struggling - new in role

[Maxim79]

Hi I have started a new senior role, struggling. what would you expect a new senior person to do? feel I am just clocking in and out currently ...

I think it totally depends on the sort of job you do. I work for a church and a senior role here will be v different to that in a law firm or a hospital.

I would suppose common themes would be managing own time well, managing a team, setting goals and working towards them?

Read any strategy documents relevant to your role and identify a plan to achieve them.

Schedule short 1:1 meetings with other senior colleagues to find out about them : their roles (and sneakily understand what their expectations of you / your role are).

Get up to date with HR / line management files for the people you manage...

Try to find out about other stakeholders / external partners etc who you will have a r/ship with and arrange to visit them.

Visit external / remote sites within the organisation.

(though as pp said, we're totally stabbing in the dark without knowing your actual job!)

And congratulations on the new role!

Don't panic.. new jobs with limited structure can be daunting...don't expect to know everything straight away.

Like pp says.. use your early days to investigate, assess & determine what your plans and priorities are.

Understand the lay of the land before making any drastic changes!

First 30 days for a senior role should be-

Week 1- introductions to your key stakeholders, interview them, find out how they fit with your objectives. If you're very senior you probably won't have tasks - so clarify with your manager what they expect you to do. Ensure you meet with all employees 1-2-1.

Week 2 - look at the AOP, accounts, and business plan for your function/business. How does it fit in with the one at corporate level? Identify any quick wins - could you save a significant amount of money by implenting/honing a new process immediately? For example an old boss saved £100k immediately in his first month by banning 1st class travel in expenses in his area. He generated a lot of good will by doing this. Start thinking about what you want to achieve. Good opportunity to manage up with your boss - ask them if you can help with anything else.

Week 3 - Start creating a plan with major objectives - mix of personal ones that you create, and ones given to you by senior management. Show this to your manager for feedback and their input. Involve your employees for their inputs in areas that concern them.

Week 4- deliver any quick wins. As a senior manager your employees might also be senior - best to empower them. Any work you need them to deliver put the onus on them to achieve it within their teams.