It is a great achievement to become a new manager. You have clearly worked hard to push your career forward and you have been rewarded for it. However the job is one of the most stressful that you can undertake. This becomes especially true for the very first month your new job. You will find yourself trying to keep your head above the water for the better part here. So here are 7 things that we believe you must do during this hard first month as a new manager. Start dressing your part If you do not present yourself as a leader, you will not be seen as such. How can you dress the part? Well that really differs according to where you work. You should take a good look at how the other leaders dress in the workplace and follow suit, literally. Do not build friendships, build professional relationships Your task as a manager is to drive performance and building friendships will stop you from offering direct feedback that will be taken seriously. This is why strong professional relationships are better. Be friendly yes, but do not become friends. The vast majority of your conversations should revolve around work and not personal agenda. Maintain visibility A lot of the success that you feel experience is owing to actually showing up. Staying visible to your team as a manager is really important, the more visible you are, the better connected your team will be to you. Do spend some time speaking with your employees informally on a daily basis. Always clarify expectations with the boss If you have just been promoted, you will have a new boss and therefore, it is exceedingly important that you clarify the expectations with them. You will need to understand the right priorities and the goals as well as performances expected. You should also clarify before making major changes. Now establish group norms and expectations with the team Once you know what the boss needs, you need to sit down with your team and clarify these expectations with them. Share the goals and the performances expected. Set one on one meetings if required. Family time is family time Don’t let the pressures of the new job drag you away from your loved ones. Set time to spend with your family and friends without making work an interruption. It will help boost your mental and emotional health as much as possible Keep learning A sign of a good leader is that they are keen to learn. Continued education is a must as you learn the ropes of your new position and make no mistake, this is the way to progress.