Your First Day

It's your first day as a new manager. You'll need to complete your I-9. And your W-4. And a non-compete agreement. And sign off on the employee handbook. And enroll in your benefits. And IT is going to stop by to help you get access to a bunch of new systems. And HR has a couple of extra policies to review with you. And no one set up your phone, so you'll need to talk to someone about that...welcome to Paperworkburgh. Population: you.

All this admin can easily keep you at your desk all day. Don't let it.

Figure out what paperwork you can finish after hours or put off for another day. Give yourself time to get up, get away from your desk, and talk to your people. At a minimum, you should do these three things:

1. Greet Everyone on Your Team by Name

Go to where your employees work--don't expect them to come to you--and greet each of them by name. This is basic courtesy. It communicates respect and consideration. Aside from being good manners, it will help you learn everyone's name quickly.

"Hi, Michael. I'm [Your Name]. I just wanted to stop by and say good morning. Do you go by Michael or Mike, by the way?"

"Hello, Janice! I think we met during my interview. Good to see you again. Just wanted to say good morning."

"Good morning, Taye! I thought I'd stop by and say hello. How's it going?"

2. Give a Heads Up on One-On-Ones

You should plan one-on-one meetings with each of your employees. Ideally, you should hold these before the end of your first week. These meetings will help you learn more about how the team works and get your employees' feedback on what's working and what can be improved.

You should not hold those meetings on your first day. That would feel like an ambush. You should tell each of your employees that you're planning the meetings, though. This gives them an opportunity to think about what they'd like to say.

"A little later this week, I'll be meeting with you one-on-one. This will help me get a better handle on what's working and what you'd like to see changed. Sound good?"

"I'm setting up one-on-one meetings with everyone on the team for later this week. I'm trying to get a better understanding of what's working and what we can improve. I'll send a meeting invite, but I wanted to give you a heads up about it."

"Hi, Taye. I'm going to send you a meeting invite for later this week. I'm having one-on-ones with everyone on the team. I'd really appreciate learning about what you think we're doing well and where you think we can improve."

3. Say Good Night

End your day the same way you started it--by acknowledging each of your employees by name. Thank them for their work that day. Sounds simple, right? It is. But that's why it's so often overlooked.

"Hey, Mike, thanks for everything today. I hope you have a good night!"

"Good night, Janice. Thanks for your hard work today."

"Have a good evening, Taye. Thanks for your hard work."

First days are hard and awkward, for you and for your employees. You'll be tempted to hole up in your office (or cubicle) and crank through that mountain of paperwork and admin stuff. Fight the urge. Managing people is your new job, so take time on your first day to start building good relationships with them.

This is part of a series of articles for new managers. If you enjoyed this post, check out the other articles in the series: Promotion Shock, The Boring Truth About Wardrobe, The Near Mentor, Listen to Everything, Promise Nothing, Your First Day, Don't Mention It, Ask And You Shall Receive, What Got You Here Blah, Blah Blah, You are Not the Yardstick, The Most Important Meeting, You're on the Air, Your People Come First, Your First One-On-Ones, and Perspective-Taking: An Overlooked Skill for New Managers.