Getting an upgrade in terms of position at work and that leading to an update on CVs is positive news, especially if the position is of a manager. The candidate feels a sense of gratitude, growth, and responsibility. It surely is an overwhelming experience.
To take a position is very challenging, but to be assigned and then prove to the one who assigned the task is more challenging than the latter; maybe because the first 90 days as a manager are crucial, as authors like Michael D. Watkins highlight in his book, that organizations tend to track the manager’s performance in the first 90 days.
Becoming a manager is not an easy thing. Businesses tend to be mindful while promoting the right person for the position of scrum master or hiring a project manager.
The role of a manager is diverse, as a manager is a person who manages everything in the workplace and ensures that everything runs smoothly. Managers adopt roles according to the working space and the employee environment because the manager is new. In contrast, employees are used to the old techniques and have a different mindset.
The first 90 days are three months. For better understanding, below is the breakdown of the tasks that every manager needs to do within 30-60-90 days of their tenure.
First 30 Days as a Manager
Breaking the Ice
As soon as the manager onboards, i.e., get to know the names of employees and their positions, the manager needs to identify the traits of their team and their specialty. To break the ice and create ease, the manager needs to be vocal about the expectations and build clarity in front of the employees. Many employees who have recently joined the company along with the manager may be freshly graduated pupils who may not have that much experience and require a lot of guidance that, with the help of the managers’ experience, would allow them to fulfill the tasks.
Observe and study
Hence, managers need to be familiar with work specialization, another word for the division of labor where work activities are divided into separate tasks for better productivity. The first month is when the manager must be vigilant and observant as the manager needs to know the organization’s aims. The manager needs to study the hierarchy they’re a part of, the kind of management style the organization follows, the vision, and the mission statement.
A newly appointed project manager should learn about the target audience and what kind of industry the business is entertaining; understanding and being on the same page is extremely important in the first phase.
Set Goals
Setting goals is extremely important for the team and the manager themselves because it will let the leader implement their skills, integrate them with the team performance, and bring the best to the table. Initially, the newly appointed manager will be kept under proper observation and analysis to see whether the performance of the manager is better than the previous manager. Therefore, setting targets for oneself is extremely important to be self-critical to know where an individual stands and where they seek to reach.
First 60 days as a manager
Feedback from the employee
To know where the manager needs to make amends, it’s imperative to know whether the employees who are working with and under the manager because managers are human and may make mistakes. Since everyone thinks differently, they may perceive things differently, too.
Hence, communicate, have a professional conversation, and ask employees to chime in with ideas about what aspects of betterment can be brought.
Leadership style
The first month passed by, and now was the time to double the things the manager was being considerate about. As of now, it is necessary for the manager to keep in view the kind of management styles they want to adopt.
There are various leadership styles: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire.
Autocratic leadership style is usually adopted when the team only needs supervision. The manager is dominant and has full control over the team. This style of leadership is practiced where extreme strictness is practiced.
Democratic leadership style is adopted by the manager when the managers are open to new ideas, ready to have opinionated conversations, and not following any authoritativeness amongst employees instead of working together.
Laissez faire leadership style is a nontraditionalist approach to managing an organization by the stakeholders where employees are given complete autonomy to do whatever and however they want to. Still, the organization requires the tasks completely and fully. Every individual will take the responsibility by themselves and complete as the company leaders have an attitude of trust and reliance on their team.
Strategize
After an in-depth understanding of the organization, visually and conceptually getting an idea of the operations and other departments, the manager needs to strategize and evaluate the whole, clarifying the task and allowing the manager to form a strategy and delegate tasks easily and clearly.
First 90 days as a manager
After constant retention of the information, it is time to implement all that the manager has strategized and ensure all that is being followed by the team members. for a proper check and balance. It is important to keep a checklist.
Conduct weekly team meetings
Being a manager means the manager is the team’s representative and answerable to the upper management. Hence, conduct weekly meetings for a better understanding of the assigned tasks, and employee-facing issues, solving them together, giving the team a boost of motivation to increase creativity and productivity.
Define new KPIs for the team
The key performance indicators are the core elements on which the scrum master will evaluate the team members. The five KPIs measured are profit, revenue per growth, revenue per client, client retention rate, and customer satisfaction.
Recreate recreational activities
Managers and teammates are likely to face burnout if they constantly involve themselves in work and do not take breaks resulting in lower productivity and consequently threatening the managers’ image and position because that will represent a lack of benefit to the firm.
Make sure interactive sessions are carried out like any recreational activity or gaming session; snacks for the teammates in the lunchroom will boost motivation and let them think out of the box. If implemented, these non-monetary motivation tactics will likely result in better connections and a break for employees to provide the best outcomes.
Manager manages
The life of a leader is always a balancing act, but never more so than during a transition. Serendipity and vagueness can be harmful as there are chances that the manager won’t know a lot after three months. The manager has not had a chance to build a support network. If the manager has moved to a new city, they must also undergo personal transitions. Amidst all the turmoil, managers are expected to get acclimated quickly and begin positively impacting your new organization. Thus, managing themselves is a key transition challenge.
Developing Personal Principles
By instituting and strictly enforcing procedures, managers can ensure a productive workplace. If someone asks managers to do something, perhaps rather than saying, “That sounds interesting,” they can say, “Sounds good.”.Respond after giving it a thought and never be quick to say yes on the spot if you’re being pressured.
When dealing with difficult situations, do managers find themselves getting emotionally involved? Observe the situation and take some time off to step back if they do. The fundamental function of warfare is to defend too many fronts. New leaders need to stabilize the home front to focus on important work.
Staying on Track
Consistency and commitment are essential elements of self-management. Small choices made by managers along the way will determine whether they succeed or fail. Results will depend on the manager’s decision: momentum will be created, or efficiency will be undermined. As a result, the actions of managers during the transition period establish a pattern for the following months, not exclusively for the corporation but also for the managers’ effectiveness and, ultimately, for your wellbeing.
Conclusion
Transforming from one month to another is crucial because the manager’s performance is judged, and the responsibility given to them exceeds. All of the above pointers highlight how managers can do well. Most importantly, they need to have high emotional intelligence for better results, stay calm during tough times, be a force and set a great example for their team. Managers should take ownership of each one of their teammates’ for the good or bad they do and teach their teammates to deliver the best outcomes.
Conclusively, collaboration, conviction, and zeal to learn can take people to places where they can produce the best of their work and get rewarded. The firsts are usually difficult, but once an individual gets the hang of it in the first 90 days as a manager will become easier and achieve in their jobs like no other. Congrats on getting appointed as a Manager! There is exposure for all managers to witness things like none other.
