New Hire (First Week is Critical)

It's Monday morning and a new teammate is joining your department. She reports to you and will manage a very important team under your scope. IT has been contacted to setup a laptop, software, phone, and HR has a number of orientation meetings setup during the week. But have you thought about sitting with your new hire during the first week and detailing the major "anatomy" of the position and your expectations? The first week is critical to help set tone, and share thoughts and your vision, which will be referenced to as the teammate get her arms around the new assignment. For your new hire, her continued success boils down to four very important functions.
(1) Project Management. Remind your new hire that what got her to this next step in her career is her skills to manage a number of actions and priorities, and the interpersonal skills to work with all stakeholders to get the job done. Her project management skills are essential for her present assignment.
(2) Managerial Skills. Solid managerial skills are essential for hiring, growing and sustaining staff . Make clear that one of the underpinnings of success will come from managing, recruiting, inspiring and retaining her talent.
(3) Strategic Leadership. As your new manager gains operational control of her department, eventually she will gain enough experience to think strategically (or better, will bring this insight on day-one). Point out that she has the authority and responsibility to help develop the department's charter and future development path.
(4) Department "Face." Point out that she is the "face" of the department. Her tone and action set the stage concerning how her team will act and work. Also, remind her that she is the department representative so how your new manager interacts during intra-department meetings will reflect directly on her department.

The first week of any new job is challenging. Sitting down with your new hire during the first week and identifying the anatomy of the new position will shorten the time required to get her hands around the new assignment and and shorten the time to success.

--Raj