Five Actions for New Manager Success
5 Steps to Help You Win in Your First Weeks as a Manager
Starting a new job as a manager is a big step. In my experience, your first weeks are the most important time to build trust with your team. If you start well, you will feel more confident, and your team will be happier too.
Based on my experience, here are five simple steps for your first weeks.
1- Focus on the New 20%
When you first become a manager, you will still do a lot of your “old job.” This is easy for you because you were good at it. But you have a new job now: growing others.
Managing people might only take 20% of your time at first, but it is very important. You should:
Find ways to help your team work faster
Scheule 1–1s
Teach them the skills that helped you succeed
Protect your team from things that distract them
2. Know Your Goals
It is hard to do a good job if you do not know what “winning” looks like. The reality is that many managers do not give clear rules on your first days, so you must ask for them.
Before you meet your boss, think about the people your team helps. Then, set a meeting to talk about:
Numerical targets (numbers that show you are doing well)
The tools and help your team needs
My advice is to wait to agree to these goals until you talk to your team to make sure they are possible. You don’t want to commit to and communicate something you won’t be able to stick to.
3. Put Your Team First
You may be the “boss”, but don’t think you are better than your team now. They will quickly hate you for that!
Instead, see yourself as an equal member of the team with a different role. Your success now comes from their success. Always put the team’s needs before your own. When you do this, your team will respect you and work harder for you.
4. Listen Before You Change Things
Many new managers want to change things right away to look smart. This usually causes more problems than it fixes.
My advice is to rush to learn, not to change. Spend your first week asking questions. Observe. Ask your team to show you how they work instead of just telling you. Once you understand their problems, your changes will work much better.
5. Build Strong Relationships
In your first two weeks, focus most of your time on your manager and your team.
With your team: Meet with every person one-on-one. Ask about their hobbies and what they want for their future. Share things about yourself too, so they see you as a real person, not just their manager.
With your manager: Learn how they like to talk and find out how you can help them win.
Once this is done, start building a relationship with your peers; they are often the ones who can support you, answer your questions and guide you.
Final Thoughts
How you act in your first week will set the stage for your whole career as a leader. By focusing on your team and learning the goals, you move from a soft start to a strong future.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
If you found these steps helpful, please let me know in the comments!
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