After 13 years in management, here are the 3 most crucial lessons every new manager must know.

1)Set clear expectations—then keep receipts

New managers often assume their team knows what’s expected—but they don’t.

Be direct, be specific, and put everything in writing.

If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen.

When issues come up, you need a paper trail to hold people accountable and protect yourself if leadership asks questions.

2)You’re not here to be everyone’s friend

A lot of new managers struggle with wanting to be liked—but leadership isn’t a popularity contest.

Your job is to make sure the work gets done and the team performs.

That means having hard conversations, enforcing standards, and sometimes making decisions people won’t like.

Respect is more important than approval.

3)Master the art of managing up

Your relationship with your boss is just as important as your relationship with your team.

Learn what your boss cares about, how they like to communicate, and what problems they want solved.

If you make their life easier, they’ll support you, fight for your raises, and give you more opportunities (most of the time).

If you ignore them, they’ll ignore you when it matters.