First Day Manual for Managers

By F. John Reh

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy  


Whether you are a first time manager or a manager stating a new job there are things you need to know and do on your first day. This article summarizes them for you and provides links to additional detail for those items you choose for more in depth study.

Look Like A Manager

As a manager, you have a certain amount of authority by virtue of your position. However, you can reinforce that by the way you dress. The Dress Code for Managers varies depending on industry, location, company culture, etc. The one constant is that a manager is expected to dress "better" than those he or she manages. If you are new to the company, rather than having been promoted to this position from within, you should have figured out the company dress code during your interviews. You should also know the company culture. Accordingly, on your first day you will know how to dress - but don't. A first day on the job is a little like a first date. Dress just a bit nicer for the first day. On day 2 you can adjust downward slightly to appropriate clothing.

Think Like A Manager

Your job, as a manager, is to make your group more productive than it would have been without you. This is Management 101. Focus your energy from the first day on the things that only you, as the manager, can do.

• You are the leader.
• You are responsible for training and developing your people.
• You are responsible for building them into a team.

Act Like A Manager

You need to get to know your people and they need to know you. I like to do that with a short meeting on the morning of Day One. You need to set the ethical climate from day one. Whether it was good or bad before, you need to establish that you will tolerate only the highest ethical standards, both for your group and for yourself.
The most important part of your job is to motivate your employees. Start that from day one. Give them positive feedback when you can and negative feedback only when you must.

Work Like A Manager

It has been said that a good manager doesn't DO anything. A good manager manages to get things done through others. You may have been the best accountant in the company's history, but as the Accounting Manager it's time to put aside the balance sheets and focus on leading and motivating your department. From day one, show them that you are here to help them, but don't do their work for them. For your team to be successful, you need to build alliances, friendships, and personal relationships. These will be with your boss, first of all. Then with your peers. And finally with any other organization inside or outside the company that can benefit your team.

What Not To Do

Equally as important as knowing what to do on your first day is knowing what not to do.

• Here are the Top 10 New Manager Mistakes. These mistakes have already ben made by others so there is no need for you to make them too.
• If you could ask a group of management pros for advice, here are the management secrets they would share with you.