New Manager On-boarding Checklist

Introduction

The process known as New Manager On-boarding is generally thought of as a great way to inject new energy and take the company to new heights. Companies with the right guidance can soar while companies with weak, ineffective leadership may flounder and struggle.

New Manager On-boarding can be an exciting time, or it can cause turmoil. Handling the process appropriately can be the determinative factor. Using an On-boarding Checklist is a sure way to cover all the details.

Your process must cover every pertinent detail new managers need to insure a smooth transition. That is why it must be a well thought out process with special attention to details. Think of it as your First Day Checklist.

The management on-boarding checklist, or your First Day Checklist, provided below helps ensure new management hiring and on-boarding goes smoothly.

Checklist

Company Mission and Core Values

Company mission and core values must be named, stressed and reviewed from the first interview and at every step up to and including hiring and onboarding. Mission and values must be directly spoken to the management candidate until he can repeat them in his sleep.

To hire management who does not understand and agree with the company mission and operating principles is foolhardy. It invites conflict. Do not ever hire management that you have to win over or bring around to the company’s way of thinking.

Highlight Company Culture

Every company has its own culture just like every company has its own personality. Company ownership is generally responsible for establishing company culture and personality.

New hires are entering what is to them an unknown societal structure.Not being familiar with the hierarchy and how it functions can cause personal offense and misunderstanding.

Take the time to acquaint new management with the company personality and its personalities. New managers can then more skillfully navigate within the company structure without the risk of personally offending someone.

State Monthly, Quarterly and Annual Expectations

This is a BIG one. It, like company mission and core values, must be reiterated from the beginning. No new manager should ever be able to truthfully say he did not know what was expected of him.

If he can, there is a glaring shortcoming somewhere within the company hiring process. Specific goals, required results, and strategies to accomplish required results are absolutely essential details of the on-boarding process.

TeamMember Overview with Accountability Chart

Every new manager must know his team. He also must know each team member’s role and the parameters of that role. Team accountability must be specific and have a name attached to it. Clearly defining roles, and the accompanying responsibilities for those roles, enables pinpoint management.

An accountability chart affords managers a clear summary of the entire production process which he is tasked with overseeing. Knowing team members and their expected contributions identifies for the new manager all responsible actors.

He can then accurately identify team strengths and weaknesses. When the mission train runs off the rails, he can peg the responsible party(s) and more quickly correct production issues.

Every On boarding Checklist must include accountability so the manager has some sense of how to direct, correct and guide the business.

Schedule One-On-One Meetings with the Leadership Team, Co-workers, and Team Members

This item goes hand-in-hand with the team member overview and accountability chart. Team meetings blanket cover accountability. The new management must then meet each team member one-on-one to establish personal, individual accountability.

This meeting must cover again the team member’s role and responsibilities. It needs to be in writing and require a dated signature. The dated signature should become part of the worker’s hiring packet.

This is also the time to answer any questions and clear up any misunderstandings. The team member must leave this meeting clear and not confused about his contribution(s) to the team.

These one-on-one meetings are also an excellent opportunity for the new management to establish camaraderie between the company and its management.

Face to face is the most effective way to establish these commitments.Admonish role players to stay out of the he-said, she-said mode of communication. Establish and welcome open communication within reason.

Overview of Ongoing Meeting Cadence

Team meetings help maintain congruence of mission within the company.Team meetings remind everyone of the overall mission, and they get to see the broader view of its progress.

Go over the regularly scheduled meetings agenda. Stress the central importance of these meetings and the time they save. Make sure new managers understand their meeting attendance responsibilities.

Principles of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Review in detail with every newly hired manager the company’s Entrepreneurial Operating System, its EOS. This is one of the best ways to solidify team unity and drastically increase its effectiveness. Present the six ingredient model to every manager.

Overview of Company Goals and Weekly Reporting Scorecard

Of course, what good is a process with six elements if there is no way of tracking the progress the company is making with the process? There must be a system for measuring progress, an accounting.

Whittle & Partners describe the importance of reflective and predictive data. They particularly stress the importance of the predictive data an EOS provides.

While knowing where you have been does not predict where you will go,reflective data has its role. It just cannot tell you what you are doing right now. It is like an indicator in a trading chart.

Indicators tell the trader what the currency has done in the past.They are called lagging because they only trail the market. Current,in-the-moment data give you a handle on the current path. That is the true value of an EOS weekly scorecard.

Company Policies

Company policies are the rudder of the company vessel. Policies express to workers the operating principles of the company mission. Every on-boarding manager must learn and embrace them fully.

Make policy acquaintance an important factor for all new management.Again, this is required information starting early in the on-boarding process.If you detect new manager reluctance about company policy, this is not a good sign.

Financial Responsibilities

Money is the central purpose of the business. People start businesses to make money. Any new management must show exemplary fiduciary integrity and diligence. For managers, handling anything finance-related should be a litmus test.

A manager’s attitude toward budget, expenses and all other money-related matters is a pretty good indication of his management style in general. If an on-boarding manager is lax in this area, he is generally lax with other essential management qualities.