6 key tasks for a marketing manager’s first month

This article originally ran on PR Daily in March, 2015. Whether you’ve landed a position at a new organization or received a promotion at your current one, your first month in a new marketing communications job can be daunting.

Once you’ve figured out where the bathrooms are and how to work the copy machine, you might not be sure what your first official task should be. Of course, by this time you’ve been briefed by your hiring manager on some of the organization’s priorities, but there are some rather important items you should tackle right away to build a foundation for your success in the position:

Engage your team.

To be successful, you’re going to need allies all around you, from your supervisor and her peers to your direct reports and contacts in other departments. Start with your subordinates. After all, you can’t be successful without their support.

Hold a team meeting on day one and conduct individual meetings with everyone from managers to support staff in the first or second week. Use these meetings to build authentic relationships with your staff, not just to promote yourself to them. Give them a chance to talk about themselves and share their views on the opportunities and challenges they see for the department.