What I Learned in My First 100 Days as a Manager

Day 1: Dear Abigail, you are stepping into a brand new department at Apex Solutions in Denver today. You've inherited a team that has been bickering for six months, and disengagement is everywhere. Scott looks like he'll be your biggest nightmare — he hasn't smiled once during onboarding, and he sat in the back of the room crossing his arms. Kyle, on the other hand, seems like an absolute angel who will support every single initiative you introduce without complaining.

Day 30: Dear Abigail, you are exhausted. Your initial listening tour didn't go as smoothly as you'd hoped, and building credibility is harder than it looks. You tried to make your mark too quickly by changing the reporting structure, and now people are holding a grudge against you. Scott surprised you yesterday by staying late to help fix a broken database query. Meanwhile, Kyle has been quietly undermining your new policies behind your back because he hates any form of administrative change.

Day 100: Dear Abigail, what a wild ride this has been. In hindsight, your first impressions were completely upside down. You were bound to make mistakes during that honeymoon period, but you survived. Scott turned out to be your most loyal advocate, never hesitating to tell you the brutal truth when your strategies were failing. Kyle is still taking things personally whenever constructive feedback comes his way, and he tends to read between the lines looking for hidden insults where there are none.

Reflecting on these past three months, I realize that managing people isn't about winning a popularity contest on day one. It's about creating psychological safety at work so that people feel secure enough to admit mistakes and own up to their errors without fear. If I hadn't let go of my early biases, I would've lost Scott's trust entirely. What we need as leaders is less perfection and far more patience with the messy reality of human dynamics.

Read again and choose the right answer

What was Abigail's initial impression of Scott on Day 1?

• She thought he would be her biggest nightmare.
• She believed he would support every initiative.
• She assumed he wanted her job.

What did Scott do that surprised Abigail around Day 30?

• He resigned from the company.
• He stayed late to help fix a database query.
• He organized a welcome party for her.

How did Kyle behave as the weeks went on?

• He became the top salesperson in the office.
• He worked closely with Scott to improve morale.
• He undermined new policies and took feedback personally.

What is Abigail's main conclusion after her first 100 days?

• Managing people requires winning a popularity contest.
• Creating psychological safety and letting go of early biases is essential.
• Managers should never change reporting structures.

Sources: photo by Burst on Pexels