Meet Kate

Back in 1990 when I was a mere 21-year old, I joined a large company in an Project Management role. The manager who recruited me took a sideways move three months after I joined, and I had a new line manager called Kate. The previous manager had known that I was new to the industry and had taken the time to guide and mentor me where necessary as I adjusted to the way things were done in the company. Kate, however, had a different way of managing. It was more of a "get on with it" style.

I've come across this style a few times over the years, and I'm sure you have too. If questioned about their approach to management, this style of manager will usually say something like:

"Look, you're all grownups, and I pay you $xx per year… I expect you to just do the job."

This approach can work for experienced and motivated employees, but there are a few situations in which it won't work, and training a new hire is one of them.

As a new manager, you have many roles to get to grips with in your...