Chapter 5 – Meet Your New Manager

What should be covered in my meeting with my new manager?

Your new role’s success will depend significantly on the relationship you establish with your manager. Both of you need to begin by establishing a shared understanding of expectations and goals.

1- Review Your Mission and Aims.

Review the organization’s mission and aims and how your objectives fit within the context of your manager’s overall objectives.

• Ask for a copy of your Manager’s KPI to help you understand these priorities, measurements, reporting requirements, etc.
• Understand the department’s focus area and how it aligns with the organisation goals.
• Understand the department’s financial situation and your fiscal responsibilities.
• Ask about any critical situations or current concerns.
• Establish authority boundaries for your responsibilities, assignments, and tasks. In which cases would your manager prefer to be consulted.
• Discuss the HR Processes and how they are managed and tracked:
  • resources and headcount
  • executive resources
  • ranking and rating
  • hiring
  • contracting
• recognition and rewards
• Discuss any personnel issues you are aware of.

2 – Clarify Expectations.

Setting and meeting expectations is an essential step in a relationship between a manager and an employee. Having clear expectations from your manager helps you start your path to have a better plan of action with your team subsequently. 

Establish some basic ground rules for how you will work together. You must discuss the following topics:

• the most effective way to communicate with each other,
• preferences for handling recognition and reward,
• how you each can give the additional feedback
• the frequency or cadence of your regular meetings

3 – Review and Agree on Your KPIs.

KPIs are the bedrock of any organization. They give you absolute clarity on the expected outcomes and what you need to do to achieve those outcomes. Review your KPIs to ensure they are aligned with your manager’s.

It is crucial that you also understand the 2nd-line manager. Usually, the HR policy that describes that role. I would suggest that you also read up and discuss with your manager to have a mutual understanding of your 2nd-line manager’s role.

• Agree on the priorities.
• Determine the local orientation programs available to you as a new manager.
• Close-out your evaluation with your previous manager. This evaluation will be used to calculate your variable pay or salary increments.

4 – Review and Agree on Your IDP.

Most organizations have individual development plans (IDPs) to chart goals and work towards every employee’s personal development. That includes yourself as a new manager. You might need to fortify your skills in certain areas and learn specific competencies.

You must add them to your individual development plan and work to watch the same. Your meeting with your new manager can open the areas where you can build your development plan. Based on those discussions, you can update your Individual Development Plan (IDP).

Besides, consider other technical or functional education you need in your new assignment.

5 – Schedule A Series of Checkpoint Meetings.

I am personally a big supporter of regular scheduling one-on-one or checkpoint meetings. These meetings help clear the air, continue two refined expectations, and have direct access to your manager to align on your job.

Monthly one-on-ones are an excellent way to go about it, though you can choose some more frequent meetings as well. More important in this aspect, is scheduling a series of sessions upfront so that both of you are prepared for that conversation.

• Agree on how often you should meet and use that time to your mutual benefit.
• Schedule these meetings for the next few months. Be sure to include meetings for the department’s HR
• assignments and KPI reviews.
• Tell them about yourself, including something personal. In most cultures, this tends to build trust and confidence.
• Discuss your goals and values.