First Meeting as a New Manager – 5 Things NOT to Do

First Meeting as a New Manager – Mistakes to Avoid

The first meeting as a new manager can make or break your first impression with your team.  We know from people manager assessment data that so much depends on first impressions with your new direct reports. Why? Because people tend to size each other up quickly and first impressions are very difficult to reverse or undo.  Opinions are often formed quickly based on appearance, communication style and body language.

The first meeting as a new manager sets the tone for how your team relates to you as a new supervisor and how you work together going forward. So you want to get it right.

5 Things You Must Know for Your First Meeting as a New Manager

Based upon feedback from thousands of new manager training participants, here are 5 ways NOT to behave if you want your initial meeting as a new people manager to go well:

1.  DO NOT Be rude and disrespectful
This may seem elementary. But there are lots of ways you can show a lack of respect simply by not using good manners. If you are late to the meeting, for instance, it is only common courtesy to apologize. Otherwise it indicates to your team that you don’t value their time as much as your own. Or let’s say you interrupt someone when they are speaking. How do you think that makes them feel? And if you don’t repair the damage right away, your team may see you as impatient and unwilling to listen to others’ thoughts. Neither of these traits will serve you or your well as you try to work together toward a common goal.

2.  DO NOT Talk too much about yourself
Certainly your team will want a brief description of your background and, when appropriate, your working style and your vision for the team charter. But this is as much your opportunity to learn about them as their opportunity to learn about you. Leave your leadership ego behind, ask thoughtful questions, and spend more time listening and learning than talking. The team will see that you want to build a collaborative team that is greater than the sum of its parts.

3.  DO NOT Trash the previous manager
You may have been brought in to “fix” a broken team, but it is extremely bad form to trash talk the person whose position you now hold. Such disrespectful talk will make your new team members wonder how quickly you’d turn on them. By the same token, you should not allow unproductive finger pointing. Have one-on-one engagement meetings with your direct reports. Then they can fill you in on what they think needs to be improved. The focus should always be what you can do together to do it better in the future.

4.  DO NOT Underestimate your team
Just because the team struggled before to achieve their goals does not mean they are incapable or unwilling. It is your job as manager to harness their talent and energy and support them as they reach ever higher. They will be far more inspired when you set forth a company vision of the future than if you scold them for the past.

5.  DO NOT Appear apathetic
The team is watching you closely for clues as to how you will lead them. This is the time to show enthusiasm for your new role, your new colleagues, and for your future together. Make sure they see you as someone who is glad to be there, who is eager to learn about each and every one of them, and who has confidence that you can successfully navigate the path forward together.

The Bottom Line

Don’t make being a new people manager harder than it needs to be. Think carefully through how you want to be perceived and make sure that first impression of you is a positive one.

To learn more about your first meeting as a new manager, download 3 Must-Have Ingredients of High Performing Teams for New Managers