How to support your new manager in their first month

@principal.name is now a manager. This is an important transition that will require your coaching and guidance. This is the first of four Pyns you’ll receive outlining the skills they’ll need to build to be a manager at @company.name and your role in supporting them.

This week you should:

• Meet with @principal.name to discuss expectations (45-60 minutes)
• Schedule your recurring 1-1s with @principal.name (5 minutes)

This month: What you can expect 

You will receive a Pyn each week covering topics and action items that will help you support @principal.name to become a great manager:

• This week - Discussing expectations of managers
• Next week - Role-playing feedback during 1-1s
• Week 3 - Providing guidance on how to set clear expectations
• Week 4 - Continuing support through your 1-1s

This week: discuss expectations with your new manager in a 1:1

Start with a quick temperature check (i.e., how are you feeling?), before clearly outlining their responsibilities as a manager. Along with any department-specific OKRs or goals, this could include things like:

⚠️ Pyn Note: Update this list to reflect what managers are responsible for at your company.

• Attend manager training sessions [e.g., new manager onboarding, anti-harassment training, etc]
• Meet with your manager to clarify, define or review your measurable goals as a manager or team leader.
• Spend 1-2 hours per week per direct report. For example, 1-1s and coaching your direct reports (include preparation time for these meetings); soliciting feedback about your direct reports; providing/documenting feedback for your direct reports; and, following up from discussions.
• Be an example of @company.name’s values
• Participate in [performance / compensation reviews / 360s / career development conversations] for all of your direct reports, including setting aside [X hours/days] during each review period to send out and review feedback requests, review your report’s self-reflections and provide feedback, and prepare for and have performance and compensation conversations.
• Manage time off and other requests from your direct reports

The difference between IC and manager

The misconceptions about what it means to be a people manager often trip up new managers. This includes things like learning that their words may have different weight as a manager, their relationships with their peers may change and that their goal is now unblocking others so they can perform better. 

Share your experience - the good, the bad, and the ugly! - to help @principal.name have a fuller understanding of what it means to step into a manager role.

The role of a manager

As a new manager, @principal.name must shift focus away from just their own performance and to the performance and engagement of their direct report(s). 

Talk to @principal.name about how they are supporting their direct reports. They should be providing regular feedback, having 1-1s, and setting goals. It’s also helpful to highlight the areas where managing people working remotely or on distributed teams may be a little different or require more of their attention.