Once you have a higher-level job offer in hand (manager), the first thing to do is pause and take a step back. Your efforts so far have concentrated on selling yourself to the company and learning enough about it to know you are interested in the position. Now you need to gather some additional information to make sure it’s the right company and management team with the right attitude. Here are smart steps you should take:
Interview the management team.
Ask the company for additional meetings beyond the regular interviews so you can determine whether your prospective employer is ready for the most recent management/system concept that you may want to implement on the company. Don’t worry if you find management doesn’t have a good understanding of the concept . That’s an easier problem to solve than a lack of commitment; a little education on your part will resolve the issue.
Determine management’s motivation.
Finding out why management is hiring a new manager; It may have had a bad experience with the previous manager, or it because of the management need to fill a new department that never been exist before which believed as it will supporting the company growth and thus is not fully prepared for the consequences of having a thorough and active department.
Establish your timetable.
Find out their expectations but lay out a clear timetable of when you can realistically be up and running. This means different things to different people. It can mean fully staffed and just starting the roles. The best strategy when setting expectations is to make sure you can beat them.
Know your constraints.
Find out up front what kind of problems you might encounter. Will you face staff or budget restrictions? Will line management resist your recommendations even if senior management supports them? Can you hire the level and type of people you want? Will the company be attractive to potential candidates? When trying to attract top-quality candidates, it can be very important to differentiate your work environment and create an atmosphere that’s different from others.
Kick Start and keep it in quick progress
Now that you’ve done your pre-acceptance and know it’s the right place for you, how do you get started? Clearly, the first 30 days are the most important. First impressions are difficult to change. There are several things you need to do right away, including educating management, recruiting staff and scoping and developing the concept you are bringing in (you should have).
Show progress quickly.
This important goal is often challenging, as a thorough roles/projects can take several months to complete, not to mention the difficulties of getting the department properly staffed. Some early quick hits can be as simple as communicating your mission statement, scope of work and the type of services you’ll provide.
Recruit the necessary staff.
This is clearly the hardest and most time-consuming part of the job, but it’s also the most important. All are key traits your team will need and this strategy has worked very well for us. But, in a start-up function, you also need experienced self-starters and who can represent the department well.
Educate management.
Everyone has his or her own view of any concept; some may be valid while others may be way off base. You need to quickly educate management on your view of the current and potential issues. A good time to do this is while meeting with managers to scope their areas.
Common “Manners—Mistakes” by New Managers
Little etiquette errors can diminish your image and, eventually, your power. Be careful to:
[-]. Recognize subordinates when passing them in a hall and receptionists when entering offices.
[-]. Silence your cell phone and beeper during meetings.
[-]. Take invitations from subordinates seriously.
[-]. Return phone calls or e-mails within a reasonable time.
[-]. Make an adequate apology when you hurt someone. If the gaffe was serious, a handwritten note, and even a small gift, is not too much.Listen to subordinates and make time to talk to them
For further reading, as a new manager you may interested in knowing about effective time management managers should implement, and 3 practices to become a better manager (taken from Peter Drucker's wisdom).
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