What would you need from your boss when you just join a new organization as a PMM leader?

The most important thing you should expect from your new manager when you first join an organization is a detailed onboarding document with a 90-day plan. The document should provide background information on the company, industries, and competitors with links to source files and documents. It should also outline the company’s vision, the annual operating plan for the business and the department OKRs or goals. 

As part of your orientation plan, your boss should identify a list of key individuals for you to meet with topics to cover in each meeting. The document should also contain links to any customer research or insights that will help you inform your understanding of your customer base and target audience. 

This plan should also highlight what your core responsibilities are, how much budget you have at your disposal, what product launches you will be leading, how your success will be measured and what expectations there are for your first 30-60-90-day milestone. 

Finally, make sure to book regular time with your boss in your first 30 days, at least 2x per week as you ramp-up.

Every time I join a new organization, I ask for the same things:

• List of key contacts in the sales, marketing, and product teams
• Key buyer/user personas
• Existing product materials
• KPIs for the team

From there I construct a 30-60-90 day plan to meet people, learn the products, and craft a strategy for the products that will lead to measurable success.

I am familiar with this situation as I was here not too long ago. ;) Here's what worked well for me: 

• As a new leader, establish your 30-60-90 days goals with your manager. Align on the big bets, so there are no big surprises. 
• You are also likely to re-org the team to make it more efficient. Chances are that your manager might also have a few thoughts/ideas. Pick their brain earlier to understand more, so it can influence your plans. 
• Ask your manager for the critical stakeholders for you to build relationships across the organization and genuinely pursue that. 
• Ask 3 things during your every 1:1 - "What's top of mind for them? What can you do to help? Any feedback for you?" Asking these questions often earlier will help you understand their thought process and help you build a trustworthy relationship. 

The most important thing your boss can do for you when you start is offer their time and give you the time and space to onboard. It's a balance of pushing you to execute while allowing you to onboard and truly depends on the state of the business.