I am about to start my new job as IT manager in logistics company, with 2 members of my team. What would be the best way to spend first month (or three?) on new job?
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I stand behind that performing any sort of staff assesment in your _first month_ as an IT manager is a bad idea. Just for an example, they might have performed one three weeks ago...assuming that you never bothered to find out it is easy to make a fool out of yourself. Or they perform one at every year that is a part of their yearly appraisal.
"Does this new guy thinks that he knows it all?" -- you will not gain any trust by showing your incompetence in your first month on the job ;-)
Thats the first question. If it was poor performance top management should be able to indicate.
If it was due to them not being ablt to control their staff or the same just dont have the abilities such assesments WILL be a disaster. You may even have staff who believe they should have been promoted and were not. I agree a NO NO to assesments.
To investigate and establish the worth of each is a must but not in such a manner.
Rather take an existing situation or project and have a brain-storming workshop and let them do the talking to access who gets involved, the talkers, the do-ers, the thinkers and lastly but most importantly the ones who "idle but survive" those are your danger kids on the block. They will hang you in a day.
I think an assessment is necessary - but maybe not in a formal way. Maybe more of asking what you do, what you can do, what you can do well (in your own opinion), what you want to do, what you don't like to do, what you were expecting to do but were never allowed to do, etc. Without making it sound like an Inquisition. In fact, many people would like the chance to speak about their skill set and their personal growth goals. It might be written down in a review somewhere, but there is nothing like getting it first hand.
I agree with mike to an extent, you need this information early on to prevent you from asking too much from them. It is about how you ask for it. Rather than the formality of a "skills matrix" I prefer an informal chat 1 to 1, explaining why you are asking often helps. This info is vital to make the most of your team and provide the best level of service to users. **** i have once fired a techie in my first week because he was not upto the job & a liability!
StephanS has this nailed. Most other comments are right too. However, you are only new once, you're in a uniqe period where people will be watching you to see what you are made of. Some will give you the benefit of the doubt, others will want to scupper you from the off. Find one of these quick wins Stepan talks about and implemet it in the style you want to set for the rest of your tenure. But do it soon, the hneymoon factor will mean you get to do it; once you've been there for six months you loose the momentum a new manager brings. The time for change is not today, but its gone in six months if you haven't done anything by then...
1. Make sure that you are fully informed and you understand the goals set forth by senior management.
2. Learn about the history of the department. Try to learn about past successes/ caveats.
3. Take out your team for a dinner. Learn how they see the status of things and what they expect from you. A question: "What do you expect from a good management?" is a good way to start. Introduce yourself - don't stick behind and wait - make sure you introduce yourself properly. Learn what people do, how they see the company and compare for yourself vision and goals of your staff and vision of senior management.
4. Mention the way you operate - in many organizations people are used to work one specific way - many times when you try to change things you will meet "walls of resistance". 1|2|3 should give you enough information to reckognise whether this is a case at your new job.
5. Ask senior management about your team on individual basis and combine it with step 3. Perform a first "light" assesment of your staff only FYI, for now.
6. Money. Being manager is about the money (but you know that) - Ask questions regarding how does the internal finance flow looks like.
7. Where does the organization want to be in 3 years? ..You need to understand the vision, asses it and eventually come up with a plan.
8. A lot for your first month? Your first month defines your career at new company. I don't want to stress you out but it is true. Remember that you will be assessed by your staff more that you will assess anything yourself. You fail getting your (initial) respect and you can pack it up. Also find out if there are internal management HRM procedures. If there are, learn them by heart.
9. Don't promise anything - you promise anything in your first month and you will be hanging yourself....remember - road to **** is paved with good intentions...be smart.
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How to spend first month?
What would be the best way to spend first month (or three?) on new job?