First-Time Manager: What to Watch for in the First 90 Days

You have just started managing a team. It is not as easy as you thought, is it? People who move into team leadership often struggle to adapt.

A Many-Sided Responsibility

You manage the work, you carry the pressure coming from senior management, you follow your team's output and help them perform at a high level, and at the same time you guide them in their individual career goals. It is not an easy job.

The "You Should Already Know" Trap

On top of all that, once you are appointed everyone expects you to know everything. Yet you may still be at the very beginning of the road. This assumption is one of the most subtle traps for new managers, because it can make you hesitant to ask questions and reluctant to ask for support.

Why 90-100 Days?

When you step into such a role, a 90-100 day professional coaching process can help. It allows you to build your team's trust, manage senior management's expectations by setting clear goals, and identify and request the support you need.

The period may look short, but it is a critical window for a manager to build trust with the team, establish expectation management with leadership, and clarify their own leadership style. Managing it consciously lays the foundation for the years ahead.

Asking Questions Instead of Giving Answers

New managers who struggle the most share one thing: they try to produce an answer to every question. Yet a good manager doesn't have to know everything; they need to know how to ask the right question.

Today, did you give your team an answer or ask them a question? Over time that small difference makes you a far more trustworthy manager. What is your greatest need in this process?