5 Steps to Succeed as a New Manager

New manager in the company? Just promoted to a management role? Your company doesn’t offer onboarding? No problem! In the first two weeks on the job, take these five steps in order to set yourself up for success in your new role:

1. Walk around the company and introduce yourself to other department or business unit managers. Ask them about their departments. What are their challenges? What are their plans for the upcoming year and 3 – 5 years after that? Learn about them and their department.
2. Schedule a meeting with the executives of the company to understand their vision and long term goals for the organization.
3. Meet with your staff. Introduce yourself in a staff meeting and then meet one-on-one to get to know each staff member personally. What do they do? What would they like to do? What are their current projects? What have they worked on in the past? What are their challenges in doing their job? How can you help them?
1. Schedule regular staff meeting and weekly one-on-one meetings for at least the first six months in your new role.
4. Meet with your direct supervisor. What are her expectations of you in the role? What would she like to see in the first three months? Six months? In a year?
5. Develop your department strategy taking into account conversations with your direct supervisor, company executives, your staff and other department managers. Share the strategy with your employees to get their input. Then share with your immediate supervisor.

These simple steps, done in the first two weeks in the new role, will enable you to get a better understanding of the organization and how you can contribute effectively to it.