Month 2: Establish Your Approach

• Set up regular 1:1 cadence (weekly, 30 minutes minimum)
• Clarify team priorities and your management philosophy
• Identify quick wins that build trust
• Start building relationships with peer managers

Month 3: Execute

• Address the most impactful team issue you've identified
• Begin giving regular, specific feedback
• Set clear goals and expectations for Q2
• Evaluate team structure and identify gaps

Core Management Skills

1. The 1:1 Meeting

This is your most important tool. Structure:

• Their agenda first (not yours)
• Career development (monthly)
• Feedback exchange (ongoing)
• Blockers and support needs

2. Giving Feedback

Use the SBI model:

• Situation: "In yesterday's sprint review..."
• Behavior: "You presented the technical analysis clearly and answered questions confidently..."
• Impact: "This helped the stakeholders approve the project direction."

3. Delegation

The biggest struggle for former ICs. You must:

• Delegate outcomes, not tasks
• Accept that others will do things differently than you would
• Resist the urge to jump in and fix code

4. Hiring

You'll spend 20-30% of your time recruiting. Build a clear rubric, involve the team, and prioritize culture fit alongside technical skills.

Common Mistakes

• Continuing to code instead of managing
• Micromanaging technical decisions
• Avoiding difficult conversations
• Not delegating enough
• Comparing your output to when you were an IC

Resources for New Managers

• "The Manager's Path" by Camille Fournier
• "An Elegant Puzzle" by Will Larson
• "Radical Candor" by Kim Scott

The transition is challenging, but the impact you can have through a high-performing team is far greater than what any individual contributor can achieve alone.

Two skills that don't show up in management books but matter immediately: managing up — your relationship with your skip-level changes everything — and building executive presence, which is less about charisma and more about how you show up when the stakes are high.