What's one thing every new manager should do in their first week?
Practical, field-tested actions for new managers who want to earn trust fast.
Hey Titans,
One thing that’s been lately on my mind is the beginnings of my management path… how it all started and if given the chance, what I’d want to do better from Day 1.
Needless to say—a lot 😅
“Is there a list of actions for a newly crowned leader to take for the strongest start?” is the challenge that I set out to tackle in the last few days. I believe it’s necessary to share my personal pointers on not only what I’d do differently, but more importantly what has worked out great, too!
If you, my dear reader have recently been promoted from an IC role or just joined a new company as a seasoned leader, your first few days will set the tone with the team. I’ve been there—and I’ll tell you the one thing I wish every manager knew from Day 1.
My first week as a manager? A rollercoaster.
Starting a new job as a manager can feel incredibly overwhelming! I remember my first managerial role—it was terrifying 😅
I had many questions in my mind with no clear answers:
How should I establish the right relationship with my now former peers?
How can I demonstrate that I'm the right person for this role?
What should I focus on besides coding? After all, coding skills got me promoted, but now I have no idea what else being a manager involves, help!
During evenings when I would be pondering about what happened at work, I kept imagining how much efficiently and gracefully I would handle some difficult situations.
Years later, after coaching dozens of managers and leading interdisciplinary teams, I’ve learned one truth:
Every new manager should do everything in their power to start building their trust capital as soon as possible.
Why does trust matter so much?
Many new managers make two basic mistakes:
They don't build trust with their team;
They aren't open about their plans and decisions.
The result? A slow-motion trainwreck:
Difficulty leading—because you need your team to believe in and support your goals. No trust, no buy-in!
Decreased performance—without effective leadership, setting expectations and giving feedback becomes ineffective. As a result, a manager struggles to drive performance.
Limited visibility—Greater impact leads to increased organizational visibility. And don't say "This doesn't apply to me, I'm a new startup CTO with a small team"—it absolutely does! Unless your team delivers excellent work, you're less likely to positively impact your clients' lives, which inadvertently weakens your personal brand.
Unfortunately, directors (or managers of managers) rarely provide clear guidance for those first few days. The expectation is that you'll figure it out on your own.
From my observations, managers new to the job usually start their managerial career to sticking to what they know best—contributing individually. It makes sense because it’s what got them promoted in the first place. Paradoxically, it’s not setting them up for success as engineering managers!
If you stick to what got you promoted (like coding or firefighting), you’ll stay stuck as a glorified IC.
Let me tell you one thing—it's far better to start building your leadership from day one.
How to start filling your trust chest: A 3-step plan
But first—let’s get one thing clear: Trust is your leadership currency.
*Think of trust capital like a chest you carry into your new role. Every action that builds credibility—listening, being transparent, following through—drops another coin into that chest.
The more coins you collect, the more “purchasing power” you have to make changes, ask for support, and lead through challenges. No coins? No influence.*
So… how do you start filling that chest in your very first week?
1. Run insightful 1:1s
Schedule a 1:1 with all of your direct reports—get to know everyone.
During your conversation, make sure to ask the following question:
“If we made just one change to how this team works, what would make the biggest difference for you?”
Why it works:
It shows you care.
It gives you insights to improve the team.
It signals you’re thinking like a manager, not an individual contributor.
I trust that you have enough empathy and curiosity to learn about others and hear their stories, though there’s one universal truth—you only have one chance to make a good first impression.
⚡️ Titan tip: phrasing the question this way stimulates creativity and helps envision positive outcomes under your leadership. While they may not say it directly, their answers reveal what they expect from you as their manager.
2. Share what you heard
Once you’ve gathered insights, synthesize them into 2–3 key themes.
Then play them back to your team and peers. This can be in a form of a or a quick sync, nothing too fancy. The important thing is to acknowledge everyone’s point of view.
Try something like:
“Here’s what I heard in my 1:1s—some things we could improve. Let me know what I missed.”
Why it matters:
It demonstrates active listening.
It makes your early leadership visible.
It shows you’re building from the inside out, not dictating from above.
Once you finalize all of your 1:1s, it’s time to condense all of the precious feedback that you got into and project it to the entire company. What’s the best form of that?
3. Publish your 30-60-90 plan
Write down your goals for the next three months: how you’ll learn, build relationships, and improve the team.
Then—here’s the key—share it publicly.
Post it in Slack. Drop it in Notion. Send it via email. Let your:
Team
Cross-functional partners
And even your manager’s peers
…see what you’re up to!
Such transparency allows everyone to see what you’re up to, sets expectations and shows you’re serious about leading with intent, with positive change in mind.
Leadership isn’t a solo sport
It’s not necessary to have all the answers in week 1. But you do need to show people that you’re here to lead, not just manage tasks.
Start with earning trust. If you do that, everything else becomes easier—strategy, feedback, accountability, and eventually, impact.
⚡️ Titan Challenge: Create your own 30-60-90 day plan based on my personal template (link). I've used this with one of my teams to great success. It reflects the real objectives I set!