Meet your team

Whether you are a project, delivery, or team manager, the chances are that you will have a group of people to manage, and be part of a team yourself.

It's important to meet both these groups on your first day, and to do so deliberately rather than by chance. From an employee and career perspective, these are also your key stakeholders and you will be working closely with them throughout your time at the company.

So, proactively go introduce yourself to your peers. Ask your fellow Project Managers what they are working on and what they think of the ways of working. What are the things to look out for?

If you are a Team Manager, make sure you meet each of your development team members individually where possible. Similar to your first meeting with your manager, set an open and inviting tone to establish a good working relationship. Try to understand them as individuals and build rapport with them by active listening and sharing your own background as an experienced developer where appropriate.

As a Team Manager, your team members are your most valuable asset and your biggest responsibility.

The act of taking the time to meet each team member already tells them that you care about them. There's never a bad time to show or remind your team members that you care about them and about the team.

Regardless of style and methods, a caring manager can get the best performance from team members because they can motivate them through more than just reward and punishment, or "carrot and stick". So, show them that you care on your first day, in the same way that your manager has shown you.