A First-Time Manager’s Survival Checklist
You did it! Your first leadership role. Congratulations! It’s your first day, the felicitations are over, and reality hits you. Your mailbox is already full, people are staring at you left and right, customers want to meet you, and upper management is hovering over you… the urge to act is so strong.
DON’T!
One of the biggest mistakes first-time managers make is reacting when they shouldn’t. Ironically, most first-time managers aren’t doing too little in their first 90 days, but doing too much. I understand why (I’ve been there myself, after all), but this is not the time for that. This is a time to listen, learn, and build trust.
In this checklist, we will go over the following aspects:
- a) How to establish rapport with your new team without micromanaging
- b) How to transition from a “talker” to an “observer”
- c) How to leave a personal footprint
Part I: Reaching for the Numbers Instead of the People
The biggest mistake first-time managers make – and one in direct contradiction of core management principles – is reaching for the numbers first. Day one on the job, their first reaction is to go and learn everything they can about metrics (SLAs, KPIs, Dashboards, Performance Cards, etc.). Whether directed by their boss or doing it instinctively, reaching for numbers before people is a big no-no.
What you should be doing is very simple: go talk to your team. Get to know them, see what they are all about, talk to them, and most importantly: LISTEN. Don’t talk – just listen.
This is a crucial time for both you and the team because it’s the moment basic rapport is created. It will show them what type of person you are, what your priorities are, what you value, and how you normally handle things.
Quick Tips:
- Set up 30-minute connects with them.
- Take 5 minutes to introduce yourself: Share who you are, what you want to achieve, your background, and your passions – whatever helps you connect with them.
- The rest of the meeting is all about them: Ask who they are, what they do, their job responsibilities, their work-related issues, and what they believe you can help with.
- Pro Tip: Ask a question people rarely ask: “What can I do to make your job and experience here easier?”
Part II: The Observer
It’s a very common mistake to react as soon as you hear things. It’s human nature, and for some, it’s just the desire to prove themselves or showcase strength and knowledge. This is why first-time managers usually try to react to things on the spot during their first 90 days. For example:
- You hear in a meeting or feedback session that a process works a certain way, and based on your experience, you think it should work differently.
- You have a 1-on-1 with your manager and they ask, “What should we do with Process X to improve it?” and your immediate instinct is to provide an instant answer.
- A customer demands changes during a meeting. You want to impress them, so you immediately jump in with solutions.
This falls under the category of another big no-no!
What you should do is transition from the “Doer” to the “Observer.” Start observing, refrain from reacting immediately, gather information, and build a solid understanding of what is actually happening. It’s easy to give advice and brainstorm quick fixes, but it’s much harder to offer the correct advice at the right time.
Before acting, try to answer these questions:
- Do you really know what is going on?
- Do you have the full picture?
- If this process changes from A to B, what is the impact, and how sure are you that the impact will be positive?
- How does the team feel about your proposal?
Remember, you can’t accomplish anything without the support and confidence of your team. You are no longer an individual contributor; you are now the one who inspires others to achieve results.
Quick Tips:
- Learn everything you can about what is going on in your team (from 1-on-1s, meetings, procedures, customer connects, etc.) and take notes. Write everything down alongside any improvements you think could be made. Keep these notes to yourself for now – don’t share them with your boss or customer yet.
- When asked about a change or improvement, simply say: “Let me check with the team to better understand the process, assess the impact, and get back to you.”
Part III: Your Personal Footprint
By now, you should have a good understanding of who your team members are, how the processes work, and the basic structure of the project and customer accounts. You have plenty of notes from Parts I and II, so you can now start leaving a meaningful footprint.
The idea here is simple: show the team that you listen and take action. Pick 1–2 smaller things you can help resolve and make them happen. It can be almost anything – the goal is simply to support them. For example:
- Workload balance: If team members mention during 1-on-1s that they are overwhelmed by high volume, investigate it. If they’re right, start building a fair workload framework (ensuring tasks are evenly distributed based on difficulty, tenure, and individual capabilities).
- Process bottlenecks: If people complain about how long a specific report or routine task takes, do your research and see if you can streamline it for them.
Keep in mind: these initial footprints should be small, within your direct control, and easy to evaluate for impact. Don’t jump into driving massive organizational changes for things you don’t fully grasp yet.
Key Takeaways & Extra Insights
Here are a few minor – but powerful – insights I gathered over the years:
- Create a Team Master File (e.g., Excel/Sheets): Set up a central place to track important information about your people, processes, and customer accounts. Include details like name, tenure, birthday (if your team celebrates them), role, customer assignments, salary/grade details, and quick reference notes. This will save you a ton of time.
- Always Communicate: If you want to propose or make changes, meet with your team first. Present your ideas, gather their feedback, and make sure you have their buy-in before rolling anything out. It’s significantly easier to implement change when the whole team is on board. Just ensure they fully understand what the change entails before starting.
- Take Advantage of Your First 90 Days: Many people will push you to deliver quickly. Because you are new, you have the leeway to say, “Not just yet.” A great phrase to use is: “Let me look into this and get back to you with a realistic timeline.” Take time to reflect and plan. It’s much better to deliver a solid, high-performing result than a high volume of rushed, low-quality work.
Final Thoughts
All in all, your first 90 days are about meeting people, observing processes, understanding customer dynamics, and leaving a small, positive footprint. Doing this consistently will show who you are, demonstrate what you can do, and most importantly shift your image from just “another try-hard boss” to a true leader.
Always remember: as challenging as this transition is for you, it’s often harder for the team. They are the ones adjusting to changes, doing the heavy lifting, and adapting to a new manager. They are many, and you are just one.
Have a good one!