I’m a New Manager…What Do I Do on Day 1?

It can be daunting to take the responsibility of leading a team, especially as a new manager. You have worked hard for this opportunity and because you have an intimate understanding of how a manager can influence your career (good, bad, ugly) — you want to ensure things get off on the right foot.

I have laid out three vital steps to take on Day 1 with your team, that will set you up for success.

Have a Team Meeting

• Set an hour aside with your team and ensure everyone attends, including those that might be offsite. It’s important to have your team in-person (if possible) for the day.
• Ensure that the meeting is private. It should only include your team in a room secluded from the rest of the company or other employees.
• Use this time to get to know your team, ask questions, get their feedback, and let them ask questions of you.

Set Expectations

• This is the most important aspect of Day 1. There are two sets of expectations that must be set, in order to set you and your team up for success. Set these expectations in your team meeting.
• Expectations of Your Team: set your expectations high, lay out what you want your team to achieve, be detailed, and specific. Ensure you have them written down for your team to take away.
• Expectations of You: again, set your expectations high, what can your team expect from you on a daily basis, how will you lead?

Hold One-on-Ones

• Once you have held your team meeting, ensure you follow up with one-on-ones with everyone on your team (if possible) to reiterate your expectations and ensure you team member has time with you directly.
• You can use this time to clarify any questions that may have come up in the team meeting. Overall, give them the floor, you will learn a lot.
• Reiterate your expectations of them and you. It is important that they are crystal clear on what you expect of them and what you want to accomplish.