First NINETY Days

Most employees spend close to 80% of their time working directly with their managers. Prepare for your first few meetings with your manager to establish a strong and successful partnership. Here are a few items to consider.

• Ask about the functional area – its purpose, organizational structure, and goals
• Review your job description, the outline of tasks, and expectations; ask how your job fits in the department and how your job and department contribute to the unit/school and the Institute. Ask what success will look like
• Inquire about your manager’s style of communication
• Inquire about staff meetings and regularly scheduled activities, understand how your manager and the team manage, communicate, coordinate, and share calendars
• Ask what platforms (ex. Slack, Zoom, WebEx, Trello, Outlook MS Teams, etc.) your team uses to communicate and connect; clarify when remote employees must be online and available and which forms of communication require an immediate response and which are less urgent
• Discuss how meaningful feedback will be shared and opportunities for you to provide feedback
• Inquire about the goals setting and the performance review process
• Schedule your three- and six-month performance check-in. This should be in addition to and separate from your ongoing check-ins.

• Review your department organizational chart
• Set up meetings with your team members and other key employees in coordination with your manager.
• These meetings could be on-on-one or group calls; start with conversations about their background, career paths, personal/professional interests. If available, check their bios and profiles before the meeting, which can help start the conversation and ask specific questions.
• Plan to meet with co-workers, direct reports, and employees from other departments with whom you will work closely
• Use this handy ‘Acronyms from Around BU‘ list to help you in the first few weeks and months. Please note your department might have additional acronyms to share.

• Talk with your manager about role-based training
• Identify which colleagues and central departments are available to answer questions and provide support while you are training
• Follow up with your manager with questions and supports you need to put learning into practice
• Explore the Courses & Workshops available to you now and for your future development

We believe you do your best work when you feel connected to your colleagues and institution. Community, Big Yet Small, is one of the pillars of BU’s Strategic Plan 2030. To meet the goals outlined in this plan, BU has launched many initiatives and created spaces and programs to help you find the community that is right for you. Check out the HR’s Experience BU site for ways to get involved. And below are a few additional community groups that might be of interest.

• Read about BU’s rich history and vibrant community
• Stay Connected on the Go with BU’s Mobile Apps (found in the App Store by searching BU)
• Download DUO for quick log-in into important BU sites
• Download BU Alert to be notified during weather closures, utility outages, and emergencies.
• BU Diversity & Inclusion
  • Share your preferred name and pronunciation in your own voice through Hear My Name. To learn more about BU’s initiative, check out: https://www.bu.edu/tech/2023/02/28/hear-my-name/.
  • Faculty and Staff Community Network Groups
• BU Women’s Guild and Women of Color Circle – open to all faculty & staff of BU, inclusive of gender identities and expressions
• Newbury Center for First-Generation Students
• LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty and Staff
• Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground

Additionally, ask about D&I efforts in your unit, department, or school and stay informed by subscribing to newsletters such as BU Today, D&I, and more.

Note: The list above is not conclusive, but we hope it helps you to start exploring and learning about BU.