Your first staff meeting as a new manager can feel intimidating—you’re walking into a room (or Zoom call) full of new faces, expectations, and, let's face it, a little pressure. You want to connect with your team, share your vision, and set the tone for how you'll work together—all while making a great impression and staying approachable. How? It’s not as simple as just winging it, but it can be more intuitive than you think.
Keep reading for some tips to help you ace your first meeting with employees as a new manager and set a positive tone from the start.
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Your first staff meeting as a new manager matters—here’s why
As a new manager, your first day meeting with a new team is an opportunity to set the tone for your leadership. It's not just about introducing yourself and sharing information, it's about:
- Establishing trust and credibility: Your team members will likely have questions about your leadership style. Will you be approachable? Decisive? Fair? This meeting is an opportunity to foster open and transparent communication fosters trust—a cornerstone of any high-performing team.
- Aligning expectations: Every team benefits from clear expectations. Use this first meeting with a new team to outline your vision and goals, and invite team members to share their expectations of you as their manager. This encourages accountability and helps ensure everyone is on the same page from the start.
- Setting the tone: The tone you set in your first meeting with new staff—whether formal or casual—will shape how your team interacts with you moving forward. Striking the right balance between authority and approachability will help you create an environment where feedback and collaboration thrive.
In short, a successful new manager's first meeting with staff sets the stage for open communication and lays a solid foundation of trust and collaboration.
How to ace your first staff meeting as a new manager
When you’re heading into your first meeting with a new team as a manager, preparation, empathy, and clarity are your best friends. These tips will help you foster an open, collaborative environment from the start, ensuring everyone feels aligned and ready to move forward together.
Before the meeting
Understand your team's dynamics
Preparation is key. Understand your team’s dynamics, goals, and challenges before the meeting. Review relevant documents, such as team reports or project updates, to familiarize yourself with their ongoing work.
Create a clear agenda
A well-structured first meeting agenda for a new manager helps keep things on track and ensures all key topics are covered.
While your agenda may vary, a solid one usually includes time for introductions, setting clear expectations, discussing team priorities, outlining next steps, and leaving room for an open Q&A.
Sharing the agenda ahead of time gives your team a heads-up, so they know what to expect and can come prepared. (After all, they're probably feeling a bit anxious or at least curious about this meeting too!)
Here’s an example of what an agenda for a first meeting with a new team could look like:
Subject: First staff meeting
Time: [Insert time]
Location: [Insert location/virtual link]
- Welcome and introductions (10 minutes)
- Sharing my vision for the team (10 minutes)
- Overview of team goals and ongoing projects (15 minutes)
- Open discussion/Q&A (20 minutes)
- Next steps and closing remarks (5 minutes)
Not quite there yet? This might help: The Free Meeting Agenda Template That'll Save You So Much Time
Craft a well-thought-out pre-meeting email
Sending the email a couple of days before the meeting allows your team to prepare and come ready with any questions or topics they might want to discuss. Be clear, approachable, and excited about the upcoming meeting, while also setting expectations around the agenda.
Here's a quick template for that pre-meeting email:
Subject: Excited to meet the team!
Hi team,
I’m thrilled to join [Team name] as your new manager. To kick things off, we’ll have our first team meeting on [Date and time]. This will be an opportunity for me to introduce myself, learn about each of you, and discuss our goals moving forward.
Please find the agenda attached. Feel free to bring any questions or topics you’d like to discuss. Looking forward to connecting with all of you!
Best regards,
[Your name]
During the meeting
Introduce yourself genuinely
How to introduce yourself in the first team meeting? Start by sharing your professional journey—what brought you to this role and what excites you about joining the team. Outline your vision for the role, including your initial priorities and approach to working with the team. Be sure to highlight your leadership philosophy, emphasizing that you're here to support and guide them. This sets the tone for collaboration and openness from the beginning.
Encourage feedback and participation
This isn’t a monologue—it’s a dialogue. Ask open-ended questions to encourage team members to share their thoughts and concerns. During a first meeting with a new team, questions like “What do you feel has been working well in the team?” or “Are there any challenges you’d like to address?” can help spark meaningful conversations. These questions not only foster participation but also give you valuable insights into team dynamics, showing that you’re both approachable and ready to collaborate.
Don’t make premature changes
Approach the discussion with a listening mindset. Rather than jumping straight into making changes, focus on learning and understanding. Be mindful of the existing team dynamics—acknowledge the way your team communicates, collaborates, and tackles challenges. This isn’t the time to make drastic decisions or introduce new strategies; instead, use this meeting to observe how the team functions and where you can offer support.
End it on a positive note
Highlight recent accomplishments, big or small. Recognize completed tasks, goals achieved, or challenges overcome—this reinforces the idea that progress matters and helps set a motivational tone for the team. You could say, “I’ve heard great things about how the team handled [specific task], and I want to give credit where it’s due.”
After the meeting
Follow up with a post-meeting email
After the meeting, send a summary email highlighting the key points discussed, the next steps, and any resources mentioned. This reinforces your commitment to communication and organization.
Here’s a post-meeting email template:
Subject: Follow-up: Team meeting recap
Hi team,
Thank you for a productive first meeting! Here are the key points we discussed:
[Summarize major topics]
[Outline next steps and assignments]
I appreciate your engagement and insights. If you have additional thoughts or questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Looking forward to working together!
Best regards,
[Your name]
For a little extra guidance, read this next: How to Write a Follow-up Email After a Meeting
Moving forward with confidence
As you settle into your new role, keep a few key strategies in mind to maintain momentum after your first staff meeting.
Your first meeting is just the beginning. Pay attention to team dynamics and be ready to adjust your approach as needed. Building strong relationships takes time and effort, so stay engaged and adaptable.
Encourage a culture of learning by soliciting feedback about the meeting itself. For example, you could ask in your first one-on-one meeting with a team member, “Is there anything I can improve for future meetings?”
Remember, your leadership journey is just starting. It’s a path built on trust, mutual respect, and shared accomplishments.