got you! H
Hi all I'm Vicki. I've been newly appointed to managing T&D for a firm that hasn't had a dedicated T&d team before, and is unfortunately recovering from some toxic management practices. I am passionate about building a framework of T&D that teams engage with, as part of this rebuilding trust and culture is at the forefront, and is proving a mammoth task! Any tips greatly appreciated. Thanks
Hi all, my name is Vicki I'm new appointed to a T&D role in a firm that hasn't had dedicated T&D before, and is unfortunately recovering from so Toxic management practices. I am working hard to try and rebuild culture & trust. To be honest at the moment it all feels like a struggle, so any tips will be gratefully received!
Hi! Angela from Portugal, working in Barcelona, Spain. I’m not a manager, but working in HR, I’d love to start focusing on two topics: coaching, and leadership development. Excited to learn from you!
Hi Angela! So lovely to have you here, coaching and leadership development are such powerful areas to focus on, especially coming from an HR background. Excited to explore these topics with you! H
Good afternoon, I'm Liz from London, and working as a manager in my new role. I'm finding it awkward (?) managing those almost twice my age! Very pleased to have found your blog!
Hey Liz, happy to have you here! I've felt the exact same way before & I wrote a blog post about it which could be helpful for you. Here it is: https://www.inthemakingleadership.com/p/when-youre-younger-than-the-people
Hi - I'm Nadine from Ontario, Canada. I'm a manager, recently hired. I'm in a new industry. While my team is young, they definitely know more than I do about our services. I want to find ways to add value as I'm onboarding and learning about the company and the industry/sector.
Hey Nadine, Thanks for sharing this, it’s such a real and often unspoken challenge, especially when stepping into a new role in unfamiliar territory.
One of the best ways you can add value early on is by being the person who brings clarity, not answers. Your fresh eyes are a superpower. Ask the questions others stopped asking. Spot where things are clunky, repetitive, or confusing. That’s gold for any team.
Even if you don’t have all the technical expertise yet, you can still make people’s work easier by unblocking slow processes, advocating for what your team needs, or protecting their time.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to own your learning journey openly. It builds trust. Say things like, “I’m here to learn from you as much as lead you,” and you’ll likely find your team stepping up even more.
You’ve got this! H
Thank you! Such great tips and reminders to find my strength and confidence during this transition. I appreciate it.
Hey, this is Ali from Bulgaria. I have been leading a team of 6 since last year (we were a smaller team before that, and now we have new joiners as well as members back from maternity leave), when I also had to start working remotely. So, I am working from home while my team - from the office. Naturally, one of my biggest challenges was to build a culture, motivate my team, ensure they trust me, train them, and delegate - all from a distance. We've built systems that worked out for us, and I've been learning a lot from you throughout this journey. Now, I want to keep the momentum going, create space for my team members to develop further, and of course, to challenge myself to continue growing.
Hey Ali, thank you so much for sharing this. What a brilliant reflection! It’s often tricky to lead from a distance, especially while navigating team changes and returners from leave. The fact that you’ve built systems that work and created trust remotely speaks volumes about your intentionality and leadership.
I love that you’re thinking about momentum and development, that’s such a powerful combo. Keep carving out that space for growth (for them and for you), and I’m so glad to be even a small part of your journey. Cheering you on from here! H
I’m Melody, living in St. Petersburg Florida. My biggest challenge at the moment is boundaries- and being able to speak my mind openingly.
It's amazing to have you here Melody!
We have a full blog post on Boundaries including a 30 day challenge you can join - Just search 'boundaries' at the top
Thank you for being here
Hi I'm Ben, from Basingstoke Hampshire. I work in the People Team (HR) at a Sports team/organisation (~1000 employees) and I'm in my first official management role, so on a learning curve! My biggest challenge right now is balancing my individual contributor job vs. my management role, and ensuring I'm focused on the right priorities in a fast-paced world.
Hey Ben! Congrats on the first official management role 👏
Yep, that hits home I feel like we're all in that position at the beginning.
Pleased you're here
Hi! I'm Abi from London, I run Elent financial education and a team of 5. Small but powerful ☺️ Love to chat about creating those set of "values" often talked about for a young company and how we start that.
