What is the first item on your agenda during your very first meeting with your new PMM team?

My first, and likely only, item would be 'Let's get to know each other.' Of all the skills I've acquired over the years as a PMM, I think the most valuable have been the human / people side of business. I've thought a lot and deeply on how to be a good manager. How to listen to people and understand them as people. I think this really starts with getting to know each other. That doesn't necissarily mean opening up on a personal level, but talking about why we're here, what drives us, how we like to work and communicate, etc. 

There will be plenty of time to dig into the tactical projects and logistical set up - but I'd carve out that very first meeting as a time to just connect. 

It depends on my role. But in any role, I think the focus of any first meeting is to listen, learn, and build relationships. Typically, the first meeting is all about getting to know each other on a human level. 

• As an IC, my focus is on understanding the team dynamics, getting to know each person’s role, and hearing about what drives them in their work. I’d introduce myself, share my background, and ask how I can best contribute while learning about everyone’s unique strengths. My goal is to connect with the team and build rapport as I integrate.
  

• As a leader, I’d emphasize creating a trusting and open environment from day one. I’d take time to listen to each team member, understand what motivates them, and learn about their goals beyond just their current projects. I’d also share more about myself—not just as a professional but as a person—so we can build a sense of mutual trust. 
  

Whether I’m the new team member or the leader, focusing on the human side helps create a strong foundation for collaboration and shared success.

"How do things work around here?" 

Every company is different and I'm really interested in how does the team work together, what does planning look like, how do people communicate/collaborate with each other, and how do I ensure I'm successful in the context of this company. (that last one typically points towards understanding the politics of the business). 

When I'm taking over a PMM team, my first priority is to understand the individual people on the team, what drives them, what they are good at, and what they think is going well with the business and what is not. I meet with each member of the team and ask some variation on the following:

• What's going well?
• What's not?
• How do you define your role, and what does a typical day look like?
• How can I support you as your manager? What do you need from me to be successful?
• Where would you like to take your career?

I ask these questions in part to get to know the team, and in part to suss out:

• Does this person understand the business? Are they plugged in to how the business makes money, what the high-level strategy is, and do they have a point of view of what could be changed and why?
• Are they able to articulate a relationship between what they do and the business results?
• Is this person being put in a position their best work? Are they in the right role? Is a career management discussion in order?
• As I build the team, where would this person be the best fit based on their interest and aptitude?

In the first team meeting, I discuss:

1. Summary/synthesis of what I heard from the team in my individual meetings
2. Big picture on where the team is in alignment with overall business strategy and how we can execute on the strategy
3. Discussion on how best to work together as a team
4. Concrete next steps on goal setting, priorities, and development of a business-focused PMM plan 

First item to to get to know the team and for the team to get to know you.

I start with a picture perfect introduction and this opens the doors into your life outside of the job title.

My teams and mentees have adopted this idea and its amazing to see everyone's values and life stories.

• Candidate experience - https://divmanickam.substack.com/p/candidate-experience-reimagined
• Picture perfect introduction https://divmanickam.substack.com/p/picture-perfect-introduction