10 Things A Manager Must Do on the First Day

by Martin Haworth
One of the biggest challenges for any new manager is how to approach (and even survive)
the very first day in their new appointment. Indeed, what you do on day one, may well
frame the relationship with your employees for years to come... You only get one chance
to make a first impression, so the first day in your new role is vital to give everyone the
right taste for who you are and to get things off to a great start. So, here are ten ideas you
might want to try, all guaranteed to make things work best in those very early days—
indeed that very first day!
1. Say Hello to Everyone
By making sure you acknowledge each person as a real individual and worthy of your
personal greeting and introduction, you will go a long way to being welcomed. Often this
is way underrated. Recognizing all in your team, at whatever level of contribution they
make, is critical in the first moments of your management.
2. Ask Gentle Probing Questions
By finding out what's important, especially on their real lives (we'll come to the business
shortly), you will build instant rapport. These people need to know you are interested in
them and have the ability to see past pure productivity in the business.
3. Listen Hard and Show That You are a Good Listener
A great way is to hear what you are being told and making eye contact and giving lots of
supportive body language/noises really helps. To show you "hear," ask another question
whenever you have been told something—there is no stronger way to show that you
recognize the individual importance of someone.
4. Be Positive All day
It's easy to be critical of whoever was previously in the role. After all, it's a real easy target.
Yet wait. This gives the impression that you are the type to "pass the buck;" blame others
and above all be insincere. So, stick with positive comments, whilst acknowledging
possible shortfalls in the past.
5. Really Hear Complaints and Issues
There will be those who try to get in early and want change for themselves. There will also
be those who want to share their frustration with you. It is vital to appreciate what they
are saying in a supportive, constructive, and yet rather guarded way. On day one, you
won't realize what truth is. Their words will be clouded by assumptions and polarized
towards what they have experienced. So, don't be tempted to 'fix" everything from day
one. Understand, appreciate, and park (though get back to them as you've eased yourself
in—it is vital to follow through later).
6. Seek Out What's Good About the Place
Listen and build on what is going right. You may be on the sharp end of complaints and
there will be positives they want to share—even if not, look out for them. Seek good
performance out wherever it is, however small. Such appreciation will be welcomed as
long as it is real and honest.
7. Find Out What People Want to Work Best
A great piece is to ask them what one thing they would like to change about the place
they work. Then, through the actions you take to resolve, in public, you will start to be
really appreciated. This is not a blank check to fix things. Sometimes things can't be fixed
soon, even quickly, or even ever. It might just not be possible for one person. What will be
valued, will be your explaining to them why not. In fact, this is probably a stronger course
of action than the quick fix, as it builds trust and the relationship.
8. Be Out and About at the Sharp End
It's always tempting to sift through the office work you've inherited ("gives me a great
sense of what's going on"). In fact, you'll get much more from mucking in and getting your
hands dirty with the people at the sharp end. Not only will you truly find out much more
about the issues in the business, you will also gain the appreciation of your people, in your
capacity to get stuck in with them.
9. Say Goodnight to Everyone
This doesn't apply to your first night only, but every night. You cannot overestimate the
value of being at the door to the office or the store thanking everyone and saying good
night. It's a small and very relationship-building activity.
10. Have Fun!
This needs a little care, especially, at the beginning of your management or you can
appear frivolous—or just plain daft. By laughing along with your new people, you will
warm to them and them to you. It just requires care and a level of awareness to make this
work best.

A. Select the correct answer 1 – 5

1. Why is the first day in a new role vital?
(a) That is the only time people have an open mind about a colleague.
(b) It is the best opportunity for one to create a good, lasting impression on his/ her
colleagues.
(c) That's the only time when one feels like being warm and friendly with one's colleagues.
(d) One does not know much about one's colleagues on the first day, so one can interact
with them with an open mind and create a good impression on them.
2. How does a new employee get quickly accepted by his or her co-workers?
(a) By acknowledging each person as a real individual worthy of their personal attention.
(b) By quickly learning to behave like them.
(c) By telling them that he/she is one among them.
(d) By showing interest in them by asking them probing personal questions.
3. A new employee will build instant rapport if he/she:
(a) limits his/her discussion to issues related to business.
(b) is curious about his/her colleagues' personal lives.
(c) demonstrates interest in his/her colleagues' private lives as well.
(d) focusses on pure productivity.
4. You give the impression that you are the type that passes the buck, if you
(a) are quick to blame your predecessors for whatever has gone wrong with the unit.
(b) are insincere.
(c) don't make any negative remarks about anyone.
(d) stick with positive comments while acknowledging possible shortcomings in the past.

5. The best way to deal with the views of your colleagues on various issues is to
(a) take them with a pinch of salt, as they are quite likely to be polarized towards what
they have experienced.
(b) take it as their experience, no more, no less.
(c) treat it as 'truth," however clouded by assumptions and experiences.
(d) understand them, appreciate them, and record them for scrutiny at a suitable
time.