Reflacto

ENDE
All moments

A new manager

The first weeks with a new manager are a time of getting to know each other: how decisions get made, what counts as a good update, how feedback is given. Much of it you can simply ask about.

Whether you just got a new manager or you are the new one, the conversations you have early are the ones that set the tone.

Which situation are you in?

You have a new manager

The person you report to has changed, whatever your own role.

  • I want to use my first conversations well

    What should your new manager know about your work before the first status update?

    My new manager starts next week and doesn't know my projects yet, including the migration that is at risk...

    Example

  • My new manager expects things my old one didn't

    Maybe the new expectations haven't been said out loud yet. Clarify what has actually changed before deciding where to ask or push back.

    My previous manager wanted a written weekly report. My new manager wants daily updates in the team chat...

    Example

  • Something about how my new manager works bothers me

    One concrete moment is enough to start with, ideally while it still feels small.

    I'm no longer sure my proposals are wanted, and I held back for the rest of the meeting.

    Example

You are the new manager

You have taken over a team, a new one or the one you used to be part of.

  • I have taken over a team and want to understand it

    Silence in your first meetings can mean agreement, but also caution.

    In my first meetings hardly anyone disagreed with me. Problems only reached me later, in one-to-ones...

    Example

  • The team waits for me to decide

    Clear agreements about which decisions stay with the team give everyone confidence.

    Since I started, the team asks me about decisions my predecessor left to them...

    Example

  • My first months are over. What have I learned?

    Take an honest look back before your habits as a new manager settle.

    I wanted to show quickly that I was making a difference, and took the lack of pushback as agreement...

    Example

Something else around the change in management?

Find a fitting method with a few questions.

Find a fitting method

If you feel treated unfairly in the change, you don't have to sort it out alone. HR or the works council can support you.

What helps a good start

  • Talk about old agreements.

    Arrangements with the previous manager don't carry over automatically. Name them and agree which ones still hold.

  • Ask early instead of waiting.

    How the other person likes to work is easier to ask about than to guess.

  • Understand first, then change.

    Knowing why things were done the old way lets you shape changes that respect the team's past work.

  • Keep small things small.

    Raising a specific behavior early and kindly keeps a first impression from setting.

Portrait of Daniel Schmeiß

“Write down expectations together.”

A shared document in which both sides note their expectations makes tangible what each would otherwise only assume.

What I would do differently today

I'd listen first and understand where the other person stands and what they want to achieve, before bringing up my own concerns.

Daniel SchmeißMore about Daniel and Reflacto

More background

The methods behind these reflections

From the blog