Welcome Abi! On it - Next blog post incoming 😉
Hello! I’m Colin from Baltimore, Maryland, USA and I manage a team of fully remote employees in a different time zone. I’m in financial services and have been a supervisor for 8 years but only managing a full team for 1 year. My team has been on an island, doing processes differently for many years so it’s a bit challenging to bring them into alignment with the expectations of the larger organization. I’m working to develop clear goals for the year and measure back to them regularly. Thanks!
Welcome Colin, appreciate you sharing this with us.
Hi, my name is yasmina, from Montreal, Canada. I work in HR, in improving employee experience more specifically and in paving the way to a shift in organizational cultural change. It’s a new field for me and I’m loving it. What keeps my thoughts running right now is how to engage our managers in the process of changing the culture and making them more accountable for their employee experience.
That's amazing to hear Yasmina welcome 👏
Accountability is fascinating to me, and a topic I love to cover so you'll see it come through a lot
This post might be helpful as a starting point - https://www.inthemakingleadership.com/p/the-4-steps-to-building-a-hyper-accountable?utm_source=publication-search
It's great to have you here! H x
Fellow Montrealer here! :) I just moved to Longueuil a few months ago, but I'm not far...I've lived in MTL for years!
Welcome Marlène, it's great to have you here! 😊
Hello! I'm Ross - I currently work in Harworth, Doncaster for an e-commerce furniture and interiors business called Melody Maison - I am the Head of Sales and Marketing, but I am also responsible for being the office manager. My core team is 5 people, but I am responsible for about 15 all together.
I'm also the younger brother of the one and only Heather Elkington!
Here he is 👋 ❤️
Good Morning, I am Jess from Hull. I manager a small team covering a split function with each member doing very different work. I find if difficult to find time to support and develop the team due to the volume of work we are handling.
Hello, my name is Eddah and I'm from Harare, Zimbabwe. My biggest challenge is motiviating a young team with different levels of capacity and skill to become a high performing team but also managing my own energy as I support them.
Welcome to the community! That’s such an honest reflection and a challenge so many managers relate to. Supporting a young team with varying skills while keeping your own energy steady is a real balancing act.
The fact you’re thinking about both performance and your own sustainability tells me you’re already on the right track. We’ll definitely be talking about strategies here that help you lift your team without burning yourself out in the process. H
Hi! My name is Mary, I'm from the USA, and I work as a manager in the mortgage industry. My biggest challenge is leading in a company with little to no structure/support for organizational leadership. I find it hard to lead my team with clarity when I don't have clarity in my own role as far goals, personal and professional development, P&L's, etc.
Hi Mary, welcome to the community! That’s such a tough spot to be in, it’s hard to give direction when you’re not given any yourself. If you could get clarity on just one thing right now, what would make the biggest difference for you and your team? H
Hi all I'm Vicki. I've been newly appointed to managing T&D for a firm that hasn't had a dedicated T&d team before, and is unfortunately recovering from some toxic management practices. I am passionate about building a framework of T&D that teams engage with, as part of this rebuilding trust and culture is at the forefront, and is proving a mammoth task! Any tips greatly appreciated. Thanks
Hi Vicki, so glad to have you here.
What an exciting (and big!) chapter you’re stepping into. Rebuilding trust after toxicity is tough, but a dedicated T&D function can be such a powerful lever for positive change, not just in skills, but in culture and confidence too. Can’t wait to see how you shape it. You’re in the right community for this, let us know what challenges come up, we've got you! H
Hi all I'm Vicki. I've been newly appointed to managing T&D for a firm that hasn't had a dedicated T&d team before, and is unfortunately recovering from some toxic management practices. I am passionate about building a framework of T&D that teams engage with, as part of this rebuilding trust and culture is at the forefront, and is proving a mammoth task! Any tips greatly appreciated. Thanks
Hi all, my name is Vicki I'm new appointed to a T&D role in a firm that hasn't had dedicated T&D before, and is unfortunately recovering from so Toxic management practices. I am working hard to try and rebuild culture & trust. To be honest at the moment it all feels like a struggle, so any tips will be gratefully received!
Hi! Angela from Portugal, working in Barcelona, Spain. I’m not a manager, but working in HR, I’d love to start focusing on two topics: coaching, and leadership development. Excited to learn from you!
Hi Angela! So lovely to have you here, coaching and leadership development are such powerful areas to focus on, especially coming from an HR background. Excited to explore these topics with you! H