The First-time Manager’s Roadmap

Guiding the Manager-Direct Report Connection

February 25, 2025

As your time as a new manager progresses, you’ll build confidence and learn a lot to refine your leadership approach. In our last post, we featured tips on bringing a new employee on board, outlining some key steps to get off to a strong start. As you and your not-so-new direct report achieve a more steady state of working together, you’ll continue to hone your skills as a manager. Whether you’re managing one direct report, or a growing team, there are additional skills you should add to your repertoire so you and your team are achieving your objectives.

We first met Lynn in our post about onboarding a new direct report. After bringing Chuck onboard to her firm, Lynn continued to look for ways to bring Chuck up to speed:

Lynn looked over the onboarding plan she created for Chuck. She double checked that he took all the steps to understand the organization’s culture, that he met with colleagues and senior leaders and was familiar with company policies and procedures. She kept up her 1:1 meetings with him, and she thought they were helpful in communicating her expectations. She was even able to delegate a few of her project components to him.

Two months after completing the onboarding steps, Chuck started to slip back into some old habits. He started using his personal computer again for data analysis and presentations to customers, he missed important deadlines and began to show some signs of low engagement, such as starting the workday around 10:00 am. These missteps forced Lynn to work late into the evenings and on the weekends. She didn’t know how talk to Chuck about it, because she thought that the window to orient him to his job had passed. She wanted to help him understand not only the impact of his work habits and use of personal computer, but also that she was trying to help him succeed professionally. She believed that with the right guidance, Chuck could find his footing.

Challenges with a direct report can be overwhelming. You want to set the right tone and be motivating, but you also want to send a clear signal to get back on the right track. Remembering why you brought the employee into the role and linking that up with the objectives for your team will help you focus on delivering the right messages in the right way. Here are some key tips as you think about your approach to building a strong steady state collaboration with your direct reports.

Tip #1: Set the stage for regular, constructive feedback

Constructive feedback is essential, and it should become part of your routine discussions with your direct report. This is especially important during the early days when your direct report is learning, and during times when your direct report is not meeting expectations. Providing consistent and constructive feedback gives your direct report a firm understanding of your expectations and allows you to address issues promptly rather than waiting for performance reviews.

Remember! Follow these pointers for effective feedback:

Feedback can be positive! Recognize achievements, both small and large, to build confidence and highlight positive behaviors.
Feedback can be developmental! When a project deadline is missed, a communication goes awry or work habits start to slip, address it with actionable suggestions.
Be specific! Avoid generalities and point to a specific example or observation. Instead of telling your employee, “You need to improve your timeliness,” try “We have a deliverable to the customer this Friday. Let’s make sure we have our part done by noon on Friday so we have time to review it together.”
Be Consistent! In the beginning, consider providing feedback at each of your regular 1:1 meetings. Setting the right cadence of frequent, small adjustments will be far more effective than infrequent but larger corrections.

There are several feedback devices that managers use to remember how to provide feedback. One method is to remember the SCIence of providing feedback. S is for the situation – provide feedback with real-life context. C is for the content – what happened and why it was right (or wrong). And I is for the impact – what are the consequences of making a change?

Tip #2: Set the stage for your own feedback

As a new manager, you will want to be open to feedback from those you lead. I remember the first time I asked my direct reports for feedback on my management style. They were shocked because no manager had ever asked them before. This step immediately opened up our trust and ability to help each other improve. Managers should be open to direct reports’ input because it will help them understand the needs of their team and to grow as a leader. Being open to feedback demonstrates humility and shows an investment in fostering a transparent and respectful working environment.

Remember! Pointers for receiving feedback as a manager:

Ask specific questions: Try to focus on specific areas that you want to develop. Questions such as, “How do you feel about the level of direction I’m providing on projects?” can help hone in on key managerial skills.
Create a safe to speak up culture: There are many ways to provide feedback. The best way to have an open dialog. However, if your team members are hesitant to offer feedback face-to-face, you could create an anonymous survey or a feedback form, or ask a trusted colleague or mentor to collect feedback from your team. Reassure your direct reports that honest feedback, positive or constructive, is valued.
Be ready to demonstrate change: After receiving feedback, let your team know what you heard from them. Tell them about the actions will you take because of their feedback. Your team can be important accountability partners as you grow as a leader.

Tip #3: Build your collaborative relationship over time

Over time, you and your direct reports should reach a productive “steady-state” relationship – where both of you are understanding, efficient, and mutually supportive. In the life cycle of a working relationship, this phase can be either a sustained growth phase or a prolonged maturity phase. Either way, you’ll build upon the good practices you’ve established and adapt as your direct report gains confidence and experience, and you continue to evolve your leadership style.

Remember! Pointers for nurturing the “steady-state”:

Encourage initiative: As your team member gains experience, foster an encouraging environment where they can take ownership of their projects and contribute new ideas. Delegating and providing autonomy allows your direct report to strengthen engagement and grow.
Share accountability: You and your direct reports have a joint accountability for your team’s objectives. You will share in both successes and setbacks. Reinforcing that you all have an impact on the result will help everyone on the team feel invested in their work and show that you’re a team working toward the same goals.
Celebrate milestones: It’s important to recognize progress along the way, and not just at the end of a project or at a final deliverable. Take the time to celebrate small wins for individuals, small groups and the entire team to keep the energy high.

The Long-Term Benefits of Getting It Right

Employing these tips for yourself and for your team will pay dividends for the months and years to come. Let’s check back in on Lynn and her evolving relationship with her direct report, Chuck:

Lynn made a conscious effort to increase the frequency of touchpoints with Chuck. She held regular 1:1s with him, caught up with him for coffee when they were in the office together and sent regular check-in messages to him on Teams. She focused on providing on-the-spot feedback to Chuck, zeroing in on the timeliness of his deliverables and following the company policy about the use of his personal computer.

Lynn learned that Chuck was struggling to keep up with project timelines because he wasn’t used to working with the urgency demanded by their customers’ deadlines. While Lynn reinforced her expectations about meeting deadlines and the impact of missed deadlines on the firm, she viewed this as a turning point. As they talked through the latest customer deliverable, Lynn suggested they create a more structured timeline together. Lynn put in more interim steps, so that the overall timeline was less overwhelming. She provided support so that Chuck was able to clearly see the time Lynn needed to review the report before it went to the customer. They agreed on weekly check-ins to review the progress to the next interim step.

Although the issues weren’t resolved overnight, Lynn was somewhat relieved after their conversation. She had set and reinforced clear expectations, and she followed it up with an email of the timeline so they both had a copy of what they agreed to. Lynn used the timeline as a reference point in her touchpoints with Chuck, so she could reinforce the importance of their work together to meet the deadline. Lynn was hopeful that they were on a good path toward a steady, collaborative working relationship.

Call to Action

To strengthen your people manager skills and establish optimal working relationships with your new team, follow these next steps:

Think about your entire team. Where are the people, projects and deliverables that require your attention? What is working well?
Get ready for feedback. Let your direct reports know what your expectations are for their projects and performance. Provide constructive feedback when your team members need guidance. Don’t forget to recognize your team members who are already performing well.
Agree on action plans. Building an action plan with your direct report is a powerful way to gain alignment and mutual investment. Be sure to have a written set of next steps that you can reference together.

By focusing on clear communication, constructive feedback, and a genuine interest in your direct report’s growth, you’ll foster a work environment where they can reach their potential. As you become confident in your role as a manager, you will recognize that you can take on the many leadership challenges you’ll tackle in the years to come.