Your first week as manager

Once the introductions are over, your first week as a manager should be dedicated to relationship building and information gathering.

Continue to communicate with senior management on a regular basis - not just to clarify anything you’re unsure of in your new role, but also to remind them of your commitment and determination to achieve the company’s goals.

It is senior management that dictates the resources you have available to carry out your plans. For your team to have the right tools for the job, you need to have a strong relationship with those above you so that you can easily gain their ear and a budget boost when you need it.

Listen and learn

Spend time this week learning more about how your team operates. Find out more about the software used by your employees, and how it works. Learn what the typical day looks like for different employees, and be on the lookout for any inefficiencies, or processes that particularly impress you.

Only by understanding the tasks that your employees complete will you be able to suggest suitable changes and make improvements in the future. And when your employees are showing you the ropes, you’re bound to learn more about their ability to communicate familiar concepts with those who are less familiar!

Your first team meeting

Once you’re confident that you have a solid understanding of your role and your team, hold your first team meeting. Open by explaining how you intend to lead the team, and summarise what you’ve learnt during your first week. Give your team the chance to correct or clarify what you’ve said before continuing.

The remainder of the meeting should focus on two or three issues that you’d like to prioritise during your first few months as a manager.

These could include things like:

• Updating software
• Reducing miscommunication
• Fast-tracking a project
• Recruiting
• Improving training and onboarding

Don’t commit to any big changes at this stage - your team will still be wary of your motivations, and it’s likely that you won’t completely understand the various problems your team faces, nor the wider company dynamics.

Set aside part of your meeting time to invite individuals to share concerns that are shared by multiple employees within your team. Let them argue their case. Listen, and make notes.

You might not have an answer for the employee now, but give them a timeframe for a response. Find those answers. Communicate your findings, and your decision, by the date you promised.

By showing employees that you stay true to your word, you’ll quickly gain their trust.

Leading by example

Your behaviour during your first week as a manager will influence the behaviour of your team. Even if you don’t intend to, you will be setting an example.

Take a long lunch break, and your employees will start to do the same.

Take personal calls at the office, and employees will do the same.

Just because you’re the manager, it’s not OK to brazenly flout the rules you expect your team to follow.

Be aware of all the small actions you take at the office, and how your team might interpret them. For example, by leaving the office shortly after 5pm you signal to your employees that you don’t expect them to stay late. This is useful if your team struggles with stress and you want to improve their work-life balance.

Your actions during your first week can have a huge impact on the actions of the rest of your team.