HR EDGE OS
First 90 Days as a New Manager
For the person who was great at the job and just got the team.
Days 1–30 — Shut up and listen
- 1:1 with every direct report. One question: “What should I know that nobody will tell me?”
- Change nothing yet — even the obvious stuff. Write it down instead.
- Find out what your predecessor promised people. Those promises are yours now.
- Ask your boss: “What does this team need to do in the next 6 months for you to call it a win?”
Days 31–60 — Pick your one thing
- The ONE thing I'm fixing first:
- It's something the team already complains about (fixing their problem buys trust; fixing your pet peeve spends it)
- You've stopped doing your old job — name who owns each piece you handed off
- You've had the awkward conversation with the peer who also wanted this role (if there is one)
Days 61–90 — Set the standard
- Corrective feedback delivered at least once. In private, specific, within 48 hours of the thing.
- Praise delivered at least three times. Specific, and public when you can.
- Your calendar shows it: more than half your time on team, less than half on tasks
- The thing I'm still doing that I should be delegating:
The trap
- •The #1 new-manager failure is staying the best individual contributor on the team. Nobody promotes the team's best doer twice. They promote the person whose team performs.