What this is
Six areas every new manager should be deliberate about, relationships, team dynamics, expectations, leadership style, growth, and communication, turned into fill-in actions instead of vague intentions.
When to use it
Use it in your first 30 days as a manager, before "build relationships" and "set expectations" quietly become things you meant to get to.
Common mistake
Writing down a goal like "build relationships" and never turning it into an actual scheduled action, so it never happens.
How to use this
- Download the Word doc
- Turn each of the six goals into one specific action with your own name on it
- Revisit it every 30 days to see what actually got scheduled, not just intended
Six areas worth being deliberate about instead of leaving to instinct. Fill in the specific action for each, a vague goal like "build relationships" doesn't actually get scheduled.
01: Build real relationships
Goal: Establish a genuine connection with each person on my team by [specific action].
· Schedule regular 1:1s and protect them.
· Use active listening instead of waiting for your turn to talk.
· Ask about their goals, not just their current tasks.
· Schedule regular 1:1s and protect them.
· Use active listening instead of waiting for your turn to talk.
· Ask about their goals, not just their current tasks.
02: Understand team dynamics
Goal: Improve team cohesion by [specific action].
· Watch how the team actually interacts day to day, beyond what gets said in meetings.
· Name friction directly instead of hoping it resolves on its own.
· Create space for open discussion when something's off.
· Watch how the team actually interacts day to day, beyond what gets said in meetings.
· Name friction directly instead of hoping it resolves on its own.
· Create space for open discussion when something's off.
03: Set clear expectations
Goal: Align the team on what "good" looks like by [specific action].
· Define real performance expectations per role.
· Be explicit about communication norms and accountability.
· Connect team goals to the actual business objective.
· Define real performance expectations per role.
· Be explicit about communication norms and accountability.
· Connect team goals to the actual business objective.
04: Define your own leadership style
Goal: Lead in a way that's authentically mine, characterized by [specific trait].
· Get honest about your own values and strengths.
· Look for real chances to practice the trait you want to be known for.
· Ask your team directly whether your style is actually landing.
· Get honest about your own values and strengths.
· Look for real chances to practice the trait you want to be known for.
· Ask your team directly whether your style is actually landing.
05: Support real growth
Goal: Help each person develop toward [specific outcome].
· Identify where each person actually wants to grow, not where you assume.
· Pair people up for informal mentorship.
· Make real space and time for it instead of settling for encouragement alone.
· Identify where each person actually wants to grow, not where you assume.
· Pair people up for informal mentorship.
· Make real space and time for it instead of settling for encouragement alone.
06: Build open communication
Goal: Make feedback a normal, two-way habit by [specific action].
· Create an actual channel for it. An open-door policy nobody uses doesn't count.
· Run it on a schedule, not just when something's wrong.
· Respond to what you hear, visibly.
· Create an actual channel for it. An open-door policy nobody uses doesn't count.
· Run it on a schedule, not just when something's wrong.
· Respond to what you hear, visibly.